Pregnancy nutrition is often focused solely on your growing baby, but it’s just an important to focus on nourishing your body during both pregnancy and the postpartum period!

The Two Big Goals

1. Give your baby all the building blocks they need to grow
2. Stock up your own nutrient stores (trust us – you’ll need them postpartum!)

During pregnancy, your body is basically a high speed nutrient-transfer delivery system, making sure your baby gets everything they need to grow. But without proper nutrition, this can leave YOUR stores depleted when you need them most – like during those 3am feeding sessions!

This is why it’s so important to focus on consuming mostly nutrient-dense foods during pregnancy.

Manage Your B.S. (Blood Sugar, that is)

• Your body gets more insulin resistant as pregnancy progresses, so eating to balance your blood sugar at every meal becomes more and more important!
• Blood sugar spikes and dips = cravings and fatigue
• Keep it steady with our PHFF approach (more on this below!)

First Trimester Tips

• Focus on the proteins you can tolerate – eggs, cottage cheese, and greek yogurt tend to be easier to get down vs meat like chicken or beef but do what works for you!
• Mix collagen or bone broth into what you can to boost protein intake. Extra collagen is also important during pregnancy!
• Cook your rice, pasta, and other grains in bone broth for a high protein boost.
• Know that the body actually needs more carbs in the first trimester, so don’t feel guilty for eating more of them.

Second Trimester Strategy

• A 12-hour fasting window is fine if it feels good
• Listen to your body – some days you’ll need more frequent meals
• Always start with protein (keeps that blood sugar steady!)
• You may be a bit carb-addicted after your first trimester. Be mindful of it, and really focus on PHFF at meals to curb those cravings at first.

Third Trimester Reality

• That baby is squishing your stomach – smaller, more frequent meals are your friend
• Aim to eat every 3-4 hours
• Keep snacks handy (we’ll give you PHFF-approved options!)

Hydration is Everything

• Bump up that water by 1.5x your normal intake
• Signs you need more:
  • Headaches
  • Feeling tired
  • Dark urine
  • Constipation (nobody’s favorite topic, but super important!)

Carbs: Yes, You Need Them!

• Aim for 3 servings of starchy carbs daily
• Your body’s working overtime – it needs that energy
• Focus on complex carbs like:
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Quinoa
  • Brown rice
  • Oats

Eggs are Your BFF

• Eggs are packed with choline, which is crucial for baby’s brain development
• Most prenatals don’t include enough choline
• Aim for 7+ eggs per week

Your prenatal isn’t everything! Focus on getting these from food:

• Choline: eggs, liver, red meat
• Iron: red meat, spinach, legumes
• Omega-3s: salmon, sardines, chia seeds
• Folate: dark leafy greens, lentils
• Calcium: yogurt, kefir, cheese

Power Your Pregnancy: Meal Ideas

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