Proper nutrition is always important, but eating right is absolutely vital for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or even just trying to get pregnant.

Eating right prior to a planned pregnancy is essential, since most women will not know their pregnancy status until many weeks after conception.  Proper levels of certain vitamins like folic acid can prevent many common birth defects, so the best pregnancy diet is one that starts even before conception.

Eating right during pregnancy means eating more, but it is important to make each of those extra calories count. Women who are currently pregnant should plan on consuming approximately 300 extra calories per day, but it is important that those extra calories come with extra nutrition and not just empty calories.

It is also important for pregnant women to take the prenatal vitamins prescribed by their doctors – these vitamins will provide important extra nutrients for the growing baby.

Pregnant women should be sure to eat a wide variety of foods in order to ensure proper nutrition.  Both mother and child will need to consume a variety of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in order to ensure proper nutrition.  And since that growing fetus is dependent on mom for nutrition, it is essential for her to eat plenty of nutritionally dense foods.

A good rule of thumb for pregnant women is to consume from 7 to 11 servings of grains and breads, four to five servings of fruits, another four to five servings of vegetables, three or four servings of dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt and three servings of protein, including meats, fish, eggs and poultry.  Fats and sweets should both be consumed sparingly, since they can add many additional calories with little nutritional value.

When selecting foods it is a good idea to choose foods that are high in fiber.  Not only will this help to improve overall health but it will also help women deal with the constipation that often accompanies pregnancy.

The healthy diet established at the start of a pregnancy should of course continue throughout the entire nine months.  It is important for mom to eat right for the entire pregnancy, as this will help the baby grow and develop properly.  Many common birth defects can be caused by nutritional deficiencies, and that is why proper nutrition is so important for all stages of pregnancy.  By eating a healthy diet and taking the prescribed prenatal vitamins mothers to be can get their babies off to a great start and avoid many problems down the road.