Nutrition During Pregnancy...

It is important for an expectant mother to eat a healthy diet. Unless the mother to be has a specific health problem, such as diabetes mellitus, then common sense nutritional advice should be followed.

The diet should consist of  balancing carbohydrates, fat, and proteins; and eating a variety of foods, including dairy products and several fruits and vegetables, daily.
There other steps a pregnant woman should take and these she should talk over with her obstetrician. Below are some nutritional needs for pregnant mothers.
Folic acid (also called folate or Vitamin B9) is strongly needed at the start of pregnancy, and should even be taken when you are trying for a family.

Folic acid helps prevent spina bifida, a very serious birth defect. A good source of Folates (from folia, leaf) is spinach (fresh, frozen or canned), green vegetables, salads, melon, and hummus are also highly recommended. In the United States, most wheat products (flour, noodles) are supplemented with folic acid. If you feel you should be taking a folic acid supplement then speak to your health professional
Another source of nutrition the fetus needs is calcium and iron especially as the fetus is growing rapidly.  Pregnant women should eat enough dairy products (for calcium) and red meat (for iron) if they are not vegetarian.
Women are often prescribed iron pills, since many young women get slight anemia. Calcium is effective only if women also obtain enough Vitamin D. The best way to get vitamin D is to sunbathe each day for 10-15 min. A good source of vitamin D is Salmon and fatty fishes of all sorts.
Fluoride helps to build strong teeth by changing the nature of calcium crystals: if water or salt does not contain fluoride, it is wise to take fluoride mini-pills at the end of pregnancy and during breast-feeding (but high doses are toxic). In many American cities, drinking water is supplemented with fluoride. Some pregnant women suffer edema, and are told not to eat (too much) salt.
Fat from salmon, trout, tuna, herring, sardine, and mackerel contain long-chain omega 3 (n-3) fatty acids that are needed to build neuron membranes. Thus fatty fish intake during pregnancy may provide nutrition for proper brain and retina development of the fetus. However, large fish such as tuna and swordfish may contain too much toxic mercury, and one should balance risks with benefits: fish two or three times a week seems to bring enough good fat, but not too much mercury.

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