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.

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Protein: The Baby Builder
Protein is essential throughout pregnancy, but it’s especially
important in the final stages, when your baby is growing
rapidly and adding layers of cute baby fat. The amino acids in
protein form the basic building block for cell growth, fueling
your body and organs as they grow to accommodate the
needs of your baby. Consuming enough protein also helps
stabilize blood sugar, which is especially important to women
at risk for gestational diabetes, notes Schoenfeld.

Pregnant women should aim for 70 grams of protein per
day; about 35 grams more than the recommended daily limit
for non-pregnant gals. Meat and poultry, dairy foods and
legumes are protein powerhouses. A medium-sized chicken
breast has 30 grams of protein, half a cup of tofu packs 20
grams, and half a cup of cottage cheese has 15 grams.

Calcium: Got Milk?
Late pregnancy is not the time to skimp on your calcium. All
of the calcium in your baby’s skeleton is laid down during the
third trimester, says Michael Hobaugh, M.D., Ph.D., chief of
medical staff at La Rabida Children’s Hospital. Consuming
enough calcium also helps to get breast feeding off to the best
possible start. In order to produce the perfect food for your
little one, your body will pull calcium from your own bones if
your stores are insufficient.

professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Christian University.

The Journal of Prenatal Medicine recommends 200 milligrams
of DHA per day during pregnancy. Now that many grocery
store staples like eggs, milk and juice are fortified with
DHA, it’s not hard to meet your daily requirement. Hill likes
expectant moms to have two servings of fish per week. Many
obstetricians now recommend DHA supplementation; check
with yours to see if you should pop a daily DHA pill.

Malia Jacobson is a nationally published health writer.

What not to eat:
Avoid common third-trimester complaints by passing on these:
1. Swelling: Caffeine
Though caffeine is a diuretic, high amounts can have the
opposite effect, causing you to retain water.

2. Heartburn: Chocolate
Put down that candy bar—acidic foods like chocolate are
known to contribute to heartburn.

3. Fatigue: Sugar
Nutrient-dense foods fuel baby’s growth. Don’t waste
valuable stomach space on empty junk-food calories.

Dieticians recommend 800 milligrams of calcium daily for
pregnant women. Dairy foods like yogurt, milk and cheese all
contain at least 300 milligrams of calcium per serving. Many
non-dairy foods are also calcium rich, including salmon,
oatmeal, tofu, rhubarb, spinach, almonds and calcium-
fortified orange juice.

Magnesium: Mighty Mineral
While you’re boning up on calcium, don’t forget its super
sidekick, magnesium. This mineral aids calcium absorption
and performs a host of other important functions. Magnesium
helps build and repair body tissues, relaxes muscles, eases leg
cramps and may help prevent preterm labor.

Pregnant women should consume 350-400 milligrams per
day; breast feeding moms should aim for 300-350 milligrams
per day. Black beans, artichokes, barley, pumpkin seeds,
oat bran and almonds all provide at least 100 milligrams of
magnesium per serving.

Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA): Mental Muscle
During the third trimester, your baby’s brain is burgeoning,
adding mass and forming millions of neural connections.

So consuming enough DHA—linked to better cognition in
infants in numerous studies—is as important as ever, says
registered and licensed dietician, Gina Hill, Ph.D., associate
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