Dietary advice for pregnant women

Dietary advice for pregnant women

When you are pregnant, your bloodstream is connected to the baby's through the placenta. This means that what you eat and drink when you are pregnant is transferred to the child you are carrying in your belly. In order for the child and you to get sufficient nutrients, a healthy and varied diet combined with physical activity is recommended. Remember that the child absorbs the amounts of nutrients it needs, so any deficiencies primarily affect the mother.

Dietary advice

• Eat lots of vegetables and fruit

• Eat a lot of fish, both for dinner and as a side dish

• Choose coarse baked goods and wholegrain products where available as an alternative

• Eat lean meat, chicken and eggs

• Choose boiled or baked potatoes instead of chips and fries

• Eat less saturated fat and sugar

• Be careful with salt

• Drink water as a thirst quencher

Food and drink you should avoid

• Raw meat and meat that is not well-cooked or cooked (such as cured meats)

• Alcohol

• Whale meat and seal meat

• Large freshwater fish

• Raw, exotic fish (such as swordfish and fresh tuna)

• Razor fish

• Fish liver, Svolvær pastei and Lofot pastei

• Crab (crab claws are fine)

• Unpasteurized dairy products

• Soft and semi-soft cheeses, such as brie

• Caffeine in large quantities (coffee, tea and cola)

Vitamins and minerals

There are nutritional supplements that ensure that you who are pregnant have all the vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids you and your baby need. But by eating healthy and varied, only supplements of folate and vitamin D are recommended by the health authorities.

Folate - start supplementing before you get pregnant

Folate (folic acid) is a B vitamin that doubles the chance of the neural tube (brain and spinal cord) closing normally in the fetus. Folate supplements therefore prevent neural tube damage in children, such as spina bifida. Women are recommended to take folic acid supplements (normally 0.4 mg) daily from the time they plan pregnancy and the first 3 months of pregnancy.

Vitamin D and omega-3 (cod liver oil)

It is recommended to take vitamin D (10 mcg daily) in the form of cod liver oil or an omega-3 supplement with vitamin D during pregnancy. Vitamin D is important for both mother and fetus because it ensures the absorption of calcium for both mother and child. Read more about vitamin D.

Calcium

Pregnant and breastfeeding women have a slightly higher need for calcium, and need a daily intake of 900 mg of calcium. You normally get enough calcium through dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese, nuts, dried fruit and green vegetables. If you think you are getting too little calcium through your diet, you should consult your doctor/midwife. Read more about calcium.

Iron

The need for iron increases during pregnancy, as the fetus needs iron, among other things, to make its own red blood cells. The iron level must be measured several times during pregnancy to check whether iron supplementation is necessary. It is important that you do not start taking iron supplements without a doctor's recommendation. Read more about iron.