Improving Maternal and Infant Nutrition: A Framework for Action

Appendix 3: Healthy eating advice for women prior to and during pregnancyand while breastfeedingWomen are advised to comply with general healthy eating advice before and duringpregnancy and while breastfeeding. In addition to eating a balanced diet there arespecific recommendations on vitamin supplements during these periods. The FoodStandards Agency Eat Well website provides advice on healthy eating and vitaminsupplementation for women who are planning a pregnancy, those who are pregnantand those who are breastfeeding www.eatwell.gov.ukDuring each of these periods women are advised to eat a variety of foods including:• plenty of fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or a glass of juice);aiming for five portions a day• plenty of starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes; choosingwholegrain options• protein such as lean meat and chicken, fish, eggs and pulses (peas, beansand lentils)• at least two portions of fish each week including one of oily fish. No morethan two portions of oily fish each week, this includes fresh tuna, mackerel,sardines and trout• dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt, which all provide calcium• small amounts of foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar.In addition to the advice above, prior to pregnancy women are advised to:• increase their intake of foods rich in folate and to take a supplementcontaining 400 micrograms of folic acid each day, for at least three monthsprior to conception or from the time that contraception is stopped until the 12 thweek of pregnancy. Women who have (or their partner has) a neural tubedefect, those who have previously had a baby with a neural tube defect, thosewho have diabetes, epilepsy or coeliac disease are advised to take asupplement containing five milligrams of folic acid each day.• Avoid taking dietary supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oils• limit their intake of tuna, and avoid shark, marlin and swordfish• avoid alcohol, but if they choose to have a drink, they should not drink morethan one to two units of alcohol once or twice a week and should not getdrunk.In addition to advice before pregnancy, during pregnancy women are advised to:• increase their intake of foods rich in folate and to take a supplementcontaining 400 micrograms of folic acid each day until the 12 th week ofpregnancy. Women who have (or their partner has) a neural tube defect,those who have previously had a baby with a neural tube defect, those whohave diabetes, epilepsy or coeliac disease, or a BMI above 30 are advised totake a supplement containing five milligrams of folic acid each day.• take a daily supplement containing ten micrograms of vitamin D throughoutpregnancy.