Healthy Eating for Pregnant and nursing women. People often say that a women who is pregnant is eating for two, implying that she should eat more, but this is not true. During pregnancy the mother's body uses food more efficiently, and the extra needs of the growing fetus are therefore taken care of without the mother needing to increase her food intake. However she must make sure that her diet is of sufficiently high quality to provide herself and her baby with enough proteins, vitamins and minerals. Otherwise the growing baby will satisfy its own requirements at the expense of the mother's tissues and her health. 

It is necessary for you to follow any special dietary regime during pregnancy. But you do need to take an adequate, well-balanced, varied diet. The diet should contain sufficient proteins, vitamins and minerals, chiefly calcium and iron. Calcium and vitamin D are required for the formation of the baby's bones and teeth and you are liable to develop anemia in the absence of sufficient supplies of iron.

You should continue to eat chapaties, rice, bread or cereals in any form in sufficient quantities. They chiefly provide energy, starch, dietary fibre and B vitamins.

The other food group consisting of dals, peas, beans, egg, fish, meat and poultry is rich in proteins and your meals should contain good helpings of any of these food items.

Milk, curd, cheese and milk products provide calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D besides proteins and vitamins A. If you do not relish taking milk, you may take it in any other more palatable form like ice cream, milk shake, khoya, or dessert made with milk.

You should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Oranges, mosambi and other citrus fruits are rich sources of vitamin C. Mangoes papayas, carrots and other red and orange coloured fruits and vegetables like spinach, cabbage and salads are excellent sources of iron, vitamins and minerals.

You should however, cut down on your intake of fat and fatty foods as well as that of sugar and sugary foods Indian sweets, biscuits, chocolates, jams, and sugary drinks with high caloric content which only tend to make you obese without providing any important nutrients. Food preparations like halwa, pastry, cakes, paratha, margarine, vegetable oil, must be reduced to avoid overweight and later risk of heart disease.

AVOID DRUGS
You should avoid taking any drugs during your pregnancy, especially during the first three months. If it becomes very essential, these may be taken as little as possible with the express permission of your doctor. Some drugs taken by you can go across the placenta to your baby and damage his developing organs, leading to various defects in his heart, brain, eyes, ears, etc...the drugs which are not considered safe for the pregnant mother include tetracycline and streptomycin (both antibiotics) and some of the drugs used for the treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure, epilepsy, thyroid disorders, hormonal disturbances and cancer. You must therefore, inform your doctor as soon as you suspect that you may be pregnant so as to avoid the possible use of any unsafe drug.