A healthy diet is very important if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. Eating healthily during pregnancy will help your baby to develop and grow and will help to keep you fit and well. You don’t need to go on a special diet but make sure that you eat a variety of different foods every day in order to get the right balance of nutrients that you and your baby need.
Find out more from the Public Health Agency: Pregnancy Book.
You will probably find that you are more hungry than normal, but you don’t need to ‘eat for two’ – even if you are expecting twins or triplets. Have breakfast every day – this will help you to avoid snacking on foods that are high in fat and sugar. You may have to change the amounts of different foods that you eat, rather than cutting out all your favourites.
Learn more from our Public Health Dietitians YouTube channel.
Read Chapter 5 of the Public Health Agency Pregnancy Book.
Pregnancy and diabetes
Mothers living with diabetes can still go on to have a healthy baby, but it is important to be aware of possible complications.
It is important to keep your antenatal appointment – we will contact you if we need to change your appointment.
If you have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes during your pregnancy and have questions, please contact us – remember our contact details are also listed in your monitoring diary.
Foods to avoid
There are some foods that you should not eat when you are pregnant because they may make you ill or harm your baby.
You should avoid:
- Some types of cheese
- Pâté
- Raw or undercooked meat
- Liver products
- Supplements containing vitamin A
- Some types of fish
- Raw shellfish
- Peanuts
- Unpasteurised milk
Vitamins and minerals
Eating a healthy, varied diet will help you to get all the vitamins and minerals you need while you are pregnant. There are some vitamins and minerals that are especially important:
- Folic acid
- Vitamin D
- Iron
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
Vitamin supplements
It’s best to get most of the vitamins and minerals you need from a healthy, balanced diet. However, during pregnancy you will need to take some supplements to support your baby’s development.
What you should take
- Vitamin D (10 micrograms a day)
You may get enough from sunlight in the summer months (late March to September), so you might choose not to take a supplement during this time.
Read more about the importance of Vitamin D supplements. - Folic acid (400 micrograms a day)
it is best to take folic acid before you become pregnant and continue until you are 12 weeks pregnant. Some women may need a higher dose, which requires a prescription—your doctor or midwife will advise you.
Read more about the importance of folic acid. - If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet
You may need extra supplements, such as vitamin B12 and other supplements. Speak to your midwife or doctor for advice on what’s right for you.
The Vegetarian Society and Vegan Society websites provide useful information. - If you have a special or restricted diet
You may need additional supplements. Talk to your doctor or midwife about this.
Do not take vitamin A supplements, or any supplements containing vitamin A, as too much could harm your baby.
Which supplements?
Buying vitamin supplements
You can buy vitamin supplements from pharmacies or supermarkets, and your GP may also be able to prescribe them. If you choose a multivitamin, make sure it is suitable for pregnancy and does not contain vitamin A (sometimes called retinol), as this can be harmful to your baby.
Healthy Start vitamins
If you receive Healthy Start vouchers, you can get free Healthy Start vitamins. These contain the right amount of folic acid and vitamin D for pregnancy and are available from Health and Social Care services without a prescription. If you are unsure what to take, ask your GP or pharmacist for advice.
Vitamin D
Everyone aged five and over should consider taking 10 micrograms of vitamin D each day. Between late March and September, most people get enough vitamin D from sunlight, so you may choose not to take a supplement during these months.
Read more about the importance of Vitamin D.
Alcohol
If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, it is safest not to drink alcohol at all. Avoiding alcohol helps reduce any risk to your baby.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause long-term harm to your baby, and the risk increases the more you drink.
Find out more
You can learn more about the effects of alcohol during pregnancy from the Public Health Agency:
Caffeine
Caffeine is found in drinks and foods such as coffee, tea, chocolate, and energy drinks, as well as some medicines.
During pregnancy, your body takes longer to process caffeine. This means it can pass through the placenta to your baby.
Studies have shown that having too much caffeine can increase the risk of:
- your baby having a low birth weight
- miscarriage or stillbirth, especially later in pregnancy (Cochrane systematic review, 2015)
It is recommended to limit caffeine to no more than 200mg per day during pregnancy.
Use Tommy’s caffeine calculator to check your daily intake
Smoking
Smoking during pregnancy can harm your baby. Every cigarette reduces the amount of oxygen your baby receives, making their heart work harder.
Cigarette smoke contains thousands of harmful chemicals. Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do to give your baby a healthy start in life.
At your first (booking) appointment, you will be offered a carbon monoxide test. This is a simple breath test that helps show how smoking may be affecting you and your baby and can support you to make decisions about quitting.
Support to stop smoking
You don’t have to do this alone. Help and support are available:
Visit the Public Health Agency – Give your baby a breather
Text QUIT to 70004 for SMS support (standard charges apply)
You can also be referred to a Smoking Cessation Midwife who can provide support.
Remember: It’s never too late to stop smoking—quitting at any stage in pregnancy will benefit both you and your baby.
If you stop smoking:
- You will have fewer complications in pregnancy.
- You are more likely to have a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby.
- You will reduce the risk of stillbirth.
- Your baby will cope better with any birth complications.
- Your baby is less likely to be born too early and have to face the additional breathing, feeding and health problems which often go with being premature.
- Your baby is less likely to be born underweight and have a problem keeping warm. Babies of mothers who smoke are, on average, 200g (about 8oz) lighter than other babies. These babies may have problems during and after labour and are more prone to infection.
- You will reduce the risk of cot death.
It will also be better for your baby later in life. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from illnesses which need hospital treatment (such as asthma).
Stopping smoking as early as possible is best for you and your baby. However, it’s never too late to quit—even stopping in the last few weeks of pregnancy can make a difference.
If your partner or anyone in your home smokes, this can also affect you and your baby. Breathing in secondhand smoke increases the risk of low birth weight and cot death (sudden infant death syndrome).
Advice on E-cigarettes (vapes)
E-cigarettes are electronic devices that are made to look and feel like smoking.
If you want to stop smoking during pregnancy, the Public Health Agency recommends that you use one of the free stop smoking services available across Northern Ireland. These services can offer support to help you quit.
The Public Health Agency recommends if you wish to stop smoking and are ready to do so you should use one of the free stop smoking services available across Northern Ireland.
More information about smoking and vaping.
Pills, medicines and other drugs
Some medicines, including common painkillers, may not be safe to take during pregnancy and could harm your baby.
If you are already taking medication, do not stop suddenly—speak to your doctor first for advice.
Always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before taking any medicine.
Make sure any healthcare professional you see—such as your doctor or dentist—knows you are pregnant before giving you treatment or prescribing medication.
Illegal drugs
Using illegal drugs such as cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine or heroin during pregnancy can seriously harm your baby.
If you are using drugs or need support, it’s important to seek help as soon as possible. There are services available that can support you confidentially and without judgement.
Contact Narcotics Anonymous on 030 0999 1212.
Herbal and homeopathic remedies and aromatherapy
Not all ‘natural’ remedies are safe in pregnancy.
Keeping active
The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It will also help you to cope with labour and to get back in shape after the birth.
Keep up your normal daily physical activity or exercise (sport, dancing or just walking to the shops and back) for as long as you feel comfortable. Don’t exhaust yourself and remember you may need to slow down as your pregnancy progresses, or if your doctor advises you to.
As a general rule, you should be able to hold a conversation as you exercise. If you become breathless to talk, you’re probably pushing yourself too hard.
If you were not very active before pregnancy, try not to suddenly start intense exercise.
If you want to begin exercising, start gently. Aim for no more than 15 minutes at a time, up to three times a week. You can then slowly build this up to 30 minutes, four times a week as your fitness improves.
If you are joining a class or programme, always let the instructor know that you are pregnant so they can help you exercise safely.
Useful resources
Being active during pregnancy
Tommy’s Pregnancy and Baby Charity: Exercise in pregnancy
NHS: Pelvic floor exercises