Eating well in pregnancy is a given, right? We all know what we should and should not be eating, but its not that easy!

1. We will need to increase the amount of food that we consume to grow our babies, however how much more we need to eat and when is not really very specific. It is best to be led by our appetite, and to be led by what we fancy at the time. You might find that you need to eat fried eggs when you have never eaten a fried egg before! You might find that you can no longer drink coffee, or tea the way you used to. Our bodies are very good at telling us what we need if we don’t over think it.

2. There are some essential nutrients that our body needs when we are pregnant. You will have been advised to take supplements containing Folic Acid, Iron, Calcium and omega-3 fatty acids, as these are essential for your babies development in the early stages. Folic Acid is known to help with growing your babies Neural Tube, this is part of the spinal column, which forms in the early days of pregnancy. A small amount of extra iron is good for you and your blood supply which will expand over the coming weeks to support your baby through the placenta. Calcium is essential for bone development, and omega-3 fatty acids contribute to the development of the baby's brain and eyes.

3. Protein is essential for the development of the baby's organs, muscles, and tissues. Increasing the amount of protien you eat each day is important and eating higher quality foods will be preferable. Think steak, rather than a burger or Eggs rather than processed cheese. Other good sources of protein include, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, and nuts.

4. When we are pregnant the fluid volume within us increases loads! So topping up your water bottle regularly is really important. Think about all that amniotic fluid around the baby! Your blood volume also increases by quite a large amount. Go fill that bottle!

5. The advise on foodstuffs that should be limited changes from time to time and common sense is really best used. Raw or undercooked meats and fish are best avoided, and tinned fish is known to have higher mercury contents and should be limited to avoid impacting your baby’s nervous system. Avoiding eggs is one of those myths, that still abounds in the Uk. Most chickens are vaccinated these days and you can be certain that your egg is ok to eat by watching for a lion mark stamped on the eggs shell. Prepackaged meats and cheeses are prepared in sterile conditions and so are probably safer to eat than those being handled on the deli counter.

It's important for you to chat with your midwife about your specific circumstances. The current NHS advice can be found here