Your Diet Routine for the Second Week of Pregnancy!

Eating for two can be a very difficult. But, when you are 2 weeks pregnant, it becomes very important for you to take extra care of your diet, because you have to fulfill the nutritional requirements of both yourself and your baby.

Now that you're 2 weeks pregnant, you need to eat very well. To begin with, if your diet is poor, it is even more essential to make sure you start having a healthy diet now. Your body requires extra intake of vitamins and minerals, particularly folic acid and iron.

Also, you need a few extra calories during your pregnancy. Getting an exact diet for your second week of pregnancy is more about what you eat than about how much. Stay away from any kind of junk food, as it only holds lots of calories with no nutrients at all.

Ways to start selecting the right food to eat:

Growing of a baby from one single cell into a healthy child requires extreme energy, nutritional diet, and resources from your body. Only a healthy diet can help you in sustaining your energy. When you are 2 weeks pregnant:

Try to eat the right food which provides ample energy that is useful for you and your growing baby,

Try including a composed selection of foods in your diet, which includes nutrient-rich food rich in vitamins, proteins, carbohydrate, fat, and minerals. Maintain a balance of this group of five foods because it keeps your body healthy.

Take care of the appropriate amount while having a food. Try keeping vegetables and fruits in the one half of your plate while proteins and grains on the other half. Practice self-control when it comes to fat, sweet, and salted food.

Also consider the below mentioned lists of different food items that need to be included in your daily diet:

More consumption of milk and dairy products: skimmed milk, buttermilk, yogurt/curd, cottage cheese, these are some products which are rich in calcium, protein and essential vitamins. Consult your doctor about the right quantity of the following foods.

Cereals, whole grains, pulses and nuts: If you do not eat meat, then having cereals, whole grains, pulses can act as a very good source of protein. Vegetarians must consume nuts, a cup of beans for protein each day. One egg, nuts or one bowl of pulses is considered equivalent to meat, chicken, or fish protein.

Vegetables and fruits: vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Meat, fish and chicken: Meat and other related products provides required amount of proteins to your body.

Fluids consumption: Drink lots of water, especially the filtered water and juices of fresh fruit. Ensure that you consume clean, boiled or either filtered water. If you have to go out of the house, preferably carry your own water bottle from home, or buy sealed water bottle of a well-known brand. You must also know that most of the diseases are due to waterborne germs. Try avoiding packaged juices as they have very high content of sugar.

Fats and oils: liquid butter, coconut milk and oil are quite high in saturated fats, which are not considered to be very healthy for your body. Oil is also rich in trans-fats, which are equally bad for you as saturated fats. As an alternative, you can choose vegetable oils since they are rich in unsaturated fats.

Eating five portions of fruits and vegetables is the least you can do. You should aim for at least eight per day. Give preference to the natural fruits and vegetables every time possible. Since, they include a very high level of nutrition in them. Eat proper food, stay healthy, and stay happy!

Debra Aspinall is an experienced journalist and the editor and leading writer for the Emma's Diary website, one of the UKs foremost pregnancy and baby websites. Debra writes on pregnancy related topics such as baby and pregnancy, baby infections, pregnancy complications and etc. She also writes on pregnancy weeks like 1 week pregnant, 2 weeks pregnant women's health and beauty issues and contributes travel articles to glossy magazines in London and the Home Counties.

Physical and Emotional Changes During The Second Trimester Of Pregnancy

Many women say the second trimester of pregnancy (from weeks 13 to 27) are the best. You are hopefully past the nausea and tiredness stages, everyone now knows you are pregnant and don't just think you ate all the pies, you can snooze at your desk in your lunch break without anyone thinking you've been on the gin and you are not too big so you can still wear much of existing wardrobe, drive your car comfortably and continue with most activities.

But more importantly than all of that, you have settled into your pregnancy and hopefully feel happy and healthy.

So what physical and emotional changes can you expect during this second trimester of pregnancy?

Bigger breasts: The milk-producing glands in your breasts will now be stimulated by oestrogen and progesterone hormones to enlarge in readiness for feeding your baby. Make sure you wear a good, supportive bra.

Bigger belly: As your uterus expands and your baby grows you will gain up to four pounds a month now until baby is born. Gain too much weight now and you may struggle to lose it after the birth.

Skin changes: The increase in blood circulation can result in skin in certain areas getting darker in the second trimester of pregnancy. This most commonly occurs on the face, the areola around the nipples and the Linea Negra (the line running from your tummy to the pubic bone). It's temporary.

Stretch marks: Some women don't get any stretch marks during pregnancy, others get loads even if they moisturise. It all depends on your genes and skin. Applying moisturising lotions and oils regularly can lessen their severity.

Stuffy nose: The increased blood circulation can cause the mucus membranes in the nose to become swelled resulting in a stuffy nose.

Bleeding gums: The increasing blood circulation can also affect gums and you may notice some blood when brushing your teeth. It's very important to have regular dental and hygienist check-ups while pregnant. These are free for you so there is no excuse to skip them.

Dizziness: Dizziness is the result of blood vessels dilating to accommodate the excess hormones in the body during pregnancy. If you are prone to dizziness make sure you always get up slowly from a sitting or lying position and try sleeping on your left side to help restore your blood pressure to normal.

Breathlessness: A pregnant woman's lungs work harder to process the additional oxygen in the increased bloodstream which can result in her getting out of breath. Try to slow down a little.

Anxiousness: All mums-to-be feel anxious at one stage of pregnancy or another. This is perfectly natural but do mention any major concerns or worries to your GP.

Feeling great: Not all pregnancy symptoms are negative! Many women report that throughout their second trimester of pregnancy they feel energised and have great hair and nails - one very positive side effect caused by hormones!

Debra Aspinall is an experienced journalist and the editor and leading writer for the Emma's Diary website, one of the UKs foremost pregnancy and baby websites. Debra writes on pregnancy related topics such as second trimester of pregnancy, stages of pregnancy, trimesters of pregnancy and etc. She also writes on women's health and beauty issues and contributes travel articles to glossy magazines in London and the Home Counties.