How Can A Dietitian Help?
Being pregnant can be overwhelming due to the amount of conflicting information that is readily available. Once family and friends find out someone is pregnant, they often immediately offer advice on the best foods and diets to follow, not to mention all of the information available on social media and other online sources.
How can a pregnant person know who to trust?
A Registered Dietitian can be a trusted resource for all things nutrition during pregnancy. Dietitians provide expert, evidence-based nutrition counseling to help ensure the health and wellness of both the pregnant person and the baby.
Help Maintain a Healthy Diet
When a Dietitian works with pregnant clients, they begin by assessing their current diet and identifying any gaps between their eating and what is needed for a healthy pregnancy.
During the assessment, more than just eating is reviewed. The Dietitian also reviews the client’s overall health, any health conditions, and food and cultural preferences.
This information helps the Dietitian develop a comprehensive plan that closes the nutritional gaps and accounts for the client’s health, preference, and cultural requirements.
MEAL PLANS
Dietitians can develop meal plans to provide nutrients for a healthy pregnancy. Meal plans can be helpful tools to guide eating and ensure that all nutritional needs are met.
After completing the assessment, the Dietitian can help the client create a balanced diet that will account for all of the client’s needs and support the baby’s growth and development.
Additionally, the Dietitian will recommend any additional vitamin supplements that may be necessary based on nutritional gaps.
The diet plan will also account for healthy weight gain, which is critical to supporting the baby’s growth and development.
Help Manage Pregnancy Symptoms
Pregnancy can bring with it a myriad of adverse symptoms, including nausea, acid reflux, low energy levels, and loss of appetite. Some pregnant people develop food aversions, which can limit the foods and overall variety and nutritional composition of their diet.
A Dietitian can help clients understand and overcome these symptoms. Often, different solutions are needed than those used for those who are not pregnant. If the client is dealing with food aversions, the Dietitian helps these patients find alternative foods that will be palatable while meeting their nutritional needs.
Identify Trigger Foods
While pregnancy itself has its own inherent reflux and nausea symptoms, it can also aggravate responses to certain foods. This can be a concern because if the amount of food eaten is reduced, key nutrients may be missing from the pregnant client’s diet, and they may find it challenging to achieve appropriate weight gain and nutritional needs for the growing fetus.
A Dietitian helps their clients identify their trigger foods. Once these food are identified, other foods can be substituted in the client’s meal plan.
Since symptoms and trigger foods will likely change over the pregnancy, this process is ongoing, with adjustments made as needed.