PRENATAL & INFANT

NUTRITION

NOURISH YOUR BODY

Pregnancy nutrition is essential to a healthy baby
Supplying your own body with nutritious foods can keep
you feeling healthy and pave the way for an easier labor
Your eating habits directly affect your child and
determine their basic nutritional health
Incorporate whole grains, lean protein, fruits, and
vegetables into your daily diet

WEIGHT GAIN
Supports healthy fetal growth and development
Excess fat is necessary for labor and breastfeeding
25-35 pounds
2 to 4 pounds total in the first trimester
3 to 4 pounds per month for the second and third trimester

300 more calories per day during the 2nd & 3rd trimester

PROTEIN
Daily Requirements:
2 to 3 servings of meat (75-100 grams)
3 ounces per serving

2 to 3 servings of legumes
cup per serving

Functions:
Positively affects growth of the fetal tissue, including the brain.
Promotes breast and uterine tissue growth
Plays a helping part in increasing blood supply

CALCIUM & IRON

Calcium Requirements:
3-4 servings of dairy

Functions:
Helps your body regulate
fluids
Helps build your babys
bones and tooth buds

Iron Requirements:
2 -3 servings of green leafy
vegetables
3 servings of whole grains
2-3 servings of lean protein

Helps to prevent anemia

VITAMIN C
Help with wound healing, tooth and bone development,
promotes the metabolic process
Daily Requirements:
3 servings of fruits or vegetables

FOLATE/FOLIC ACID
Plays a major role in reducing the risk of neural tube
defects, which include spina bifida
Daily Sources:

2 serving of dark green leafy vegetables

2-3 servings of fruit
3 servings of whole grains
2 servings of legumes

FOODS TO AVOID DURING

PREGNANCY
Seafood high in mercury (such as swordfish, shark, king
mackerel, and tilefish)
Raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood
Undercooked meat, poultry and eggs
Unpasteurized foods
Unwashed fruits and vegetables
Excess caffeine
Herbal tea
Alcohol

INFANT NUTRITION

Age

Birth to 3 months

Sequence of
Introducing Foods

Breast Milk or
Formula Only

Texture

4 to 6 months

6 to 8 months

8 to 12 months

Complementary Foods

Strained/ Pureed/ Thin Consistency for Cereal

Mashed
Ground/ Finely
Chopped

Feeding Style

Breast/ Bottle Fed

Spoon
Cup

Self-feeding

BREAST IS BEST
Benefits for Baby

Natural Source
Promotes cognitive and sensory development
Promotes a healthy immune system
Reduces infant mortality
Saves Money

Benefits for Mom

Reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer
Promotes weight loss

SPITTING UP
Easy flow of a babys stomach contents through his or
her mouth
Tends to peak at age 4 months, and most babies stop
by age 12 months.
Consider these tips:
Keep your baby upright
Try smaller, more-frequent feedings
Take time to burp your baby
Put baby to sleep on his or her back
Experiment with your own diet

BABYS FIRST MONTH

Born with suckling instinct
Introduce breast milk within first hour of life
First few days infant will take about 2-3 ounces every 2 3 hours
Most babies will gain about 4 to 7 ounces after the fourth day of life.

At 1 month, babies will take about 4 ounces about every

4 hours
Babies Should not have anything besides milk for the
first 6 months of life.

THREE MONTHS
Your baby tells you when he or she if hungry or full.

Signs of hunger:

turns his head toward

your breast or a bottle and
opens his mouth
starts to suck on his hand
or fingers
coos while he is eating
fusses or cries

Signs of fullness:

stops sucking and lets go

of the nipple
closes his mouth and
does not want to open it
turns his head away from
the breast or bottle

INTRODUCING SOLIDS
4 to 6 months as long as the baby is developmentally
ready.
They must be able to :

Sit up alone or with some support

Hold his or her head steady
Puts his fingers in his mouth
Open his month when he sees food coming
Keep his tongue low and flat to receive the spoon
Close his lip over the spoon and scrape food off as the spoon is
removed from his mouth.
Keep food in him mouth and swallow it
Turns his head to show you that he doesn't want anymore

SIX MONTHS

Mosts babies are ready to eat pureed fruits, vegetables and infant cereals
start with infant cereal and single ingredient fruits and vegetables

Its also time for a CUP!

Offer sips of breastmilk, formula or water in a cup when your baby is
eating solid foods
4 to 8 ounces of water daily
Most cannot hold it on their own- hold it for him or her
NO sweet drinks, soda or tea

TIPS AND TRICKS

Introduce new foods one at a time

Introduce single ingredient foods initially to determine if the infant is
allergic
Use 2 spoons:
Give your baby a spoon to hold while you feed with with another
spoon.
Start with foods that stick to the spoon
Allow 7 days between the introduction of each new food
Introduce small amounts 1-2 tsp
Observe closely for rash, wheezing, or diarrhea after introducing a new
food

9 MONTHS

Develop a snack and meal time routine with your baby

Offer 3 meals and 2 to 3 small snacks
Offer 2 to 3 different foods at a meal
Try to eat at the same time as your baby
Most babies are ready to sit with the family around 8 to 10 months
Encourage your baby to use a spoon, cut or his fingers

Offer finely chopped and mashed foods like:

mashed carrots
mashed banana
soft cooked noodle or rice
pieces of toast

CHOKING

Raw vegetables
green peas, string beans,
celery, carrots
Cooked or raw whole corn
kernels
Whole cherries or grapes
Hard pieces of raw fruit
Whole pieces of canned fruit
Dried fruits
Tough or large chunks of meat
Hotdogs
Fish with bones

String cheese or large chunk of

cheese
Peanuts and other nuts
Peanut and other nut butters
Whole beans
Granola bars and cookies
Potato Chips
Pretzels
Hard candy
Gum
Marshmallows

12 MONTHS
Whole milk until the age of 216-24 ounces
4 ounces of juice may be given daily in a cup
Introduce iron rich foods:

meat
poultry
fish
beans
dark green vegetables
other iron fortified foods

STOPPING THE BOTTLE

Should begin by 12-14 months of age

Gradual process of elimination
Offer encouragement and explanation
Use spill-proof cups (sippy cups) to ease transition
Remove bottles from sight

FOOD SAFETY

Wash your hands- to prevent foodborne illness

Storing Breast milk
24 in refrigerator
3-6 months in freezer.
Check packaging on commercial baby food before serving
Do not double dip with baby food
Never put a jar of baby food in the refrigerator if the baby doesn't
finish to use later
No honey
No unpasteurized milk
Do not share spoons
Never leave open containers of liquid or pureed baby food out at room
temperature for more that 2 hours
Do not put a bottle in the refrigerator if the baby doesn't finish it
Dont make more than you need