From Conception - 4 weeks
Milk Group: Supplies many nutrients including: Calcium, Protein, Vitamin D, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12
Meat Group: Supplies many nutrients including: Iron, Protein, Vitamin B6 , Vitamin B12 , Niacin, Thiamin, Zinc
Vegetable Group: Supplies many nutrients including: Folic Acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Fiber
Fruit Group: Supplies many nutrients including: Folic Acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Fiber
Grain Group: Supplies many nutrients including: Iron, Thiamin, Niacin, Zinc, Fiber
Morning sickness (at any time of the day) is common in early pregnancy. If you’re experiencing nausea, you might try some of these:
Different solutions work for different women. Fortunately, the nausea
usually disappears by the third month. If you find yourself losing
weight, talk to your health care provider.
What you eat during your pregnancy is the foundation of good health for both you and your baby. While many nutrients contribute to growth, the following are especially important. Each day make sure you eat a variety of foods from each food group. That way, you have the best chance of getting all the nutrients you and your baby need. (See Months 2-6 for more information.)
Calcium: Helps form baby’s bones and teeth. It also maintains your
bones.
Folic Acid (Folacin): Helps form red and white blood cells.
Protein: Building material for muscle and tissue for both baby and you.
Iron: Necessary for healthy blood for you and your baby.
At 5 - 10 weeks:
Milk Group: Includes: Milk, Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Yogurt, Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, Milkshakes
Meat Group: Includes: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Fish, Seafood, Dried Beans and Peas, Nuts, Peanut Butter
Vegetable Group: Includes: Fresh, Canned, Frozen, Juice
Fruit Group: Includes: Fresh, Canned, Dried, Frozen, Juice
Grain Group: Includes: Bread, Tortillas, Cereal, Pasta, Rice, Crackers, Muffins, Pancakes, Waffles
Caffeine: Experts vary in their opinion on the safety of caffeine during pregnancy. Caffeine can enter the baby’s blood stream. And it may increase any jittery feelings you already have. For these reasons, experts recommend limiting caffeine to 2 cups of coffee, tea, or cola a day.
Alcohol: Women who don’t drink alcohol tend to have healthier babies. Excessive amounts of alcohol are toxic to the baby. Alcohol also contains calories and few nutrients. While it is unknown if occasional, moderate usage is safe, medical experts recommend avoiding alcohol during pregnancy.
Aspartame: Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener. Moderate amounts of aspartame are probably safe during pregnancy. However, pregnant women who have PKU (phenylketonuria) must restrict aspartame use.
Drugs/Medications: Any drug — prescription, over-the-counter, or street drugs such as cocaine — affect the baby, as well as the mother. Using self-prescribed drugs during pregnancy is risky for baby’s health and yours. Before using any medication (even Tylenol® and cough medicine), discuss it with your health care provider.
At 12 - 14 weeks:
Milk Group:
Average weight at beginning of Pregnancy: 4 Servings (under 19), 3 Servings (19+)
Overweight at beginning of Pregnancy: 4 Servings (under 19), 3 Servings (19+)
Under weight at beginning of Pregnancy: 4 Servings (under 19), 3 Servings (19+)
Meat Group:
Average weight at beginning of Pregnancy: 3 Servings
Overweight at beginning of Pregnancy: 3 Servings
Under weight at beginning of Pregnancy: 3 Servings
Vegetable Group:
Average weight at beginning of Pregnancy: 4 Servings
Overweight at beginning of Pregnancy: 3 Servings
Under weight at beginning of Pregnancy: 5 Servings
Fruit Group:
Average weight at beginning of Pregnancy: 3 Servings
Overweight at beginning of Pregnancy: 2 Servings
Under weight at beginning of Pregnancy: 4 Servings
Grain Group:
Average weight at beginning of Pregnancy: 7-8 Servings
Overweight at beginning of Pregnancy: 6 Servings
Under weight at beginning of Pregnancy: 9-11 Servings
By eating a high-quality diet, you have a good chance of getting most of the vitamins and minerals you need — except for iron and folic acid. Your need for these nutrients doubles during pregnancy. So your health care provider may prescribe a prenatal supplement which includes two nutrients.
Iron: Your blood supply increases about 50% during pregnancy. Iron helps form red blood cells. And red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Your baby is also storing iron for its first few months after birth. Iron-rich foods, like meat, fish, or poultry, can supply much of your iron. If your health care provider prescribes iron, it is usually 30-60 milligrams a day. If you have nausea or constipation from the iron, try one of the following:
At 16 - 20 weeks:
Milk Group: 1 cup Milk; 1 cup Yogurt; 1½-2 oz. Cheese; ½ cup Cottage Cheese; ½ cup Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt
Meat Group: 2-3 oz. Cooked, Lean Meat, Fish, Poultry; 1 Egg, ½ cup Cooked, Dried Peas/Beans; 2 tbsp. Peanut Butter; 1/3 cup Nuts, Seeds
Vegetable Group: ¾ cup Juice; ½ cup Vegetable; 1 med. Potato; 1 cup Raw Leafy Vegetable
Fruit Group: ¾ cup Juice; ½ cup Fruit; 1 med. Apple, Banana, Orange; ½ Grapefruit; ¼ Cantaloupe; ¼ cup Dried Fruit
Grain Group: 1 slice Bread; ½ English Muffin, Bun; 1 oz. Ready-to- Eat Cereal; ½ cup Pasta, Rice, Grits, Cooked Cereal; 1 Tortilla, Muffin
You’re probably beginning to gain a little more weight now. The average pregnant woman gains about 25-35 pounds. Babies born to women in this weight range weigh more and are healthier. Your doctor may advise you to gain more or less weight, depending on your weight before this pregnancy.
Gradual weight gain is desirable. Aim for about 2-5 pounds during the first 3 months. You can expect to gain about one pound a week during the rest of the pregnancy. Continue to record your weight on the graph at the back of the calendar. If you notice a rapid or unexplained change in your weight, be sure to report it right away.
This is not the time to lose weight. Some of the weight you are gaining goes directly to your baby. The rest is making your body a healthy growing environment for your baby.
At 24 weeks:
Mushroom Pizza: Milk, Vegetable and Grain Groups
Cheeseburger: Milk, Meat and Grain Groups
Taco: Milk, Meat, Vegetable and Grain Groups
Chef Salad: Milk, Meat and Vegetable Groups
Lasagna: Milk, Meat, Vegetable and Grain Groups
Macaroni and Cheese: Milk, and Grain Groups
Chicken Noodle Soup: Meat and Grain Groups
Cream of Tomato Soup: Milk and Vegetable Groups
Tuna Salad: Meat and Vegetable Groups
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich: Meat and Grain Groups
Baked Potato with Broccoli and Cheese: Milk and Vegetable Groups
Chicken Stir Fry/Rice: Meat, Vegetable and Grain Groups
Exercise during pregnancy can improve your muscle tone and cardiovascular system. And it makes you feel good too! Be sure to talk with your health care provider early in your pregnancy about exercise. Women with certain medical conditions may be advised not to exercise.
Once you get the okay to exercise, here are some tips to keep in mind:
Exercise only to the point where you begin to get tired.
At 26 weeks:
Milk Group: Includes: Yogurt, Milk, Cheese, Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream
Meat Group: Includes: Tofu, Sardines with Bones, Canned Salmon with Bones, Perch, Almonds
Vegetable Group: Includes: Spinach (Calcium is poorly absorbed), Turnip Greens, Okra
Combination Foods: Includes: Lasagna, Macaroni and Cheese, Pizza, Chef Salad, Taco
If you have difficulty digesting milk: Discuss the problem with your health care provider; Choose cheese, yogurt, ice cream or chocolate milk; Eat smaller amounts; Try lactose-reduced milk.
Pregnant women need calcium. Your baby’s rapidly growing bones and developing teeth require plenty of calcium — especially in the last months of pregnancy. Your body is also storing calcium for milk production later. An adequate intake of calcium can help prevent high blood pressure during pregnancy and a condition called preeclampsia.
Milk Group foods are the primary source of calcium in the American diet. For pregnant women, 3 servings (4 servings for women under 19) from the Milk Group are recommended daily. Foods from the Milk Group are also important sources of other nutrients, like riboflavin and protein.
Other foods from the Meat Group, Vegetable Group, and Grain Group also supply calcium. However, the calcium in spinach, chard, and beet greens binds with oxalate. This makes less of the calcium available to the body.
At 28 weeks:
At 30 weeks:
Meat Group: Include: Blackeyed Peas, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Peanut Butter, Peanuts, Refried Beans
Vegetable Group: Include: Baked Potato, Broccoli, Carrots, Corn, Peas, Tomato
Fruit Group: Include: Apple, Banana, Orange, Pear, Raisins
Grain Group: Include: Bran Flakes, Bran Muffin, Brown Rice, Whole Grain Crackers, Whole Grain Bread
Combination Foods: Includes: Baked Beans, Bean Burrito, Chef Salad, Chicken Stir Fry, Chili
As your baby gets bigger, it may be getting crowded inside you. This increased pressure may bring on heartburn or constipation.
For Heartburn:
For Constipation:
At 32 weeks:
At 34 weeks:
Breast Feeding
Bottle Feeding
Your baby’s birth is fast approaching. And there may still be some decisions to make, like . . . What will the baby’s name be? Will you go back to work?
Now is the time to think about how you want to feed your baby. Baby’s only food source for the first 4-6 months is milk. So your options are fairly simple: to breast feed or bottle feed.
Breast Feeding: Pediatric experts recommend breast feeding. If you’re among the growing number of women who have chosen this option, this is a good time to prepare. You can begin by talking with others who have breast fed. Your health care provider can also discuss techniques with you and refer you to reading materials. Some hospitals offer classes on breast feeding too.
Bottle Feeding: If you’re thinking about bottle feeding, rest assured that commercial infant formulas are safe and nutritious. They are patterned after mother’s milk.
You may decide to breast feed for the first few months and then switch to bottle feeding. Whatever you decide, feeding will become an important time for forming emotional bonds with your baby.
At 36 weeks:
At 38-40 weeks:
Name: __________________________
Born on: _________________________
Time: ___________________________
Weight: _________________________
Length: _________________________
Place: __________________________
First Impressions: ____________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
You’re in the home stretch now. You’re probably tired of being pregnant. And you’re longing to see your baby.
Take this last month to pamper yourself. Try to get some extra sleep (while you still can). And set aside time to clean up any loose ends before the baby arrives.
Month 10
Your baby may want to nurse every 2-3 hours during the first few weeks. Gradually the feedings will become further apart — to about 4-6 feedings in 24 hours. Your breast milk will provide enough nutrients to nourish your baby until 4-6 months of age. Your health care provider may recommend a daily iron, vitamin D, or fluoride supplement. When baby is 4-6 months old, you can introduce sold foods.
Milk Group: 3-4 Servings
Meat Group: 2-3 Servings
Vegetable Group: 3-5 Servings
Fruit Group: 2-4 Servings
Grain Group: 6-11 Servings
If you’re breast feeding your baby, your nutritional needs are similar to those during pregnancy. In fact, you need even more calories now than you did when you were pregnant. Many women are surprised at how hungry they are while breast feeding. Some of the fat you stored during pregnancy now provides some of the calories you need for milk production.
Your health care provider may suggest iron supplements for a few more months. This will help to replace the iron used during pregnancy and delivery.
You’ll need extra fluids for milk production. So drink 8-10 cups of fluids (milk, juice, water) a day.
If you’re not breast feeding, you can resume a normal diet from the
Five Food Groups (see chart below).
Milk Group: 4 Servings (Under 19); 3 Servings (19+)
Meat Group: 2-3 Servings (Under 19); 2-3 Servings (19+)
Vegetable Group: 3-5 Servings (Under 19); 3-5 Servings (19+)
Fruit Group: 2-4 Servings (Under 19); 2-4 Servings (19+)
Grain Group: 6-11 Servings (Under 19); 6-11 Servings (19+)
An iron-fortified formula will provide most nutrients your baby needs. However, your health care provider may prescribe fluoride.
Young babies generally drink a total of 12-24 ounces of formula in a 24-hour period. Feeding at first may be every 2-3 hours. The number of feedings decreases to 4-6 feedings a day as the baby becomes older. By 4-6 months of age, baby will be drinking 24-32 ounces of formula a day.
To protect your baby’s new or soon-to-come teeth, be sure to use the bottle only at feeding time. Never put your baby to bed with a bottle. The sugar in milk or juice may stay in contact with baby’s teeth too long. It may cause tooth decay known as Nursing Bottle Syndrome.
When baby is 4-6 months old, you can begin introducing solid foods. For more information on feeding baby for the first two years, ask for Dairy Council’s Airplane, Choo-Choo, and Other Games Parents Play.
Milk Group: 2/3 cup Whole or Reduced Fat Milk, 1 cup Fat Free Milk, 1 oz. Mozzarella Cheese, ½ cup Vanilla or Coffee Yogurt
Meat Group: 1 Hard-cooked Egg, 1 Drumstick (without skin), 2 slices Deli Ham, 1/8 cup Sunflower Seeds, 3 oz. Boiled Shrimp
Vegetable Group: ¾ cup Tomato Juice, ½ cup Broccoli, 1 stalk Celery, 1 Carrot Stick, ½ Green Pepper
Fruit Group: 1 medium Apple, 1 medium Orange, 1 medium Peach, 1 medium Pear, ½ cup Grapes
Grain Group: ½ English Muffin, 1 oz. Raisin Bran, 4 Saltine Crackers, 2 Graham Crackers, 1 slice of Toast
You’ve probably lost most of the weight from your pregnancy. If you
have a few more pounds to lose, gradually increase activities such as
walking or swimming.
To cut down on calories:
To exercise-away calories: