Nutrition during pregnancy
Pregnancy can be a great time to review your diet and keep in mind the family's good eating habits for the future. Some studies indicate that a child's diet / habits begin as early as in the womb, so there is a good opportunity to 'accustom' the child to healthy eating habits as soon as possible.
Blood sugar can fluctuate a lot during pregnancy, but at the same time your body is trying to maintain a stable blood sugar level for your baby in the womb. You may experience increased hunger or even tremors in your hands, fatigue, weakness and nausea. Therefore, it is important to try to eat often during the day (3-5 meals) and then rather smaller meals at a time and try to prevent a sudden drop in blood sugar. However, you do not need to increase your food intake, but rather spread it out better throughout the day.
We advise you to never leave home without some source of nutrition. It can be very useful to bring vegetables, fruits, nuts, pieces of cheese or whatever suits you. You may experience sudden fatigue and weakness that could be caused by fluctuations in your blood sugar and you may not feel hungry, but then it can be very helpful to have a snack in your bag or pocket to consume.
Here are some helpful tips to support healthy nutrition during your pregnancy:
Keep your food colorful. If your food is colorful then it is likely that your food contains a variety of nutrients such as green, yellow and red fruits and vegetables. But remember to rinse all vegetables and fruits thoroughly before consuming them.
Try to choose whole grain carbohydrates instead of fine ones. E.g. you can choose brown rice, whole wheat breads and pastas and porridge.
Try to eat foods that contain calcium to promote good bone health and teeth in your baby and to maintain supplies for your bones. However, keep in mind that caffeine reduces the absorption of calcium in both the mother and her child, so it is good to keep consumption within reasonable limits (1-2 cups of coffee a day or 3-4 cups of tea). Remember, you can also enjoy decaffeinated coffees and teas as well!
Try to eat iron-rich foods (e.g. dried fruits, dark green vegetables and whole grains) since the need for iron increases during pregnancy due to the increased blood levels, but the iron is necessary for the blood. Without enough iron, your body can´t produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (hemoglobin). It is useful to eat foods rich in vitamin C (fruits and vegetables) as you eat iron rich foods, because vitamin C increases the body's utilization of iron. Caffeine can also have a negative effect on the absorption of iron in the body, so try not to drink tea or coffee while you are eating iron-rich foods.
Try to eat a protein-rich diet but keep your nutrition balanced with regard to carbohydrates and fats as protein is about 10-20% of total energy consumption, carbohydrates about 45-60% and fat 25-40%.
Try to eat a high-calcium diet (e.g. milk, cheese, yoghurt, soy foods, beans and lentils) as the need for calcium increases during pregnancy. Dairy products also contain iodine, which is important for fetal and postpartum development. Other sources of iodine are fish (cod), seaweed and shrimp.
Fish is a great nutrition for you during pregnancy and it is recommended to eat fish 2-3 times a week during pregnancy (e.g. salmon is very good because of how high in fat it is). Fish is also rich in iodine and contains very good fatty acids such as DHA, which is especially important for the development of a baby's central nervous system in the womb.
Things to avoid during pregnancy:
Alcohol. It is not known for sure where the limits are regarding the amount and harmfulness of alcohol for children in the womb, so all women are advised to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy. Alcohol easily crosses the placenta of a baby during pregnancy. Because the baby´s immature organs are less likely to break down the alcohol, this can have a detrimental effect. A link has been found between the mother's high alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the child´s mental and physical disabilities, learning difficulties and behavioral problems later on in life.
Smoking. There is always a certain percentage of women who smoke during pregnancy and have not been able to quit. There are many benefits to quitting smoking for both mother and baby, and it is also helpful to reduce smoking if you are not ready to quit. We encourage you to discuss this with your midwife in antenatal care to get more support to quit smoking. Research has shown a link between smoking (from 5 cigarettes a day) and the harmful effects on the baby that increase proportionally with increased smoking. Tobacco is also the leading cause of cancer, and smoking has far-reaching effects on maternal health and chronic diseases such as stroke, coronary heart disease, pneumonia and atherosclerosis.
Medicines. If you are taking any medication on a regular basis, we advise you to contact your GP to review its possible effects on your pregnancy and your baby so that you will have the opportunity to consider the pros and cons. In many cases, the benefits outweigh the potential effects on the pregnancy or the baby. In some cases, you may be offered a change of medication that has a lesser potential effect on your pregnancy or your baby in the womb.
Unpasteurized cheeses. Imports of unpasteurized cheeses are now allowed in Iceland, and women are advised to avoid them during pregnancy due to the potential risk of carrying listeria, which can be harmful to the baby in the womb. These soft cheeses are cheeses such as brie, feta cheese and blue cheese. However, they are often also available as pasteurized, so it is important to read the packaging carefully.
Handling cat feces. Cat feces can contain toxoplasmosis, which can be harmful to the baby in the womb, so women are advised to avoid cat feces during pregnancy.
Raw (or poorly cooked) fish, meat, eggs and bean sprouts can contain bacteria that can be harmful to the baby in the womb, so women are advised to cook fish and meat well to reduce the risk of harm from these bacteria. It is also good to keep in mind that dried fish and buried or smoked salmon are not considered cooked.
Moderate consumption of tuna. Women are advised not to consume excessive amounts of large fish such as tuna as it can contain mercury which may be harmful to you and your baby in the womb. It is recommended to eat canned tuna no more than twice a week and tuna steak no more than once a week.
Limit salt and sugar intake during pregnancy. Salt is hidden in many places e.g. in processed foods and prepared dishes, breads and cereals. We advise you to keep added salt in moderation during pregnancy as large amounts of salt can increase the strain on your kidneys and bind fluid in the body and raise blood pressure. Studies have also shown that high consumption of high-energy, low-nutrient products has been linked to an increased risk of excessive weight gain, fetal macrosomia and gestational diabetes.
Limit caffeine consumption during pregnancy. Women are advised to keep their caffeine intake to a minimum during pregnancy as high doses can be harmful to the baby. It is based on 1-2 cups of coffee a day (100-200 mg of caffeine) and 3-4 cups of tea, but keep in mind that many other drinks contain caffeine such as energy drinks and cola drinks.