Almost There:
Pregnancy Nutrition
for the Home Stretch
TEXT MALIA JACOBSON
W ith diminished stomach space, pre-delivery
jitters and a mile-long to-do list, expectant
moms may be tempted to slack off on healthy
eating as delivery day nears. It’s completely
understandable; after all, you’re busy, tired, and you’ve got
other things on your mind. Who has the time or energy to
whip up healthy meals when you’ve got a birth plan to finish
and diapers to buy?
The reality, however, is while you may have zero interest
in cooking as your due date nears, your nutrition is still as
important as ever. According to registered dietician, Pamela
Schoenfeld, good nutrition in the third trimester is vital
to both mom and baby. Eating well in the final weeks of
pregnancy gives you sustained energy for labor, increases
the quality of your breast milk and helps you avoid third-
trimester ailments like anemia, gestational diabetes, fatigue
and swelling. Plus, during the third trimester, your body is
providing your baby with stores of essential nutrients, like
calcium and iron, for its first months of life.

While you’re waiting for your bundle of joy to make his or her
debut, fill your plate with essential nutrients like these.

Iron: Pumping It
One of the biggest nutritional challenges in late pregnancy
is consuming enough iron to keep up with your blossoming
body—and your baby’s demands. “In the third trimester,
your blood volume increases, so iron is the name of the
game,” says Paola Mora, registered dietician with the
Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Montefiore Medical
Center. When expectant moms are low on iron, they run the
risk of anemia, a condition that causes fatigue and dizziness.

“We also worry about hemorrhage during delivery, because
anemic blood won’t clot as
well,” says Mora.

Your own wellbeing isn’t all
that’s at stake—your own
iron consumption affects your
baby’s health, too. “A mom
provides her baby with full
stores of iron for the first six
months of life,” says Mora. And
research shows that pregnant
women with low iron are more
likely to deliver prematurely
and have low-birth weight
infants. A typical prenatal vitamin
contains 27 milligrams of
iron—150 percent of the iron
you need—so keep on taking it.

In addition, aim to consume at
least three sources of iron per
day. Red meat, low-fat poultry,
wheat bran, enriched rice, seeds
and beans are good sources
of iron. And to maximize iron
absorption, consume it with
foods high in vitamin C.

18 November 2015 washingtonFAMILY.com