General Prenatal Care

Diet
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released new Food Guide Pyramids in April 2005, to coordinate with the new 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. You can learn how to eat well by looking at the pyramid appropriate for you. Good nutrition comes from eating foods from all five food groups (see Inside the Pyramid).

Special Testing: Lansing OB/GYN Associates Special Testing General Prenatal Care - Diet Prenatal Instructions Brochure (PDF printable brochure)

Your daily intake should include the recommended number of servings from each food group. Your body will burn calories more efficiently if you eat throughout the whole day. Therefore, try to eat six times each day:

   Breakfast (always!)
   Mid-morning snack
   Lunch
   Mid-afternoon snack
   Dinner
   Evening snack

The Food Guide Pyramids
The Pyramids are an outline of what to eat each day. It is a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that is right for you. Click here to see the USDA Food Guide Pyramids.

Most women, whether overweight, normal weight or underweight need to gain weight during pregnancy. Studies have shown that gaining weight is healthy for both you and your baby. Throughout your pregnancy, remember: weight gain is essential, normal and temporary. An adult woman of normal weight needs to gain 25-35 pounds during her pregnancy. (See Figure 1.)

Often times pregnant women know what constitutes a good diet. However, if weight gain or loss is not at desired levels, one reason may be a misunderstanding about serving sizes. Figure 2 is provided to give you some guidance with individual portions when planning meals. Remember, avoiding large amounts of concentrated sweets will help keep your weight in check, and moderation in all the food groups is the best health practice.

Recommended Total Weight Gain Ranges
for Pregnant Women

Pre-Pregnancy
Weight-for-height Category

Recommended Total Gain
Pounds

Low (BMI <19.8)

28-40

Normal (BMI 19.8 to 26.0)

25-30

High (BMI 26.0 to 29.0)

15-25

Obese (BMI >30.0)

at least 15 pounds

These ranges are for single pregnancies. The range for women carrying twins is 35 to 40 lbs (15 to 20 kg). Young adolescents (less than 2 years after menarche) and African American women should strive for gains at the upper end of the range. Short women (less than 62 inches or 157 cm) should strive for gains at the lower end of the range.

Components of Weight Gain in Pregnancy (pounds)

Fetus

6.6-8.5

Breasts

1.0-1.5

Placenta

1.5-2.0

Uterus

2.0-2.5

Amniotic Fluid

2.0-2.5

Blood

4.0-6.0

Maternal nutrition stores

4.0-6.0

Fluid

4.0-6.0

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN

25.1-35.0

What counts as a serving?

Bread, cereal, rice, pasta
1 slice of bread
1/2 bagel or hamburger bun
1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal
1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta

Vegetables
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw
3/4 cup of vegetable juice

Fruits
1 medium apple, banana, orange
1/2 cup chopped cooked or canned fruit
3/4 cup of fruit juice

Milk, yogurt and cheese
1 cup of milk or yogurt
1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese
2 ounces of processed cheese

Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts
2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat,
poultry, or fish
1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, 1 egg, or 2
tablespoons of peanut butter

Figure 2