In my last blog post, the importance of nutrition in pregnancy was made clear. Eating well has lifelong benefits; just as a not-so-ideal diet during pregnancy can affect both you and bub long-term.
The shocking thing is, most of us aren’t getting it right.
A New Zealand study of over 5600 pregnant women showed that only 3% were eating the recommended number of servings from each of the four main food groups. Read more on that in the next blog.
That means, 97% of the women were not meeting recommendations!
A similar study from Australia showed that of >650 women, NOT A SINGLE ONE was eating according to the Australian national nutrition guidelines for pregnant women, despite the fact that two-thirds of them thought they were eating well.
What am I saying? Two things.
- There is no other time in a woman’s life when nutrition is of paramount importance
- It can be really challenging to eat well when pregnant and the reality says so
This is where a pregnancy dietitian can answer the questions: what should I be eating in pregnancy? What pregnancy diet is right for me?
It’s time to cut away the confusion, and have a clear direction with a personalised plan. The support of a dietitian can help
- When the nausea, fatigue, constipation or heartburn gets the better of you;
- When you are putting on too much (or too little) weight as your pregnancy progresses;
- You are a vegetarian or vegan and are wanting to nourish you and bubs the best;
- When scary complications such as gestational diabetes, or preeclampsia are diagnosed;
- If you are anaemic or are unsure if you have any nutritional inadequacies;
- If the whole food safety thing has you unsure of what to eat…
Both of you will benefit from seeing a pregnancy dietitian. Drop Hannah a line today to have your own nutrition assessment. Together with Hannah you can make a practical, simple and attainable plan and know for certain you’re on track.
