You are pregnant (or your partner is) and you want to know if you need particular vitamins and minerals for your baby's development and for yourself, or if there are foods to favour and avoid.
vitamin B9 (folic acid)
It ensures a good closure of the neural tube of your baby and should be taken in the form of food supplements during the first trimester and even before conception, if the pregnancy has been planned in advance. These folates are found in green leafy vegetables, brewer's yeast, as well as in other vegetables, fruit, eggs and cheese.
vitamin D
This multi-tasking fat-soluble vitamin is involved in calcium absorption, immunity, mood, hormonal functions and muscle contraction. It is present in fish, eggs, dairy products, offal and is also synthesised by our skin in contact with the sun's rays (but don't overdo it either, so as not to damage the skin!)
omega 3
In fatty fish (sardines, mackerel or herring to be eaten once a week, but also salmon or tuna to be eaten less regularly because of their heavy metal content), in oleaginous fruits (walnuts, almonds, etc.), in fish oils and vegetable oils such as rapeseed, walnut, hazelnut, camelina, hemp and flaxseed (to be bought virgin and cold-pressed or extracted). These alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) allow a good cerebral development of the baby (the brain being composed mainly of lipids); omega 3 also participate in cardiovascular health.
vitamin B12
For vegans: essentially present in animal products, which means that vegans will need to turn to the medical team for a prescription for a food supplement for this vitamin, also known as cobalamin, which is involved in the fight against anaemia because it is involved in the formation of red blood cells.
iron
Also involved in the fight against anaemia and the formation of red blood cells, this mineral is present in meat, poultry, offal, black pudding, fish, but also in eggs, pulses, certain green leafy vegetables, dried fruit and oil seeds and fruit.
However, you should be careful about drinking tea or coffee, which inhibit the absorption of iron when taken close to meals.
The addition of a food rich in vitamin C during the meal will, on the other hand, promote the assimilation of iron (citrus fruit, fruit and vegetables).
Calcium
This other mineral is involved in the composition of bones and teeth (for both the baby and the mother) and is found in dairy products, dried fruit, spices, herbs, green leafy vegetables and cabbage, or in calcium mineral waters (i.e. with a calcium content of more than 150mg/L - refer to labels).
iodine
Some areas far from the sea (or vegetarianism excluding seafood, or veganism) may lead the mother-to-be to ask about a good iodine diet or supplementation by the doctor, gynaecologist or midwife. Seafood, eggs, dairy products and iodised salt can thus raise your iodine level, which is favourable to good thyroid and brain development (in connection with the well-known images of "cretinism" and "goitre").
But be careful: too much iodine can be harmful, as can any excess, especially the onset of hyperthyroidism! Ask the medical team monitoring your pregnancy for information.
On the other hand, the most important things to do when eating during pregnancy are :
- Avoid the consumption of alcohol, which is harmful to the embryo and the foetus, because we do not know today the key moments of this interaction, nor the maximum doses. Foetal alcoholisation can lead to malformations, nervous and cerebral problems, and behavioural disorders.
- Limit foods containing caffeine (to promote good brain development, a good heart rate, etc.): coffee, tea, chocolate/cocoa powder, soft drinks, energy drinks.
- Limit soy products: soy or tonyu drinks or juices, tofu, tempeh, miso, food supplements that may contain them, etc. This advice is also valid as a general rule for babies/children up to 3 years of age, as soy contains phytoestrogens, isoflavones, which can interact with and disrupt the endocrine system, since these phytoestrogens are similar to the female hormone oestradiol.
- Avoid liver products: very rich in vitamin A (beneficial for eyesight, skin, immunity, to some extent), too much consumption of liver or products containing it can lead to malformations. In addition, if you eat a little foie gras at the end of the year, for example, remember to check that it is well cooked, or else have it pan-fried/oven-fried to eliminate the risks of toxoplasmosis and listeriosis (at least 70°C).
- For raw animal and dairy products, as well as vegetables and fruit, we refer you to our article on preventing toxoplasmosis and listeriosis.
As a general rule, in order to choose your food products well and to install good consumption habits for your health and pleasure (if you haven't already done so), we can only advise you to turn to the least processed products, i.e. with the fewest possible ingredients, or at least ingredients that you can find at home: real butter, real sugar, not mixtures of products whose names you don't understand and which try to recompose the effect of a basic ingredient (to give texture, colour, taste, preservation).
And above all, as few additives as possible, because these are not essential, but can sometimes lead to intestinal problems if consumed too frequently, for example (or even hyperactivity for children).
You can read my article on additives (click here) andthe one on ultra-processed foods (click here), if you want more information.
SUGAR
We would like to say a few words about the consumption of sugar orsweeteners: these two ingredients are not necessary for the vital balance of the body, they do not bring anything, apart from pleasure for sweet products, which is important, indeed, but not essential in the composition of a meal.
We therefore recommend not to overdo it with sugar and sweet products and to save them for a party, a snack or a dessert from time to time (by sweet products, we mean flavoured "yoghurts", cream desserts, entremets, cakes, biscuits, sweets, pastries, spreads, etc.).
As for sweeteners, they are only there to imitate the taste of sugar, but the effects of intense synthetic sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose) are not yet well demonstrated, while excessive consumption of bulk sweeteners (ending in -ol, such as sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol..., also industrial) can lead to intestinal complications such as diarrhoea...
It's best to protect yourself and your child from it, as a precautionary principle (this is only our humble opinion)... And to take advantage of it to learn little by little to do without this attraction to "everything sweet". Especially during pregnancy, which is a time of change that can be taken advantage of, to avoid as much as possible the onset of gestational diabetes, excessive weight gain, or habits that are difficult to break and that can lead to complications in the future, for example.
These few months go by quite quickly, the time to enjoy your pregnancy and learn about parenthood, as well as new food care habits. And, as well as (re)learning how to eat well for yourself, you will have the means to pass on the right reflexes to your child!
Flore Delatouche
Dietician-nutritionist
Aix-en-Provence
Visit my website