Your Nutrition During Pregnancy

during pregnancy week by week your body will change as your baby grows bigger and stronger. One of the most important things you can do right now is to ensure that your diet is a healthy one, which includes all the necessary vitamins and minerals you need both.

It is important to eat a variety of foods during pregnancy week by week. Try to make sure your diet includes:

-. Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day (fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juice count all formats)

-. Potatoes, bread and pasta (wholegrain bread options if possible) to the energy levels up to

-. Lean meat, chicken, white fish, eggs (make sure the eggs are well cooked), beans and lentils for protein

- Two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish (eg mackerel and salmon) -. They provide important fatty acids for mental and physical growth of children

- dairy products like milk, some cheeses (cheddar, such as Parmesan cheese and cottage cheese) and yogurt - it contains calcium to build bones. Use low fat varieties where possible.

Things to avoid

During pregnancy, your defenses against stomach bugs and food poisoning can be smaller than usual, so make sure you avoid:

- cheese that is made with a mold, such as Camembert and Brie or goat cheese, and all soft unpasteurised cheese or blue cheese, because it may contain bacteria that can harm the baby Listeria

-. All types of pâté, including vegetable pâté, as it also may contain Listeria

-. Raw or partially cooked eggs or any foods on the basis of raw eggs (eg ice cream or mayonnaise) to avoid salmonella food poisoning

- Raw fish, shellfish and raw meat -. Always make sure food is well cooked

- The liver products because they contain lots of vitamin A. You do not need a vitamin but too much can harm a child. Supplements containing vitamin A should also be avoided.

- Deep sea fish such as shark, swordfish or marlin, and you should have more than two tuna steaks or four cans of tuna a week because they may contain traces of mercury which can damage a child's nervous system.

Further advice

In order to avoid any chance of food poisoning:

-. Always ask for food that works well, and be especially careful in BBQs

- Make sure to wash your hands after touching raw meat, like raw meat contains bacteria that can cause food poisoning

is also a good idea to reduce the high fat and high sugar foods such as cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks to avoid placing too much weight while pregnant.