Eating Well (or trying to!) During Pregnancy

Good nutrition is important at every stage of life, but something about pregnancy drives many women to take extra care of themselves, including how they eat.  Whether it is realizing you are no longer just taking care of yourself or wanting to keep your body in the healthiest shape for your eventual labor and delivery, many a pregnant woman takes a second look at what she eats.

However, as a second time mama, sometimes it isn't as easy to keep focused on your nutrition as well as you do your first child's!  Here are some quick tips to help you eat healthy during your pregnancy, whether this is your first, or one of many children:

- Drink tons of water!  Water intake for pregnancy recommendations vary based on your source, but drinking somewhere from 64 to 80+ ounces per day seems to be a common finding.  Water intake decreases dehydration related contractions and aids in your blood volume and baby's amniotic fluids, even if it does keep you running to the ladies' room!!!

- Take your prenatal vitamins.  This may seem like a no-brainer for some women, but for others, it can be hard to remember, especially if you take no other medications, or if you have other children at home on which you are focused.  I've found personally that setting a smart phone alarm with the label of "Take your Vitamin!" tends to work well for me :)

- Vary your colors.  Watching the colors of your food intake can, in many cases, help you to increase the vitamins and minerals you are obtaining.  When you eat a meal, you want to try and eat a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables to gain more of your nutrients from your food than from relying on vitamins and supplements.

- Think about the overall picture.  When my son began to eat solid foods, we were given the advice to judge his intake over a week's time, instead of a day.  This helped my husband and I to not obsess over every meal he ate.  Overall, by the end of each week, his intake is widely varied and covering all categories.  This can be a helpful outlook to have while eating for your pregnancy as well.

What are some things you do to eat well during pregnancy?