Reservations For Two

You will need additional nutrients to keep you and your baby healthy. But, that does not mean you need to eat twice as much. A pregnant woman needs only 300 calories a day more than she did before she got pregnant. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends that pregnant women eat a total of 2,500 to 2,700 calories every day. These calories should come from a variety of healthy foods. What pregnant women eat is more important than how much she eats. A pregnant woman needs more of many important vitamins, minerals and nutrients than she did pre-pregnancy. Make sure not to restrict your diet because your unborn baby might not get the right amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Low-calorie diets can break down a pregnant woman's stored fat. This can lead to the production of substances called ketones. Constant production of ketones can result in a mentally retarded child.