5 diet-related tips for a pregnant or nursing woman’s spouse

Cinzia Cuneo 30 luglio, 2014 allattamento

Spouses play a hugely supportive role during as well as after the nine months of pregnancy. A great deal has already been written on the many ways of helping moms-to-be, both emotionally and practically: Accompanying her to the doctor, attending childbirth preparation classes with her, decorating the nursery together, etc.

Much has also been penned on the diet of pregnant or nursing women. A proper diet provides the nutrients required to meet the increased needs during pregnancy, helps the foetus to develop properly and guarantees adequate reserves for breastfeeding. This is an ideal time to develop healthy and long-term eating habits to ensure high quality food for the entire family.

Since dad nourishes mom who nourishes baby, in addition to feeding himself, here are 5 tips for these brave men:

1. “Eating for two” should not mean eating twice as much, but twice as well. The mom-to-be might not find it easy to give up junk food for nine months. Help her by giving it up too. If you’re really lucky, once the “weaning” period is over, you might be able to live without it for the rest of your life without any regrets :).
2. If you smoke, the arrival of a baby in your life is a good time to stop. Even if you are unable to give it up, for god’s sake, don’t smoke around the mother-to-be.
3. Fatigue and nausea often keep pregnant women away from the kitchen. So take over and don the apron. You’ll see that a little planning (and help from the Pregnancy Meal Plan followed by the Breastfeeding Meal Plan from SOSCuisine.com) can easily bring out the chef in you.
4. Pregnant woman shouldn’t drink alcohol and those who are nursing can drink very small amounts as long as it’s not close to the feeds. Though the spouse isn’t expected to give up alcohol, he should drink intelligently and moderately. The best part is, some recipes in our meal plans have both alcohol and alcohol-free versions, like Rum Bananas with Vanilla Ice Cream for example, and so the couple can enjoy them together.
5. Encourage your wife to eat well, stay hydrated and do physical exercise throughout this period. Make sure you do likewise too. This way, not only will the baby be healthy, her parents will be too!

Autori

Cinzia Cuneo

Italiana di nascita e canadese d'adozione, Cinzia ha deciso di coniugare le sue competenze professionali e la sua passione per la buona tavola sviluppando un servizio per aiutare i numerosi «aventi bisogno» a riprendere il controllo della loro alimentazione. Così è nata SOSCuisine. Ingegnere di formazione al Politecnico di Torino, Cinzia ha conseguito un Master's Degree in scienze applicate all'École Polytechnique de Montréal.