3rd Month Pregnancy Diet: Which Foods To Eat And Avoid?

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The 3rd month of pregnancy is the last one of the first trimester. In this month, you will need to follow a third-month pregnancy diet as you may not be able to have certain food items due to the heightened symptoms.

Common pregnancy side effects such as vomiting and nausea are at their peak during this period; hence, the food you eat should ease that discomfort. Besides, it should provide you with all the necessary nutrients for you and your baby.

Good nutrition during pregnancy is essential for the baby’s growth and helps maintain the mother’s health. Read on as we give you all the pieces of information about what you should and should not eat in your third month of pregnancy.

The 3rd Month of Pregnancy Diet: Foods To Eat

By the third month, your nausea, sleepiness and hunger will have elevated immensely

. Luckily, this is the last month when you will feel nausea, so you can look forward to relishing food in the forthcoming month. Your nipples will no longer be sore and the cramping will also reduce. Your weight should start to rise a tad more quickly as well.

The bad thing is that the secondary symptoms such as irritability, food aversion, and smell sensitivity might set in. So here’s a to-do list of dietary recommendations for your third month (1) You can also seek advice from your doctor and prepare a first-trimester diet chart or a 1-to-3-month diet chart for pregnant women to ensure optimum nutrition.

1. Vitamin B6-rich foods

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Chances are your nausea is at its peak during this month, which can make you feel blue and fatigued. Foods rich in Vitamin B6 help a lot by reducing nausea and boosting your moods. Incorporate citrus fruits, eggs, green leafy vegetables and potatoes as a part of your prenatal nutrition to get a steady dose of this vitamin (2).

Quick fact

Expecting women should take 400mcg of folic acid daily until they are 12 weeks pregnant (13).

2. Fresh fruits

During pregnancy, it is best to stick to fresh fruits as the canned ones contain preservatives that can cause acidity.

Fruits are an arsenal of vitamins and provide hydration. So choose fruits of all colors; they contain water, natural sugar fiber and antioxidants too.

3. Carbohydrates

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Once enemies of your thin waistline, carbs now become a lifeline for your demanding baby. By adding whole grain and simple carbs like bread, atta, rice and potatoes to your diet, you can give a treasure of energy-boosting carbs to your baby. Remember, snacking on complex sugars (pastries, chocolate) is not recommended (3).

4. Meat

If you are a meat eater, now is the time to go berserk over them. Just make sure that the meat is cooked very well and is prepared with good hygiene. Beef, mutton, and fish (fresh water) are excellent sources of minerals, proteins, omega-3 fatty acids and a whole lot of good taste. However, organ meats such as liver should be consumed with caution. The liver contains high levels of vitamin A, too much of which can be harmful to the developing fetus (4).

5. Iron and folate

These twin elements are so vital for the fetus that ignoring them can cause moderate to severe mental and physical retardation in the fetus.Make sure that your diet provides you with both and to do that, add folate and iron-rich foods such as beetroot, chikoo, oatmeal, bran, tuna (tinned), beans and meats (for iron) and oranges, potatoes, broccoli, eggs and greens (for folate) to your diet (3).

Quick fact

Green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, and fortified breakfast cereals are natural sources of folic acid (14).

6. Zinc

Zinc is an important element that helps in protein and DNA synthesis and helps improve immune function. It also helps produce insulin and other enzymes. Therefore, zinc is known to support healthy growth and development during pregnancy. It is recommended for pregnant women above 19 years to consume 11mg of zinc daily. Zinc intake may be improved by including meat, fish, and seafood in the diet. Oysters provide the maximum zinc per serving (cooked oysters contain about 28mg of zinc per three ounces). However, beef is more commonly consumed, and so it contributes to about 20% of zinc intake from food. It may also be obtained from poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, fortified cereals, and dairy products (5) (6).

7. Dairy products

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This is true for your entire pregnancy, as well as for the time you breastfeed: Milk and milk products stored safely and pasteurized properly are your best bet for a healthy baby. The fetus needs calcium and minerals found in milk products for proper bone development, so don’t deny milk, curd, cheese, and ghee (6) (7). If you’re lactose intolerant, you can choose lactose-free dairy or plant-based options that are fortified with calcium, after talking to your doctor.

Brittany, a mother of two, from the USA shares about her daily diet during her 1st trimester (three months of pregnancy). She says, “During the first trimester, I started with Decaf coffee, and my favorite peanut butter banana oats with a little granola on top. I drank plenty of water and then, I made a salad, totally embracing the fact that I actually liked vegetables during my first trimester because, with my first pregnancy, I wasn’t a big fan. I also had two clementines as a snack and had butternut squash turkey chili for dinner (i).”

Foods To Avoid During The Third Month Of Pregnancy

Soon, weeks 9-12 will end and you will be stepping into your second trimester. But beware, now you are in the most crucial and fragile stage of pregnancy. So, take no chances with your diet and follow your diet:

1. Junk food

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Needless to say, junk food including burgers and pizza, chaat and tandoori chicken seem so very alluring during this phase. But, avoid them as much as possible due to the hygiene factor.

2. Seafood

Seafood is a good source of nutrition but may harbor parasites and bacteria like Listeria, which is harmful to both mother and the baby.

They should be thoroughly cooked before consumption. Preparations containing raw seafood, such as Sushi, Sashimi, or Ceviche, should be avoided (8). According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Listeria infection is the third leading cause of food-borne diseases induced deaths in the United States. Pregnant women are ten times more likely to get Listeria infection when compared to the general population. Moreover, pregnant Hispanic women are 24 times more prone to getting Listeria infection than others.

Point to consider

Avoid refrigerated smoked seafood when pregnant to reduce foodborne illness risk (14).

3. Tinned food

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Be it tuna or peas, pineapple, tinned goods are laced with excess sugar and salt. They also contain artificial flavors and preservatives. Instead of a cocktail of synthetic food items, opt for natural and fresh food.

4. Unpasteurized dairy products

During this crucial month, protect yourself and your baby from infections like listeria and food poisoning by using only pasteurized milk products. Soft cheeses should be replaced with hard ones and try to use homemade milk products as much as possible (8).

Infographic: Foods To Eat In The 3rd Month Of Pregnancy

In your first trimester, you must consume a nourishing diet, including various vegetables, fruits, grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, to ensure that you and your baby get the necessary nutrients. The infographic suggests a few dietary choices during the third month of pregnancy. Alongside these foods, it is critical to keep an adequate intake of fluids and refrain from consuming raw, uncooked foods.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: 3rd Month Of Pregnancy Diet - Which Foods To Eat And Avoid?

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Nutrition is a crucial part of the third trimester. Learn how to nourish your body and baby with the right nutrition for a healthy pregnancy.

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Dr. Meenu Vashisht AhujaMBBS, DGO, DNB

Dr. Meenu Vashisht Ahuja owns her private practice in New Delhi and works as a visiting consultant at Fortis Hospital. She has 12 years of experience and her special interests lie in infertility cases and procedures such as IUI, IVF, and ICSI.

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Anshuman MohapatraM.Tech (Biotechnology)

Anshuman Mohapatra is a biotechnology scientist with more than six years of research experience in analytical chemistry and biotechnology. He has submitted his PhD thesis at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) and served as a research fellow (JRF/SRF) during his PhD tenure.

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Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

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Dr. Joyani DasM.Pharm, PhD

Dr. Joyani Das did her post-graduation from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra and PhD in Pharmacology. Previously, she worked as an associate professor, faculty of Pharmacology, for two years. With her research background in preclinical studies and a zeal for scientific writing, she joined MomJunction as a health writer.

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