When you initially find out that you're pregnant it's only a matter of moments before you start considering what you should know about eating for the first trimester.
Over the generations of mothers, plenty of information and misinformation has been past down regarding how and when to eat.
Your first trimester may very well come with everything from fatigue to nausea.
Eating can often be the last thing on your mind.
Most women also have heard some sort of information or rumor regarding her ability to eat shellfish or seafood while she is pregnant.
What is safe and what isn't? It's never recommended that you forgo eating, even if you're not feeling like you want to down a whole meal.
Many women who struggle through their first trimester do much better when they begin eating small bits at a time at regular intervals throughout the day.
What you choose to eat will have an impact, so making high fiber, high foliate, and high calcium choices will not only provide a good baseline nutrition for your baby, but can help with the issues you're dealing with.
Try to avoid the same favorite chomping grounds on a consistent basis.
The idea of a balanced diet indicates that you are covering a wide range of nutrients throughout the day.
Rainbow diets (eating fruits and vegetables of every color on a regular basis) can help you cover the basics consistently.
Vegetarian or vegan women will truly have to ensure that their intake of vitamins and minerals are being covered.
Lacking protein and B vitamins can cause health complications for the baby.
Seafood is not something that you want to etch completely off your list.
Yes, there are some fish and preparations of seafood that absolutely should be avoided.
Raw meats of any kind can harbor bacteria and dangerous levels of viruses.
Be aware of the fish and seafood you choose, and avoid shark, tilefish, mackerel, swordfish, and some kinds of tuna like the canned "white" tuna.
Pregnancy is not a time for overindulgence, but you will need to increase the calories you consume to help encourage your body to provide the right kind of energy for cell division.
Make sure you feed your body more often than before your pregnancy and if you can tally your calorie count, this is a good time to add up to 300 extra calories per day.
Remember that common sense plays a good role in first trimester eating habits.
Sugar, caffeine, and drinks like soda in high quantities are not considered healthy even when you're not pregnant.
Choose water or even low sugar, caffeine free flavored water.
Caffeine intake has been linked to an inability to continue the fetal development resulting in first trimester miscarriages.