Nutrition in Pregnancy

Nutrition in Pregnancy

Composed by Laura Spencer, Registered Midwife

Oct 1st 2025

In this blog I would like to focus on nutritional advice for pregnancy

Try to concentrate on 🥔 whole foods

🥛 hydration

💊 gentle supplementation

Whole foods consist of unprocessed foods that are close to their natural state such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains like brown rice, legumes such as beans and lentils, nuts, seeds, lean meat and eggs. These foods are rich in nutrients like fibre, vitamins and minerals and contain little to no sugar, salt or fat.

It is important to note that some foods should be avoided in pregnancy, these consist of:

Any foods made with unpasteurised milk such as soft ripened cheeses such as brie, camembert, blue cheeses and milks as these can cause listeria which can cause harm and lead to poor outcomes for your baby.

Raw or undercooked meat, liver and liver products such as pate, game meats such as goose and pheasant as there is a risk of Toxoplasmosis which can also increase the chance of a poor outcome, Liver has lots of Vitamin A in which can be harmful to your unborn baby

Raw or partially cooked eggs, these can cause Salmonella which will cause food poisioning and make you very unwell. Look for eggs with the Red Lion stamp on, these are safe eggs to eat in pregnancy, ensure you cook your eggs fully ( a dippy egg is ok as long as the yolk is hot and cooked through) 🍳

Avoid Fish 🦈 such as swordfish, marlin, shark and raw shellfish, also try and avoid any smoked or cured fish. You can eat tuna but the recommendation is no more than 2 tins a week or 2 tuna steaks as these can cause Listeria and Tuna can contain mercury which can be harmful to your unborn baby.

You can find more comprehensive advice on the NHS ‘foods to avoid in pregnancy’ pagehere

It is important in pregnancy to stay hydrated, the recommended advice is 8-10(200ml) cups of fluid a day, the equivalent of around 1.6-2 litres. Fluids can also be derived from fruits and vegetables. It is important to listen to your body’s thirst signals and be prepared to increase your intake during physical activity or hot weather 💧🥛

If you eat a healthy and varied diet this will ensure you get most of the vitamins and minerals you need. However when your pregnant it’s a good idea to take a folic acid supplement (400mcg per day) you can get themhere(these are particularly good if you cant swallow or don’t like swallowing tablets) this helps to reduce risks of developmental problems in your baby.

It is also recommended to take a vitamin D supplement (10mcg per day) Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphate levels in your body which is needed to protect teeth and bones and muscles and to keep you healthy. Vitamin D will usually come from the sun ☀️ but between September and March the body cannot make enough vitamin D from the sunlight alone. You can get somehere

You may also be advised to take Iron, particularly if you are or become anaemic in the pregnancy, you can naturally get Iron from red meats, green leafy vegetables and dried fruit and nuts 🌰 . Many breakfast cereals also contain iron. You can get Ironhere

The other option is to take a pregnancy multivitamin with Folic Acid, Iron and Vitamin D to cover all requirements in one supplement. This can be easier sometimes than taking seperate supplements. You can get themhere

Nausea can be quite common in pregnancy and some people can really struggle with nausea and vomiting, it is important that if you are not keeping anything down, not even sips of water that you attend your local A & E as dehydration can be detrimental in pregnancy and can make you very unwell

Some ways to help with nausea include:

Only eating small meals, keep them bland and dry foods like crackers and toast 🍞

Stay hydrated, sip water or try some ginger ale 🫚

Avoid trigger foods and strong smells

Get plenty of rest

There are some natural remedies that you can try including ginger, peppermint 🌿 and wristbands, but it is important to highlight that different things work for different people

If the nausea or vomiting is affecting your daily life, you can speak to your GP and get some anti-sickness medication prescribed

Get fresh air, spend time outdoors or open windows, try distraction techniques such as a movie, listening to music and engaging with activities 🎧

Wear loose fitting clothes so you are not constricted 👕

Share with me the cravings you have been having/have previously had in your pregnancy

My first pregnancy cravings were boiled potatoes and Ice pops! With my second it was gravy (by the cup!) and apple juice 🧃