3 Foods to Optimize Baby Development and Mama’s Health in Pregnancy
A good pregnancy diet isn’t simply a regular diet minus anything that’s unsafe. Certainly, it’s essential that the food you eat does not cause the baby any potential harm. Most pregnancy-confirmation OB appointments will focus on what NOT to eat. This doesn’t mean that all other foods are helpful in pregnancy. While a great place to start, only focusing on the foods to avoid is not sufficient for an optimal prenatal diet. So, what should you eat!?
At Lemonshoots we're not nutrition experts, but we know someone that is! Bonnie Burgess, from Burgess Wellness shared her knowledge and a few easy to follow tips with us, on how to improve your nutrition.
By including key nutrients in pregnancy, you can positively affect baby’s development and future health, prevent pregnancy complications, ensure you’re not depleted postpartum and enable successful breastfeeding, if desired. There are important nutrients included in all prenatal vitamins; however, most supplements have quantities necessary to prevent harm and are not sufficient to optimize. The RDA recommends folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, and iodine, which are all important, but it’s just the beginning!
Ideally, a prenatal diet includes additional key minerals, vitamins, complete protein and healthy fat. The following 3 foods are cornerstones of a prenatal diet to optimize baby development and mama’s health in pregnancy; low-mercury cold-water fatty fish, pasture-raised eggs and whole-milk organic yogurt. Think about adding these prenatal “food supplements” to a good diet! If you do not or cannot eat any of these foods, alternatives are also outlined to ensure you’re well nourished.
Low-Mercury Cold-Water Fatty Fish
The omega-3 fatty acid, DHA, may help to prevent preterm birth, affect a baby’s eye and brain development, and support mama’s mental health. If someone is willing to eat seafood, both as a matter of principle and preference while pregnant, then 2 servings per week of low-mercury wild-caught seafood is helpful to load up on key nutrients! Seafood not only provides DHA, it’s also a great source of iodine, selenium, zinc, vitamins B6 and B12 and, of course, protein.
The fear of mercury can sometimes cause people to lose out on all the benefits of seafood while trying to avoid potential harm. Avoiding certain types of seafood is important to reduce exposure to mercury. This includes tuna, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and shark. However, there are many examples of nutrient-dense baby-optimizing seafood that’s very low in mercury and safe to consume. Cold-water fatty fish like salmon, anchovies and sardines are low in mercury yet high in DHA. It’s not uncommon to be adverse to the strong smell of seafood during pregnancy. If possible, seek out palatable ways to incorporate it. One strategy is to lean on milder-tasting options like salmon and rainbow trout baked slowly at a low temperature.
Pregnant people who are vegan, vegetarian or otherwise adverse to seafood can be conscious of filling the micronutrient gaps in their diet with other food sources and/or supplementing appropriately. There are fish-based and algae-based supplements which provide DHA, and well-formulated prenatal vitamins can plug the other nutrient gaps. Protein and fat can be easily obtained from other foods on an omnivorous diet and more strategically cobbled together if vegan or vegetarian.
Pasture-Raised Eggs
Folate is the poster child nutrient of pregnancy, and for good reason! It’s always included in prenatal multivitamins in order to prevent neural tube defects. However, there are other very important nutrients recruited in the process of forming a baby's neural tube. Choline is one of those very important nutrients and one of the best sources of choline are eggs! Eggs also provide necessary folate, selenium, iodine, vitamin B12, vitamins A and E. They’re also a great source of healthy fat, including DHA, and protein.
Buying eggs can be confusing with so many buzzwords printed on the carton. Looking for “pasture-raised” is one good indicator of well-raised chickens producing nutrient-dense eggs. For one, eggs that come from pasture-raised chickens, where they have room to graze on natural sun-grown grasses, are one of the best dietary sources of vitamin D.
Conventional prenatal nutrition guidance can make someone so worried about eggs that they do away with this superfood altogether! It’s true that consuming raw or undercooked eggs can cause salmonella. Of course, even non-pregnant people are advised to avoid raw eggs. It’s possible to avoid salmonella when eggs are properly prepared, and cooking eggs until the yolks are no longer runny is a safe bet.
Eating 2 eggs per day helps work towards a sufficient intake of choline and other important nutrients for baby and mama! Consider a fridge-full of boiled eggs for a quick and on-the-go-friendly snack. In addition to typical egg preparations, consider stirring an egg into soups, stews and even oatmeal. Vegans or those adverse to eggs must navigate around the nutrition gaps left if eggs are absent from the diet. It’s possible to supplement with choline and usually requires a dedicated supplement outside of a prenatal multivitamin. Additionally, ensure there are other dietary sources of selenium, iodine and vitamin A - nutrients notoriously difficult to source from a standard vegan diet.
Organic Whole-Milk Yogurt
Dairy is controversial. Is it healthy food? For those who can tolerate it, there are many benefits. If lactose intolerant, you may be able to tolerate some, low-lactose forms of dairy like butter, aged hard cheeses and greek yogurt. Whole or full-fat dairy provides a rich source of healthy fats, an essential part of a pregnancy diet. These healthy fats contain fat-soluble vitamins, vitamins A, D, E and K. The vitamin K2 combined with dairy’s rich source of calcium helps to prevent maternal osteoporosis. Healthy fat helps with satiety, especially in the later stages of pregnancy where stomach space is compressed to compensate for baby's growth. So, go with whole-milk dairy to get both the vitamins and the helpful fat. If you can source grass-fed dairy, this will provide you with more healthy omega-3 fats than regular dairy. Greek yogurt is also a decent source of protein.
Known for its calcium, dairy provides another key mineral - iodine! You can get iodine from seafood and eggs as well. Iodine is most notably necessary for thyroid function, which is essential for normal baby development, especially of the brain and nervous system. And, an overactive thyroid or an underactive thyroid can cause complications in pregnancy.
Yogurt is a fermented food, meaning that it contains live probiotic bacteria. Probiotics are helpful for mama’s gut microbiome, and can come to the rescue if antibiotics are necessary in pregnancy, during birth or postpartum. A boost with dietary probiotics may also help to prevent preterm birth and reduce the risk of baby eczema.
Watch out for flavored yogurts, which often carry a significant dose of sugar. Just like any healthy diet, excess added sugar is especially not recommended in pregnancy nor postpartum. Sugar, along with refined carbohydrates, can lead to gestational diabetes and other pregnancy complications. Source plain whole-milk organic yogurt and enjoy the diverse ways of eating it. Greek yogurt is excellent in savory dishes; for example, used in place of sour cream as a condiment or as the base of a healthy veggie dip. Or, make a nutrient-dense yogurt bowl with raw walnuts and fresh berries. A spoonful of yogurt can provide welcome relief to soothe heartburn.
Superfoods and Smart Choices
The best prenatal diet is well-rounded with lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and leafy greens, quality protein sources, healthy fats and fiber from whole grains, but some foods pack more nutritional punch than others. Three prenatal superfoods are low-mercury cold-water fatty fish, pasture-raised eggs and organic whole-milk yogurt. Pregnancy likes to throw curve balls, so while you might have high intentions for your prenatal nutrition, sometimes prenatal nausea, aversions and fatigue change those plans. With a pregnancy-altered diet or one where you already have dietary restrictions, consider seeking support to personalize your diet. Targeted nutrition in pregnancy ensures that your baby gets the very best and that you’re your healthiest and most vital mama!
About the expert
As a photographer specializing in maternity and newborn, I truly believe nutrition is of utmost importance. When I met Bonnie I knew I had to share her expertise with my clients. She is a trusted perinatal and fertility nutritionist. Through personalized consultations, Bonnie helps clients navigate fertility challenges, and supports from pregnancy into postpartum with wise nutrition and lifestyle choices, optimizing for baby’s health, prenatal vitality, and mama’s thriving recovery. She uses a "food first" approach and guides for sustainable behavior change. And the best part: you don't have to live in the Bay Area to see her, since she runs her virtual consultancy at Burgess Wellness! Definitely check her services if you're TTC, expecting or just had a baby!
And don’t forget: while Bonnie takes care of your nutritional needs, here at Lemonshoots can take care of documenting your memories! Contact us to book a maternity or newborn session so you have these moments treasured forever!