What to Expect When Meeting with a Nutritionist: Pregnancy and Nutrition

While fueling your body with good nutrients is always important, it’s especially important when you’re expecting. I am currently pregnant with a little girl due in mid-May. When I found out I was pregnant, I was already taking advantage of the annual six free nutrition counseling visits I get with my Independence Blue Cross (Independence) health plan.

After I told my nutritionist I was pregnant, we began to tweak my diet plan to ensure my baby was getting the nutrients she needed. For example, I had been limiting dairy, but when I became pregnant, I added it back in since calcium is a crucial nutrient for developing babies.

Focus on What to Add

Seeing a nutritionist doesn’t mean you have to give up the foods you love. This is especially true when you’re pregnant and have serious cravings. (I have ice cream almost every night after dinner!)

It’s more about making sure you’re including nutrients in your diet that are good for the baby’s development. Making healthy food choices while pregnant will help give your baby what they need to develop and gain the proper amount of weight.

Important Nutrients During Pregnancy

While all the normal healthy eating recommendations still apply when you are pregnant, there are certain nutrients that you should pay close attention to:

Folate and folic acid: Help prevent certain birth defects (dark, leafy vegetables)
Calcium: Strengthens bones and teeth (yogurt, eggs, broccoli, kale)
Vitamin D: Strengthens bones (milk, salmon)
Iron: Promotes growth and brain development (Red meat and spinach)
Protein: Supports baby’s growth (lean meats, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, and nuts)

First Trimester

Like many other pregnant people, I had a very rough first trimester. The mere thought of food made me nauseous, and I had a difficult time keeping anything down. I talked with my nutritionist about my food aversions, and she told me to just focus on getting any kind of nutrients into my body.

I was eating a lot of carbohydrates like pasta, bread, and crackers, so she told me that I could try pasta alternatives, like a chickpea-based pasta, which is high in protein. Not only is protein crucial for my baby’s growth, it may also help ease first trimester nausea. This worked great for me and helped settle my stomach.

She also told me to focus on small, frequent meals since being hungry can make the nausea worse. She recommended fruits like apples and bananas with a nut butter to get more protein in my diet. I also kept mixed nuts and dried fruit on my desk and in my purse in case I got hungry. These small snacks helped to keep my nausea at bay.

Second Trimester

Thankfully my food aversions started to fade around 16 weeks. I was able to focus more on eating the nutrients my baby needs for her development.