Prenatal Nutritionist: How Nutrition Can Impact Your Pregnancy

Prenatal nutrition is essential to ensure the health of the mum and the baby. This phase in life is extremely important to achieve optimal health and nutrition to prevent any complications during pregnancy and labour, to avoid excessive weight gain and nutritional deficiencies or foetus development problems. During pregnancy the woman’s body goes through massive changes, starting by creating a whole new organ the placenta. 

Placenta as an Important Organ in Pregnancy and Its Functions

The placenta, an organ that establishes communication between the pregnant woman and the fetus, begins developing one week after fertilisation and is fully formed around 18 to 20 weeks.

The main hormones it secretes are estrogen, progesterone, HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin), and HPL (Human Placental Lactogen).

Let’s explore the main hormones produced by the placenta during pregnancy:

HCG: Similar in characteristics to FSH and LH, it is detectable by 8 weeks of pregnancy and decreases abruptly by 12 weeks. It is crucial in early pregnancy to ensure its progression when the body does not yet produce much estrogen and progesterone. This hormone often causes nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. It stimulates testosterone production, important for fetal sexual differentiation. HCG is also involved in increasing thyroid hormone secretion by about 50%, making it important to monitor thyroid health in pregnant women, as T4 and T3 are essential for the baby’s brain development.

Progesterone: Ensures the proper implantation of the embryo. It can increase up to 10 times. It promotes relaxation, preventing uterine contractions that could lead to miscarriage. However, a secondary effect is the slowing of intestinal transit, which can result in constipation in pregnant women. Progesterone is responsible for fatigue and excessive daytime sleepiness in pregnant women, as well as a more depressive mood.

Estrogen: Ensures breast growth for breastfeeding, blood vessel dilation, and the elasticity of the uterine wall. It can lead to symptoms of headaches and hot flashes.

Insulin: Pregnancy is a diabetogenic condition due to the presence of hormones antagonistic to insulin action, such as HPL, progesterone, and prolactin.

Human Placental Lactogen: Mainly responsible for the natural insulin resistance in pregnant women by causing lipolysis to increase circulating fatty acids as an energy source for the fetus.

Prolactin: Stimulates mammary glands for milk production, starting to act after the second trimester of pregnancy, but release only occurs after childbirth. It may be related to symptoms of reduced libido and vaginal dryness in pregnant women, but these gradually normalize after delivery.

All the hormonal changes must be supported by an adequate diet which should be based on natural foods. A prenatal natal nutritionist or a registered dietitian specialises in helping you to meet the nutrient requirements necessary to ensure hormone balance and no unwanted weight gain will happen. Because of the changes in hormones managing weight and dietary intake is the key to avoiding any complications for the mum and the baby.

Why is it Important to Manage Weight during pregnancy?

Excessive weight gain or a diet too rich in sugar can cause gestational diabetes, which is a condition that causes complications such as preeclampsia, premature birth, and a higher likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes later in life for the mother. For the baby, it can result in excessive birth weight, respiratory issues, and a higher risk of obesity and diabetes in the future.

On the other hand, adequate weight gain positively impacts fetal development and is associated with a lower risk of future metabolic diseases in the baby.

Healthy weight gain depends on the nutritional status of the pregnant woman at the time of pregnancy discovery:

For pregnant women who began pregnancy malnourished, the expected weight gain is between 12.5 and 18 kg.

For pregnant women who began pregnancy with a normal nutritional status, the expected weight gain is between 11.5 and 16 kg.

For pregnant women who began pregnancy overweight, the expected weight gain is between 7 and 11.5 kg.

For pregnant women who began pregnancy as obese, the expected weight gain is between 5 and 9 kg.

It is important to note that not all the weight gained is fat. The baby can weigh up to 4 kg, the uterus up to 1.8 kg, the placenta up to 1.5 kg, the amniotic fluid up to 1.5 kg, the breasts up to 0.9 kg, the increase in blood circulation up to 1.8 kg, and the increase in adipose tissue up to 4.5 kg.

Strategies for Healthy Weight During Pregnancy:

1. Drink plenty of water, as it improves intestinal function and hydrates the body. However, avoid liquids with meals.
2. Follow the scheduled meal times, dividing your meals according to the registered dietitian’s guidance.
3. Do not skip meals. Avoid prolonged fasting.
4. Maintain a varied diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
5. Always prefer natural and whole foods, as they are sources of vitamins, minerals, and fibre.
6. Choose lean meats whenever possible; avoid visible fat and remove poultry skin.
7. Use minimal oil, fats, salt, and sugar in culinary preparations.
8. Use extra virgin olive oil for dressing salads…
9. Engage in physical activity approved by a physician

Is it common to have an increased craving for sweets?

Yes, this is justified by the natural insulin resistance of pregnancy. If associated with an unbalanced diet rich in simple carbohydrates, physical inactivity, increased stress load, poor sleep quality, and food hypersensitivities, it can result in gestational diabetes.

Are there strategies to reduce the craving for sweets?

The answer is yes, and it takes time to adapt our palate to less sugar intake. My suggestion is to gradually reduce consumption, starting by decreasing the volume each week.

1. Prefer whole foods, for example, choose brown rice over white, whole grain bread rich in seeds, and increase fibre intake by adding more vegetables to every meal.
2. Always combine carbohydrate sources with healthy fats and protein, as this helps slow down digestion, preventing insulin spikes that occur after rapid digestion and subsequent absorption.
3. Use dark chocolate to your advantage, but of course, control the portion size.
4. Foods rich in magnesium, zinc, and chromium help reduce sweet cravings. For example, include avocados, walnuts, almonds, cocoa powder, chickpeas, legumes, and seeds in your routine.
5. Engage in activities to reduce stress, such as meditation, listening to music, reading a favourite book, watching a relaxing movie, doing yoga, or any enjoyable physical exercise.
6. Take care of your gut health by consuming adequate amounts of water and fibre, exercising regularly, and identifying any food intolerances or allergies that compromise gut health.
7. Ensure good sleep quality, as poor sleep affects the hormone melatonin, which works in a hormonal cascade with other hormones. This imbalance can exacerbate the insulin resistance that is already part of pregnancy.
8. Avoid using sweeteners; stimulate your sour and bitter taste whenever possible, as sweet tastes activate carbohydrate receptors, worsening insulin resistance.
9. Avoid food restrictions, as nutrient deficiencies can exacerbate insulin resistance.

Is it important to properly sanitize raw vegetables and fruits?

Yes, because pregnancy is a condition where the immune system is reduced, so we must avoid exposure to pathogenic microorganisms to prevent infection risks. Whenever possible, prefer organic foods, as even with proper sanitization, some pesticides cannot be removed, and these pesticides alter nutrient absorption. Always choose seasonal, fresh, not overly ripe foods to reduce contamination with yeasts and fungi.

Which foods should be avoided?

Large fish due to high risk of contamination with heavy metals (tuna, swordfish, black cod, sea bass, mackerel, lobster).

Raw fish, as they may contain pathogenic microorganisms.

Raw meats.

Unpasteurized milk and cheeses.

What should a pregnant woman’s plate look like?

In summary, is vital to take care of nutrition and diet during the most important phase of life. Ensuring the mum and baby have the right nutrition plan and support by a registered dietitian is the key to optimal health and fewer chances of complicated gestation and labour. Book your consultation with one of our registered dietitians in London and have a personalised nutrition plan to take home and enjoy a healthy pregnancy! Find out more here.