Breastfeeding is the best for babies and a healthy diet / maternal nutrition is important when breastfeeding. A decision not to breastfeed can be difficult to reverse. Infant formula is suitable from birth when babies are not breastfed. It is recommended that all formula milks be used on the advice of a doctor, midwife, health visitor, public health nurse, dietitian, pharmacist, or other professional responsible for maternal and child care and the financial implications should be considered. All preparation and feeding instructions should be followed carefully as inappropriate preparation could lead to health hazards.

What Food Should We Eat During Pregnancy?

During pregnancy your unborn baby gets all the nutrients they need to grow and develop from you. So, to ensure that you and your baby stay healthy and strong during this exciting period, it is important that you eat a healthy,balanced diet.

Our food pyramid

Our food pyramid can be used as a helpful guideline for working out whether you are eating enough of the different food groups that make up a healthy diet.

Top tips for a healthy diet

Choose a variety of foods from each of the different food groups to make sure you’re getting a good balance
Ask your doctor about extra supplements if you’re worried you’re not eating from a particular food group
Have 3 regular meals and 2 to 3 light snacks a dayInclude generous helpings of fruits and vegetables, wholegrain cereals and beans to increase your fibre intakeDrink water regularly – at least 8 glasses a day
Include other drinks in your diet such as low-fat milk, fresh fruit juices and soup
Eat one portion of oily fish and one portion of white fish each week (but avoid shark, swordfish and marlin)
Use vegetable oils such as corn, olive and sunflower oil in your cooking, but use them sparingly
Limit your intake of processed and preserved foods as they usually contain high levels of salt
Reduce your caffeine intake to no more than 4 cups a day
Limit your intake of sweets, crisps, cakes, biscuits, fats, oils, and sugar. These all provide extra calories but not much of the nutritional value that you and your baby need. Over-indulging now means it will be harder to regain your pre-pregnancy figure afterwards, so try to resist dipping into the biscuit tin too often!

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