Pregnancy: Eating Healthy for 2

5 Pregnancy Super Foods You Should Have

1. All Bran Cereal With Extra Fiber. In research conducted at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, doctors found that 24 grams of fiber daily reduced risks of preeclampsia (a dangerous form of high blood pressure) by a whopping 51%. Plus, the extra fiber can reduce constipation and help you avoid another common pregnancy problem: hemorrhoids. Most important, many high-fiber cereals are also rich in folic acid. This important to reduce the risk of birth defects. Cereals containing high fiber and 100% of your daily folic acid need include: Kellogg's All Bran, Total Wheat Flakes, Total Corn Flakes, Total Raisin Bran, Product 19, Multigrain Cheerios, and Smart Start.
   
   
2. Orange Juice. Just 2 cups a day can reduce your blood pressure by up to 10 points, according to experts at The Cleveland Clinic. This could be critical if your pressure rises during pregnancy. The high vitamin C count may also help reduce your risk of preeclampsia (see Banana Strawberry Smoothie). If you choose a brand fortified with calcium, such as Minute Maid or Tropicana, you'll be adding an additional nutritional boost. Best of all: Orange juice is the only fruit juice that contains folic acid -- up to 35 micrograms in 6 ounces.
   
   
3. Banana Strawberry Smoothie. This drink is so packed with baby-friendly nutrients it could help reduce pregnancy complications. In a study published in the journal Epidemiology doctors found pregnant women who consumed lots of C-rich foods - such as bananas and strawberries -- had a lower risk of preeclampsia. Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill show women lacking vitamin C during pregnancy may have an increased risk of premature rupture of membranes -- a leading cause of premature birth. Plus, experts say high-calcium foods like yogurt and milk may help control fluid retention which may further decrease your risk of high blood pressure. To make a smoothie: Combine strawberries and bananas with low-fat milk, or yogurt, plus some ice, in a high-speed blender. Blend until creamy and smooth -- and drink up!
   
   
4. Salmon. Although the FDA advises limiting salmon to 12 ounces per week, studies published in the BMJ showed just 6 ounces weekly reduces the risk of premature birth from 7.1% to just 1.9%.
   
   To help your newborn sleep soundly, try eating more fish during pregnancy. Indeed, research published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed babies of mothers who consumed fatty acids found in fish during their last trimester, had healthier sleep patterns. The key component here is a fatty acid known as DHA, which is abundant in cold-water fish such as salmon.
   
   
5. Low-Fat Yogurt. The obvious pregnancy benefits here include high calcium and high protein -- both important to your developing baby. But these same foods might also help reduce muscle cramping, a sometimes troubling problem during pregnancy. Calcium can also reduce uncomfortable bloating and water retention. In addition, medical literature indicates that, anecdotally, eating yogurt during pregnancy appears to reduce the risk of yeast infections -- another common pregnancy problem.

Colette Bouchez is the author of Your Perfectly Pampered Pregnancy: Health, Beauty, and Lifestyle Advice for the Modern Mother-to-Be.

Published March 14, 2005.

SOURCES: Samantha Heller, MS, RD, senior clinical nutritionist, NYU Medical Center, New York City. Diana Ashton, MD, associate medical director, March of Dimes, White Plains, N.Y. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Advisory, Richard G. Carmona, MD, MPH, pregnancy and alcohol, Feb. 21, 2005. Pitkin, R. Placental transmission and fetal distribution of saccharin, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1971; vol 111: pp 280. FDA Consumer December 2004: Artificial Sweeteners. American Dietetic Association, position statement, Use of Nutritive and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners. FDA Consumer -- Preventing Listeria Contamination in Foods, January-February 2004. Fact Sheet: Caffeine in Pregnancy, March of Dimes. Dietary Fiber May Prevent Preeclampsia, OB/GYN News, April 1, 2002. JUICE study, The Cleveland Clinic, March, 2002. "Vitamin C and Premature Rupture of Membranes," presentation, Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, New Orleans, Jan. 18, 2002. "Adequate Vitamin C Intake May Lower Risk of Preeclampsia in Pregnant Women," Epidemiology, July 8, 2002. "Low consumption of seafood in early pregnancy as a risk factor for preterm delivery," British Medical Journal, 2002; vol 324: pp 447. "Higher maternal plasma docosahexaenoic acid during pregnancy is associated with more mature neonatal sleep-state patterning," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 2002; vol 76: pp 608-613.