A pregnant female has to be very careful about what she eats. In our culture, she is guided by the elders of the family regarding her food intake, which is partially correct. The objective of my food plan during pregnancy is to maintain a weight between 7-14 kg, the actual weight gain required by a pregnant female. Whoever gains weight more than this range keeps on struggling to shed this extra weight throughout her life. Remember extra weight gained during pregnancy is a permanent weight gain, and will keep on bouncing back after every crash diet.

SWIPE during pregnancy prevents and controls blood pressure, pregnancy diabetes, swelling or oedema, nausea, vomiting, acidity, freckles and mood swings. The target baby weight is about 7lbs, heavyweight babies are at multiple health risks. A pregnant female is supposed to eat five or six times a day which includes three meals and two or three snacks.

Take pre-breakfast within 2-3 minutes of waking up while sitting on the bed. The time of intake of pre-breakfast is extremely important for the control of morning sickness or nausea, vomiting, acidity, loss of appetite, constipation and abnormal food cravings. Foods like raisins, grapes, and lemonade taken in pbf controls vomiting, relaxes mind, controls mood swings and improves baby complexion as well. Besides above-mentioned foods you can select from the food list given below.

Breakfast should be rich in proteins, grains and fats and use unsalted butter or desi ghee for cooking. Do not take tea or coffee with the food, take only little green tea after your breakfast. Tea should come one hour later or 15 minutes before and milk or coffee three hours later. Snack will come after every three to four hours after the meals. Lunch has to be like routine food like roti+salan, sandwiches, noodles, pasta or stir fried foods depending on your preference. Do take green tea after the lunch. Dinner should be taken before 9p.m., avoid boiled rice, white pita, nan, raw salads and have healthy routine foods. Yakhni, or soup should be part of your meal. Intake of green tea after dinner will manage digestive disorders and bloating. Be punctual about milk intake at morning or evening snack time or about three hours after the dinner, this milk will induce sound sleep and healthy rejuvenation at night.

Remember during pregnancy your dietary pattern, quality of night sleep, stress-free mind, religious practices and mild exercise will lead to the birth of a holistically healthy child. Do not forget that your child will be part of the next generation and will be playing his role in society and in nation development too. A child born with multiple nutritional deficiencies suffers from poor physical health, restless mind, behavioral disorders and he will further add to the miseries of an ailing society.

Remember medicines, drugs, processed foods, low fat foods, excess of tea, coffee or cigarettes can affect the DNA of the developing fetus leading to a baby with mental and congenital physical disorders. Please do not follow nutrient deficient crash diets during pregnancy, you will suffer from chronic backache or early age arthritis. Select your food plan from below mentioned SWIPE Adult Plan. Be careful about food rotation and food timings.