Re: Pregnancy calorie needs

[Guest guest]

From what I remember from my internship and my pregnancies...

It's an added 300 calories for the 2nd and 3rd trimester but no added calories

for the first.

If breastfeeding after the baby is born, it's an added 500 calories.

But here is what I have to say about gaining weight during pregnancy (and this

is a personal opinion, not professional) - the recommended weight gain of 25-30

lbs is just not feasible for some people. There are so many variables during

each pregnancy. Morning sickness, lack of energy, hunger, water retention, etc,

etc, etc that may cause people to gain more and nobody should feel like they

have failed if that is the case. Don't get me wrong, 25-30 pounds is a great

goal.... But it's a goal that she needs to understand might not be 100% met.

If you are counseling her, I would just focus on eating healthy (if morning

sickness is an issue - eating foods that she can tolerate that are healthy),

getting exercise (if feasible), drinking tons of water, and just enjoying her

time as a mother to be instead of putting all these restrictions/goals/whatever

you want to call them that some book has said this is what *should* be done...

Okay - I'll get off my soapbox for now

From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of Dawn

Privett

Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 4:05 PM

To: RD USA; LEAP RDs; NE dpg; NE Private practice

Subject: Pregnancy calorie needs

I don't work with many pregnant women, but she has been a weight loss client of

mine for the past year. Great results, lost about 75#. Wants to gain

adequately for baby but not for unnecessary fat gain. Will be continuing to see

me as she is part of our employee health program and is not willing to go to a

different dietitian that specializes in pregnancy.

Thanks for your help!

Dawn Privett, RDLD, CLT

http://www.symmetrydirect.com/dprivett

[Guest guest]

Hi Dawn,

I worked with pregnant ladies for fifteen years in the WIC program. The DASH

diet is a good basic plan and gaining some weight is actually best for baby -

15-20 pounds total if she is still a little over-weight or 25-35 if she is

within IBW now. Caution to continue the balanced glycemic index meals and snacks

- after wt loss the wt can hop back on quickly, especially pregnant. First

trimester there is mostly hormonal changes and not much wt gain but preferably

not losing with hyperemesis either. From 13 wks, second trimester and on, the

weight gain rate ideally should average about 2 to 4 pounds per month. Not

gaining means fat stores are being burned for energy and the waste products may

not be good for baby and hormonally it may be setting the infant up for a

'starving' metabolic rate and increased risk for obesity. If she wants a calorie

level then whatever she has been maintaining on would be good for first

trimester, but spread into 5-6 mini-meals, low blood sugar is part of the queasy

problem, also low salt can be a problem. I encourage people to salt to taste at

the table instead of adding it to their cooking (or using processed foods).

Second and third trimester the weight gain and intake goals would be the same

and is roughly just 300 extra calories, a mini meal snack - mixed foods.

Nuts, beans, seeds, and greens - magnesium rich is what pregnant people need -

just google 'grass staggers' in dairy cows and substitute pre-clampsia for the

term while reading; farmers know how to take care of their pregnant ladies. Too

much calcium makes it hard for the body to absorb magnesium so I discourage

extra calcium supplements (unless they really don't use any calcium rich

products) and keep the dairy content of a healthy diet to the recommended 2-3 8

oz sv.; too much really is bad for us.

Anemia is a sign of magnesium deficiency and greens - chlorophyll - is a

building block for hemoglobin - the molecule is the almost the same as

chlorophyll except there is magnesium where iron would be. Popeye was onto

something with his spinach! So iron supplements alone infrequently take care of

anemia problems. Zinc and selenium and iodine are also low in the average diet.

Pumpkin seeds/pepitas are high in zinc and two Brazil nuts a day gives a

selenium serving. Chocolate can be a nutrient dense food too, depending on what

it's used in. Sea weed is the primary source of iodine in natural foods. The

iodized salt really dosn't give us much.

R Vajda, R.D.

________________________________

To: RD USA <rd-usa >; LEAP RDs <LEAP_RDs >; NE dpg

<NEdpg >; NE Private practice <NEprivatepractice >

Sent: Thu, January 13, 2011 4:04:50 PM

Subject: Pregnancy calorie needs

I don't work with many pregnant women, but she has been a weight loss client of

mine for the past year. Great results, lost about 75#. Wants to gain

adequately for baby but not for unnecessary fat gain. Will be continuing to see

me as she is part of our employee health program and is not willing to go to a

different dietitian that specializes in pregnancy.

Thanks for your help!

Dawn Privett, RDLD, CLT

http://www.symmetrydirect.com/dprivett