5 Myths about Pregnancy Diet You Should Stop Believing

So, you’re pregnant, congratulations! Get ready for food cravings, hormonal changes, and other things that are characteristic for your pregnancy. Your family members, coworkers, and friends who had babies will give you useful advice based on their experiences. You will find out different ways to manage pregnancy symptoms, but the chances are high they’ll also tell you what to eat or avoid during this special time in your life. Pregnancy nutrition is largely misunderstood which explains all those myths circling around. To help you and your baby stay healthy, this article will post the most common diet myths associated with pregnancy.

1. It’s time to eat for two – A vast majority of pregnant women think they need to increase their food intake because they have to eat for two until the baby is born. In fact, you’ll hear other women advising you to do so. But, that’s not entirely correct and you’re not obliged to eat constantly. One study showed that eating for two during pregnancy isn’t necessary, and can be harmful. In fact, most women who eat for two end up gaining an excessive amount of weight, but this eating pattern also increases the risk of obesity in babies.

   It’s important to bear in mind that to keep yourself and the baby healthy, you’ll need to increase intake of certain nutrients such as calcium and iron in the second trimester. During that time, you’ll need to consume 300 more calories a day, which is a reasonable and healthy amount equal to one slice of whole grain bread and one tablespoon of peanut butter.

2. You should never eat fish when pregnant – If you were to ask someone what not to eat when pregnant the most common answer would be – fish due to mercury. Eating oily fish is incredibly beneficial since Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for our health and baby’s development. For instance, a study whose findings were published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that eating more servings of fish and seafood during the week was strongly linked to increased cognitive scores and decreased symptoms of autistic spectrum in the children. More precisely, eating 600g of fish per week (3-4 servings) was associated with 2.8 point increase in IQ score.

   Furthermore, children born to mothers who eat salmon during pregnancy are less likely to have doctor-diagnosed asthma compared to children whose mothers don’t eat it, according to a study from the University of Southampton. Ideally, you should eat fish lower in mercury like tilapia, salmon, shrimp, tuna (canned light), cod, and catfish.

3. Eating peanuts will make your baby allergic  – Due to growing rates of peanut allergies among children, women were advised to avoid eating peanuts and products that contain them during pregnancy. A growing body of evidence suggests that women shouldn’t be afraid to eat peanuts when they’re pregnant. In fact, one study showed that increased peanut intake by pregnant women who weren’t allergic was also strongly associated with lower risk of peanut allergy in their offspring. Additionally, there is no evidence that eating peanuts during pregnancy leads to allergies in children. The same goes for all women who’ve been told that avoiding eggs or cow’s milk will prevent allergies in children.
4. Stay away from coffee – Pregnant women are often advised to stay away from coffee throughout the pregnancy. So, should you? Well, this is a complicated subject and depends on the amount of coffee you want to consume. While coffee is safe, going overboard with it isn’t advised. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologistsrecommends limiting the caffeine intake to fewer than 200mg per day, which is 10-ounce cup of Starbucks coffee. Of course, bear in mind that coffee you make at home and the one served in restaurants or cafes have different caffeine content, so pay more attention to that. The safest option is to have latte.
5. You have to take multivitamin supplements – Dietary supplements are popular nowadays and they’re made for different purposes. Some of them are formulated to help men improve testosterone levels, others provide menopause symptoms relief, and there are also products intended to manage symptoms and signs when pregnant and they’re dubbed to help baby’s development through delivery of various nutrients.

However, one research showed that women who take multivitamin and mineral supplements during pregnancy are just wasting their money since these products don’t improve their or baby’s health. In fact, scientist discovered that besides folic acid and Vitamin D supplements that are generally recommended for safe pregnancy, there was no evidence that supplementation with mineral or multivitamin products has any impact on pregnancy. That’s why pregnant women are encouraged to consult their doctor before buying these supplements and to include a variety of foods into the diet.

Conclusion
Diet in pregnancy is subjected to numerous myths that women firmly believe in. Getting informed about nutrition when pregnant and consulting your doctor is highly recommended. That way, you’ll be certain that you and your baby are getting much-needed nutrients to stay healthy.