Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/)
Image: Shutterstock
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 1/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
IN THIS ARTICLE
Most women are usually not aware of their pregnancy until after they miss their period.
By the time they suspect pregnancy, test and get a positive pregnancy result, they are
almost through the first month.
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 2/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
Therefore, it is good to follow a healthy diet right from the time when you are trying to
conceive. A healthy diet ensures proper development of your baby. In this post,
MomJunction tells you about the foods to include and avoid during the first month of
pregnancy.
Include foods such as green leafy vegetables, legumes, avocado, lentils, fortified
bread, orange juice, beans, and cereals that are rich in folic acid (1). Folic acid is an
essential nutrient for the brain and spinal development of the fetus. It helps in blood
formation during pregnancy and preventing neural tube defects in the baby.
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
A DV E RT I S E M E N T Sponsored
Ad
Open
Milk and milk products such as yogurt and cheese are a good source of calcium.
Calcium is essential for fetal heart and nerve functions and helps in developing
strong bone, teeth, and muscles.
Fruits and vegetables including the yellow and red ones, cabbage, broccoli,
strawberries, citrus, and Brussels sprouts are rich in vitamin C, which is essential for
the baby’s teeth and bone development.
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 3/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
Add fiber-rich foods like oats, whole grain bread, legumes, fruits, and vegetables in
your diet for relieving constipation and regularizing the bowel movement.
Lean meat is a good source of iron and protein, which helps in making hemoglobin.
Also, it is essential to meet the blood supply demand by the fetus.
Seeds and nuts are protein-rich foods that help in developing the fetal tissues and
repairing breast and uterine muscles. They also aid in meeting the blood
requirements during pregnancy.
Iodized salt is the primary source of iodine, which is essential for the baby’s nervous
system and brain development.
Fortified bread and cereals are rich sources of fiber and B vitamins, which are
necessary for the fetal brain and nerve development.
The primary source of vitamin D is sunlight. However, it may not meet the required
daily allowance during pregnancy. So, include foods like vitamin D fortified milk,
salmon, tuna, mackerel, eggs, mushrooms, and cereal.
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 4/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
Iron 27mg
Vitamin D 600 IU
Iodine 150µg (through iodine supplements taken in the form of potassium iodide) (4)
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 5/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
(2)
During pregnancy, you may develop a craving for foods that may not be healthy for the
pregnancy. Keep reading to know which foods you need to avoid.
Avoid soft cheeses (brie, ricotta, camembert, blue cheese, and feta), bean sprouts,
sandwich meats, pre-made pâté, and salads, as they may contain the listeria bacteria
(5).
Avoid undercooked meat and poultry as they may contain E. coli, Campylobacter,
salmonella, and Toxoplasma gondii bacteria.
Avoid swordfish, shark, tilefish, king mackerel as they contain high levels of mercury.
Also, avoid raw fish like sushi and sashimi. Freshwater salmon, bass, bluefish, trout,
pike, and walleye may contain high levels of PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls, which
are highly toxic industrial compounds) and should be avoided (6).
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 6/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
Do not consume unpasteurized juice, cider, and milk as they may contain E.coli or
listeria bacteria (1).
Luncheon meat and cold hotdogs are a good host for listeria.
Avoid fruits such as pineapple and raw papaya, which are known to induce
contractions (7).
Also,
Limit the intake of foods such as pastries, cakes, pies, processed meats, pizza,
commercial burgers, and fried foods that may have high amounts of saturated fats
(5).
Limit the intake of foods that contain added sugar (like confectioneries, energy
drinks, sweetened soft drinks) and salt.
Limit the intake of caffeine as more than 200-300mg or 2-3 cups of coffee a day can
cause miscarriage (8) (9).
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 7/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
It is essential that you choose the right food and eat the right amounts during pregnancy.
Next, we give you a few diet tips for the first month of pregnancy.
Adhering to a healthy diet will ensure that your baby gets the essential nutrients for
healthy development. Eat right, but most importantly, do not skip any meals or the
prenatal vitamins. Try a variety of healthy recipes and enjoy a delightful treat without any
risk.
What foods did you include in your first-month pregnancy diet? Let us know in the
comments section below.
References:
1. Healthy Eating Tip Of The Month (https://www.med.umich.edu/pfans/_pdf/hetm-2017/0417-prenatalnutrition.pdf);
University Of Michigan
2. Nutrition During Pregnancy (https://www.acog.org/-/media/womens-health/nutrition-in-pregnancy.pdf); ACOG
3. Michelle A. Kominiarek, et al.,; Nutrition Recommendations in Pregnancy and Lactation
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5104202/); NCBI (2016)
4. Angela M. Leung, Elizabeth N. Pearce, et al.,; AAP Recommendations on Iodine Nutrition During Pregnancy and
Lactation (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/134/4/e1282.1); American Academy of Pediatrics (2019)
5. Healthy eating during your pregnancy
(https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/ les/content/The%20Guidelines/n55h_healthy_eating_during_pregnancy.p
df); National Health and Medical Research Council
6. Pregnancy: Nutrition (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12593-pregnancy-nutrition); Cleveland Clinic
(2019)
7. Ghosh Debosree and Ghosh Suvendu; Forbidden Foods for Healthy Pregnancy (http://www.ijsrr.org/down_1426.php);
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 8/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
IJSRR (2018)
8. Caffeine (https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/caffeine-pregnancy/pdf/); OTIS
9. Pregnancy Precautions: FAQs (https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/pregnancy-precautions.html); The Nemours
Foundation (2019)
Recommended Articles:
Yes No
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 9/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 10/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 11/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
Drinking Coconut
Water During
Pregnancy: 9…
momjunction.com
European
Comfortable Bed
Sale
Ad L'MERI HOME
Here Is A Sample
Diet Chart For
Pregnant Women
momjunction.com
20 Healthy Foods To
Eat During Pregnancy
momjunction.com
Hotpicks
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/surprisin
benefits-of-dates-during-pregnancy_0075704/)
8 Benefits Of Dates During Pregnancy And (https://www.momjunction.com/articles/benefits-
eating-amla-pregnancy_0015825/)
How They Ease Labor 13 Benefits Of Eating Amla (Indian
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/s Gooseberry) During Pregnancy
urprising-benefits-of-dates-during- (https://www.momjunction.com/articles/b
pregnancy_0075704/) enefits-eating-amla-pregnancy_0015825/)
trimester_0022645/)
sleeping-positions-pregnancy-first-
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/importa beauty-tips-pregnant-women_0022321/)
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/essentia
Safe Sleeping Positions during First 10 Essential Beauty Tips For Pregnant
Trimester of Pregnancy Women
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/i (https://www.momjunction.com/articles/es
mportant-sleeping-positions-pregnancy- sential-beauty-tips-pregnant-
first-trimester_0022645/) women_0022321/)
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 12/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
artificial-sweeteners-pregnancy_0022325/)
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/safe-
Artificial Sweeteners In Pregnancy:
Which Ones Are Safe & Unsafe?
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/sa
fe-artificial-sweeteners-
pregnancy_0022325/)
Related Articles
Is It Safe To Have Lipton
Tea During Pregnancy?
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/lipton-tea-during-pregnancy_00359421/) (https://www.momjunctio
/ i l /li
Is It Safe To Eat Tofu During
Pregnancy?
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/safe-eat-tofu-pregnancy_0089105/) (https://www.momjunction.co
/ i l / f f
Can You Eat Pepperoni
When Pregnant?
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/pepperoni-while-pregnant_00369172/) (https://www.momjunction.
/ i l / i
Is It Safe To Eat Lotus
Seeds (Makhana) During
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/makhana-during-pregnancy_00457495/) Pregnancy?
(h // j i
Is It Safe To Use Vinegar
During Pregnancy?
(https://www.momjunction.com/articles/vinegar-during-pregnancy_00361053/) (https://www.momjunction.
/ i l / i
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
About Us (https://www.momjunction.com/about-us/)
Contact Us (https://www.momjunction.com/contact-us/)
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 13/14
2/1/2020 1st Month Pregnancy Diet: What To Eat And Avoid?
Disclaimer (https://www.momjunction.com/disclaimer/)
Follow Us:
(https://www.facebook.com/momjunction)
(https://www.pinterest.com/momjunction/)
(https://twitter.com/mom_junction)
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/1st-month-pregnancy-diet-foods-eat-avoid_00124/ 14/14