Be sensible with your pregnancy diet

Tuesday, 22 May 2012 7:26 AM

Don't use pregnancy as a license to eat rubbish! New guidelines say a calorie controlled diet can reduce the risk of serious complications at birth, as well as keep your weight stable in the long-term. The study is published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
 
Dr Janine Stockdale, research fellow at the Royal College of Midwives, said: “Good nutrition before and during pregnancy is hugely important to help ensure good health for the mother and her baby. This can also have benefits well beyond the pregnancy itself.”
 
The study is not advising women to lose weight during pregnancy, but is focused on managing excessive weight or weight gain. If a woman is on target to gain the right amount of weight during her pregnancy, then ‘dieting’ and ‘calorie controlled dieting’ as we commonly understand these terms, is not for her.
 
Slimming World, the UK's leading slimming club and RCM Alliance partner, has welcomed the news. Dr Jacquie Lavin, head of nutrition and research, said: "We’re delighted by this review of the latest evidence which shows that by preventing excess weight gain, women can reduce their risk of complications in pregnancy.

"It’s not about crash diets or celebrity fads, but about seeking healthy lifestyle support that will empower them to make healthy choices so that they get all the necessary vitamins and nutrients."

  

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