Staying Healthy

Your pregnant body brings new nutritional needs, safety concerns, and more. Become familiar with all the ways you can stay well during this time so you can feel your best and nurture your growing baby.

​Strive to eat a variety of fresh, unprocessed foods in what nutritionist Jill Stansbury calls “a rainbow of natural food colors.” Healthy amounts of vitamins, iron, calcium, protein, fiber and unsaturated fats naturally show up in fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy foods, fresh nuts and grains, lean meats, poultry and fish. You should also take a prenatal vitamin with folic acid daily.

Take a glance around and you’ll see that people come in different sizes, especially during pregnancy. Even women who eat similar foods and exercise about the same amount vary greatly in how much weight they gain and how their bodies carry that weight.

Trade in the energy you spend worrying about the number on the scale for energy spent loving your body and your growing baby, no matter what size you are. This love may be just the inspiration you need to nourish yourself and your baby with healthy foods, and to accept and forgive yourself when you make choices that you know could have been better.