How to eat for baby and you

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When television producer, Lisa Neal, learned the wife of a work colleague was expecting a baby, she knew exactly what to buy her – a pregnancy cookbook with health-boosting nutrition tips and easy-to-follow recipes. Lisa, a passionate cook who had long been interested in using food as medicine, hit the bookstores. By the time she entered the fourth store her enthusiasm had waned. “I couldn’t find anything and I went everywhere,” she says.
Determined, Lisa returned home and began combing the internet. However, after hours of trawling through database after database, she finally admitted defeat and gave up the search. During the coming days Lisa told several of her
women friends of her disappointment and disbelief that no such cookbook existed. Everyone she spoke to listened carefully. Then they let her know that if she ever did discover such a book, they’d be very interested to read it. It didn’t take long before Lisa knew what she had to do. “It just hit me,” she explains. “I’m a cook, I love food and I’ve been giving people recipes and food remedies for years. It made sense for me to write the book myself.”
So Lisa began delving into the complex area of diet and nutrition during pregnancy. She studied reams of research and met with dietitians, midwives and obstetricians. She spoke to her pregnant friends, and their pregnant friends and also all the mothers she knew. Soon she had
amassed a terrific amount of information. That information has since been turned into the book Feeding The Bump – Nutrition and Recipes for Pregnancy (Allen and Unwin, 2008) and Lisa couldn’t be more proud. “The book includes nutrition tips and recipes for mums-to-be and it’s already helped several of my friends have healthy, happy, comfortable pregnancies,” she says.
The importance of diet
Lisa’s book is undoubtedly great news for pregnant women who, by following her recipes, may be able to ease common pregnancy complaints such as morning sickness, fluid retention, fatigue, constipation and even heartburn, but it’s perhaps even more of a bonus for the babies these women are carrying. Recent research has shown a woman’s diet during pregnancy has a dramatic effect on her unborn child and may even contribute to a baby’s health from birth right through to their adult life.
Research conducted by the University of Nottingham in the UK confirms that what an expectant mother eats, and what an infant is fed during the first few months after birth, has a major impact upon long-term health, particularly in the areas of obesity, eating disorders, diabetes and also cardiovascular disease. Other studies reveal a pregnant woman’s diet may also affect her baby’s immune function, cognitive development and even behaviour in later years.
There is also solid evidence showing a nutritionally sound diet increases the chances of a baby being born in the correct weight range, improves foetal brain development and reduces the risk
of several birth defects. This might shock some women, but not Lisa. “Your baby is solely dependent upon you to supply all of the nutrients required for growth, energy and development,” she says. “If you are what you eat, it’s not a stretch to say your baby is also what you eat. Obviously that means diet is one of the most important factors in pregnancy. It’s also the only factor you have complete influence over. The good news is you can contribute towards a comfortable pregnancy and help grow a beautiful healthy baby simply by eating delicious, nutritious food.”
The basics of eating well
There’s no doubt pregnant women and their babies benefit from a healthy diet. But what exactly does a healthy diet mean? Pam Stone, director of education and naturopath at natural health company Blackmores, says we’re simply talking about plenty of fresh, unprocessed foods. “I would recommend two to three pieces of fruit, five serves of vegetables and two to three serves of unprocessed grains daily,” says Pam. A piece of fruit is self explanatory, but for those who are unsure, a serve of vegetables is roughly one cup. A serve of grains is a cup of rice or pasta or one slice of bread.
Pam also recommends expectant mums tuck into three to four servings of quality protein per day. Good choices of protein include nuts, seeds, lean organic chicken, lean red meat, fish*, eggs, plain yoghurt and legumes such as lentils, split peas or beans. When it comes to meat, a single serve is about the size of your palm. For nuts, seeds and legumes you’re looking at half a cup. Pam also suggests pregnant women drink filtered water throughout the day. About eight 250ml glasses a day should do the trick.
Finally, Pam advises pregnant women take a prenatal supplement to ensure they get adequate levels of vitamins and minerals such as folic acid (a must, as it drastically reduces the risk of the foetus developing neural tube defects), the whole vitamin B complex, vitamin C, zinc, calcium and magnesium.Yes, sticking to such a healthy diet can be challenging.
That said, it should be achievable, at least most of the time, particularly if you allow yourself the odd splurge here and there. But choose carefully, says Heidi Murkoff, co-author of What To Expect When You’re Expecting (HarperCollins, 2003). “Though most bites should count for good nutrition, some can, and should, count for pure pleasure,” says Heidi. “If a food you’ve chosen doesn’t measure up nutritionally, it should at least be one you truly enjoy.” 
* Some fish is not recommended during pregnancy due to its high levels of mercury. Check with your obstetrician, midwife or doctor.

Planning conception
Eating well when pregnant is vitally important, but scientists working in the field are discovering a mother’s diet during the months immediately preceding conception may also affect
a baby’s health in a significant way. Accordingly, women who are planning to conceive in the near future should kick-start their healthy eating plan as soon as possible, says Pam Stone of Blackmores. “Ideally, you need to reassess your diet at least three months or more before you plan to conceive. This is because the nutrients supplied by our diet play a variety of important roles in the body. They not only help to improve the chances of conception, but improve the chances of a healthy conception,” says Pam.
Soon-to-be dads aren’t off the hook either. “It takes at least two months to manufacture a fully mature sperm cell and a woman‘s eggs and uterine environment are also vulnerable to bad habits for at least three months prior to ovulation,” Pam advises.
To find more eating tips and advice for women trying to conceive, visit www.preconception.com.au.