Rules of Thumb for Pregnancy Diet

When I first saw my doctor (i.e. OBGYN), he told me right away some of the food that I must stay away from. So, my recipes were created based on these rules:

1) NO seafood

2) NO soft cheeses (I didn't cut up the cheese and eat. I sometimes incorporated the cheeses into the cooked dishes, like sauce and topping)

3) NO lunch meat (I tried my best to stay away from any store-bought food with high sodium content. But one thing that I got to confess that I can't and couldn't stay away from.....That is ramen. I put tons and tons of vegetables in the bowl of ramen to make it healthier. Plus, more fibre helps the bowel movement 'cos pregnant women tends to have constipation which I didn't have. Thanks to the fibre intake. I at least had one meal a day was purely fruit or vegetable salad.)

4) NO more than 2 cups of caffeinated drinks (This was a very tough one. My mom made me to get rid of coffee when I went back to Hong Kong.)

5) NO Unpasteurized drink, such as apple cider.

The following are my strategies:

1) One egg and a glass of milk a day. When I was in the 3rd trimester, I doubled it. Yes....2 eggs and 2 glasses of milk a day. (The calcium helps a lot for the loss to the baby. I am not sure if it was because of the extra calcium. My boy was able to lift his head up when he was 2-day old.)

Also, I heard of my friends and co-workers about food allergies that their babies experienced. So, I drank regular cow milk and soy milk.

2) Each meal includes fibre, protein (i.e. meat) and carbohydrates (i.e. rice, noodles or pasta).

3) The books out there recommend 6 small meals. But I didn't have that time to do so. I had 2 small meals and 2 big meals a day. As mentioned before, I at least had one small meal was purely fruit or vegetable salad.

Another tip for you. This is not related to pregnancy diet. I have arthritis on my back. But, amazingly, I didn't have any pain during my pregnancy at all. Thanks to the maternity belt that my friend, Carol, kept reminding to buy one in Hong Kong. If you go to any small boutique for expecting mom, it most probably carries it. During my late 3rd trimester, I saw a big national chain store (red and white are their theme colors...You know which one I am talking about) carrying it.

WARNING: If you have any doubt about the ingredients and/or recipes, make sure to check with your doctor.