Pregnancy and Postpartum Nutrition: Fueling Two Critical Life Stages
By Sarah Pflugradt, PhD, RDN, CSCS, O2X Nutrition Specialist
A new pregnancy brings on a wild ride of emotions. You’re excited, hopeful and anxious all at the same time with what’s in store for the next nine months and beyond. Taking care of yourself and your baby are priority number one, and that means your nutrition is more important than ever. Nutrition needs change throughout pregnancy and continues to change postpartum. Pregnancy is not without challenges, morning sickness, fatigue, appetite changes, cravings, and a busy lifestyle can all impact how well you fuel your body for pregnancy and beyond. This stage of life requires a focus on ensuring you are getting the right nutrients for a healthy pregnancy and postpartum. Here’s what you need to know.
Key Nutrients During Pregnancy
Growing another human while also taking care of yourself means you need to ensure you have enough of specific nutrients. Many vitamins and minerals have higher recommended intakes during pregnancy. These amounts are often reflected in a prenatal supplement available over the counter or as prescribed by your obstetrician. The nutrients below are ones you should ensure are included, but not inclusive of all the increased nutrient recommendations. (1) (2)
Folic acid
- Amount needed: 600 mcg
- Why it’s necessary: Prevents neural tube defects
- Food sources: Spinach, peanuts, avocados, fortified cereals and breads, beans
Calcium / Vitamin D
- Amount needed: 1000 mg calcium / 600 IU vitamin D
- Why it’s necessary: Healthy skeletal growth
Food sources:- Calcium: Dairy foods, white beans, tofu, sardines
- Vitamin D: Fortified milk, salmon, egg yolks
Iron
- Amount needed: 27 mg
- Why it’s necessary: Increased blood volume raises iron needs to deliver oxygen to the baby
- Food sources: Lean red meat, beans, fish, fortified cereals and bread, prunes, pumpkin seeds
Choline
- Amount needed: 450 mg
- Why it’s necessary: Healthy brain development
- Food sources: Milk, lean beef, eggs, peanuts, soy foods
DHA / EPA
- Amount needed: 2 servings of fatty fish per week
- Why it’s necessary: Healthy brain development
- Food sources: Fatty fish
Iodine
- Amount needed: 220 mcg
- Why it’s necessary: Healthy brain development
- Food sources: Iodized salt, eggs, cod
Vitamin A
- Amount needed: 770 mcg
- Why it’s necessary: Skin and eyesight
- Food sources: Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, green leafy vegetables
Vitamin C
- Amount needed: 85 mg
- Why it’s necessary: Teeth, gums, and bones
- Food sources: Citrus, tomatoes, berries, broccoli
Vitamin B12
- Amount needed: 2.6 mcg
- Why it’s necessary: Nervous system and red blood cell formation
- Food sources: Beef, chicken, dairy, seafood
Nutrition By Trimester
Throughout pregnancy, ensure you are adequately hydrated. Blood volume almost doubles during pregnancy and that means you need to consume adequate fluid every day. Nutrient needs increase throughout pregnancy. A good prenatal vitamin that covers all the above nutrients and more will ensure that you are getting everything necessary for mom and baby for the duration of the pregnancy.
Weeks 1-12: In the first trimester, energy (calorie) needs don’t increase, but vitamin and mineral needs do, especially folic acid, choline, and iodine. A test for iron deficiency may also be done during this time. (1)
Weeks 13-26: The second trimester brings increased calorie needs of an extra 340 per day. (3) This is the time to ensure adequate intake of DHA/EPA from food or supplements.
Weeks 27-40: The third trimester calorie needs increase by an extra 450 calories per day. This is also the time to focus on iron, calcium, and vitamin D.
Foods to Prioritize
Go back to the basics when eating during pregnancy. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner each day and catch up on missed nutrients with snacks. Prioritize eating fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, such as chicken, fish, beef, and turkey. Consume healthy fats each day from olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, or fatty fish, such as salmon. Whole grains and cereals are an important source of fiber, B vitamins and iron, and dairy can help you meet your calcium and vitamin D needs.
Foods to Avoid
Of course, alcohol should be avoided during pregnancy, and caffeine should be limited. Caffeine consumption during pregnancy should occur only after a conversation with your obstetrician.
There are certain foods you should avoid during pregnancy, due to the risk of foodborne illness, such as Listeria, E. coli, and Toxoplasma gondii:
- Raw seafood, including sushi
- Unpasteurized juice
- Raw milk or cheese made with raw milk
- Uncooked eggs, including dressings, drinks or ice cream made with uncooked eggs
- Undercooked meats, including rare steaks
- Deli meats or cold cuts
Managing Nutrition Challenges During Pregnancy
Morning sickness typically occurs in the first trimester and can be challenging to meet nutrient needs. Avoid heavy foods with strong smells and speak with your obstetrician about a better time to take your iron supplement as this can sometimes cause an upset stomach.
Food aversions can cause you to leave out nutritious foods during pregnancy. Once you discover which foods are repulsive, discuss with your obstetrician or a registered dietitian to ensure that you are swapping out those averted nutrients with a food that is more desirable.
Gastrointestinal issues can be uncomfortable and can worsen as the pregnancy progresses. Eat smaller meals as the baby grows and pushes on internal organs, maintain hydration, ensure a healthy fiber intake, and time your iron supplementation appropriately, following your doctor's advice.
Fueling Exercise During Pregnancy
A healthy pregnancy can thrive with exercise. Always speak with your doctor about the type of exercise you plan to do during pregnancy, but burning more calories means you need to make it up. Pregnancy is not the time to restrict calories, and not the time for weight loss. These tips may be beneficial as you exercise throughout pregnancy:
- Eat a carbohydrate-containing snack prior to exercise and bring an emergency snack, such as a dried fruit bar, crackers, or banana with you. Blood sugar levels may fluctuate during pregnancy, and it’s better to be prepared.
- Drink water before, throughout, and after your workout.
- Eat a high-protein, high-carb snack after your workout to start replenishing calories you lost and for muscle repair.
- Eat when you’re hungry. Burning calories during exercise, in addition to extra calories needed during the second and third trimester may call for an extra meal or snack.
Postpartum Nutrition
Nutrition after pregnancy remains a priority for both breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding moms. For all women who give birth, there is physical recovery, which requires an overall healthy diet that provides adequate calories for energy, protein for tissue and muscle repair, and fruits and vegetables for essential nutrients and antioxidants for healing and reducing inflammation. Prenatal supplements may be continued postpartum until a time recommended by your obstetrician. If a prenatal supplement contains iron, it may exceed iron needs after pregnancy. (4)
General postpartum nutrition should look similar to pregnancy nutrition, with regular meals and snacks and prioritizing hydration. Whole foods with fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts will help maintain good digestion, especially in the days and weeks following childbirth. Lean proteins, dairy from milk, yogurt and cheese, and healthy fats from animal or plant-based sources will round out essential nutrient needs.
Lactation Nutrition
For women who choose to breastfeed, an additional 330-400 calories per day is recommended. (4) Optimal hydration is also important during lactation to produce enough breastmilk.
Breastmilk contains all the essential nutrients a baby needs for the first 6 months of life, but some breastmilk may be low in vitamin D, and a pediatrician may recommend it for the baby. The nutrition in breastmilk changes to meet the baby’s needs as they grow, so maintain a healthy diet throughout lactation. Many nutrient needs, such as iodine and choline are still elevated during lactation, so ensuring those are met through diet or supplements are important. (4)
The following can pass through breastmilk:
- Mercury from fish can pass from mom to baby in breastmilk, so consumption of low mercury fish should be prioritized at all times.
- Caffeine should be limited and consumed in small amounts, with less than 300 mg recommended. (4)
- Alcohol can also pass through breastmilk. This does not mean alcohol cannot be consumed, but timing is key. It’s recommended to wait at least 2 hours after a standard drink for it to be metabolized fully before breastfeeding.
Pregnancy and childbirth are two critical periods of excitement and anticipation, but can also create stress if you’re not sure how to fuel your body during this time. Lean on the nutrition recommendations from healthcare providers, maintain a healthy diet, get daily movement, and manage stress for healthy outcomes during pregnancy and beyond.
References:
- National Institutes of Health (2025). Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements and Life Stages: Pregnancy.
- American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists. Every Stage Health. Healthy Eating During Pregnancy.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2025). Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Eat Healthy During Pregnancy: Quick Tips.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025). Maternal Diet and Breastfeeding.
About O2X Nutrition Specialist Sarah Pflugradt:
Sarah is an O2X Nutrition Specialist and registered dietitian who believes that everyone has the potential to perform at a higher level and channel their inner athlete. With a background in clinical dietetics, WIC, and private practice, she is currently an adjunct professor in the Department of Health Studies at American University, focusing on advancing health promotion through knowledge of nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle habits. As a sought-after expert in nutrition communication, Sarah is a nutrition content editor at EatingWell and is a published author of two books. She has a strong foundation in performance nutrition and provides education for high school athletes and parents. Sarah has a PhD in Health and Human Performance from Concordia University—Chicago, where her research focused on the home food environment of competitive swimmers. As an Air Force veteran and military spouse, Sarah’s commitment to veterans’ health is evident in her volunteer work as a nutrition contributor to Team RWB. In her free time, she enjoys running, writing, cooking, and watching her three high-energy teenagers compete in sports.