Food tips for pregnant women while pregnant with twins

You just went for an ultrasound and found out that you are pregnant with twins ( twins ). You may think that you have to eat more because you have to eat for two children now, not half. However, double pregnancies are classified as high-risk pregnancies as well as better attention and care than single pregnancies. It is important to eat safe foods and maintain your eating habits so you can provide enough nutrients for you and both babies. Instead of adding lots of carbs ( carbohydrates ) or sugary foods, you should focus on taking minerals and having nutritious meals to make sure your baby is healthy.

Part 1: Adjust your diet

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1. Increase your calorie intake every day

According to folk experience from the past, you will need to increase the caloric intake load every day. Every day, you need to consume about 600 calories, depending on your body index, activity level and doctor's recommendations.

1. You can also calculate the amount of calories you need to consume each day by multiplying your body weight ( kg ) by 40 or 45. For example, if you weigh 62kg, you get 62 times 40 and 45 will result in 2,480 - 2,790. That's the amount of calories you should eat every day.
2. However, how to get enough of that calories into your body is important. You should maintain a healthy diet, balance the amount of protein, carbs and fat. 20–25% of calorie intake will come from protein, 40-45% from carbs and 30% from fat.
3. Avoid eating too much and exceeding the recommended calories. Too much weight gain can put your baby at risk and lead to other health problems.

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2. Eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals

When you are pregnant with twins, it is important that you take enough vitamins and minerals every day. Focus on increasing the amount of folic acid, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron as well as some other vitamins and minerals to keep your baby healthy.

1. Protein : A woman with average body weight and size needs about 70g of protein a day. Pregnant women are often advised to add 25g to their babies, so you need 50g of protein a day when you are pregnant with twins. Proteins help the fetus grow and develop muscles while still in the womb. Protein-rich foods such as lean meat (beef, pork, turkey, chicken ) as well as nuts, yogurt, milk, cheese and tofu. Avoid high-fat protein sources such as cutting fat from beef or pork, sausages, sausages and smoked meat.
2. Iron : This is an important nutrient to ensure a healthy growth of the fetus and the weight gain at birth. Iron supplementation during pregnancy helps pregnant women reduce their risk of hypertension, anemia and premature birth. Get at least 30mg of iron every day. Good sources of iron-rich foods include: red meat, seafood, nuts and nutritious grains.
3. Vitamin D : Nutrient helps increase blood circulation in the placenta and helps the fetus absorb calcium in the mother's womb. Pregnant women should supplement about 600-800 IU (international units ) of vitaminD every day.
4. Folic Acid : Maintaining high levels of folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects. You need at least 600mg of folic acid every day. Most multivitamins used for pregnant women contain folic acid ( or folate ). You can also find it in vegetables, asparagus or fruits like oranges and grapefruit.
5. Calcium : Load at least 1,500mg of calcium needed every day. The fetus needs a lot of calcium to develop strong bones in the womb. Milk and yogurt are abundant sources of calcium.
6. Magnesium : This is also an essential mineral to help reduce the risk of premature birth and support your baby's nervous system development. At least 350-400 mg of magnesium is required every day. You can add magnesium from nuts such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, wheat germs, tofu and yogurt.
7. Zinc : You should add at least 12mg of zinc each day. Maintaining high levels of zinc in the body reduces the risk of premature birth, low birth weight and prolonged pregnancy. Black beans are an abundant source of zinc.

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3. Make sure the meal has 5 food groups

Your daily meal should have five main food groups ( fruits, vegetables, nuts, protein and milk ) to ensure a complete, balanced supplement of nutrients and minerals.

1. Eat 10 servings of nuts daily. For example, 10 servings can be a slice of cereal bread, ⅔ cup of cereal, ¼ cup of muesli ( including cereals, dried fruits, nuts ), or ½ bowl of pasta, noodles or rice.
2. Eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. For example: ½ vegetable dishes such as vegetables, asparagus, young carrots; vegetables; ½ cup of fruit smoothie or 1 medium sized fruit such as apple, banana or 2 small fruits such as plum, apricot; or 30g of dried fruit.
3. Eat 4-5 protein portions a day. For example: 65g beef / pork; 80g chicken / turkey; 100g salmon; 2 eggs; 170g tofu; 1 cup of soy milk; or 30g seeds like almonds, pumpkin seeds and tahini (a sesame seed ).
4. Eat 3-4 servings of milk every day. For example: 1 cup of nonfat milk (250 ml) ; 1 cup of soy milk, rice milk for calcium supplementation; or 1 box of yogurt ( 200 ml ); 1 or 2 slices of hard cheese.

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4. Eat less cakes, cookies and fried foods

Although not strictly forbidding unhealthy foods, you should only eat a little or sometimes, every time you want to eat too much. Avoid eating foods that are high in calories as they will make you gain weight unsafe and provide little nutrients to the fetus.

1. You should also refrain from eating confectionery and soft drinks because they are made from sugar. Avoid eating trans fat foods, switch to foods made with olive oil, coconut oil or butter.

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5. Avoid eating some foods during pregnancy

As with other normal pregnancies, you should also avoid certain foods such as:

1. Raw or unripe eggs
2. Raw meat or undercooked meat
3. Sushi
4. Types of shellfish, live snails
5. Frozen meat
6. Herbal tea
7. Unpasteurized cheese because it may contain listeria bacteria in it.
8. Previously, doctors often advised pregnant women not to eat peanuts, but recent research has shown that eating peanuts and other nuts ( except nuts that you are allergic to ) helps the fetus reduce allergies. with these nuts.

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6. Write down the daily menu

One way to ensure that you have enough nutrients when you are pregnant is to create a daily diet menu, so there are enough 5 food groups as well as meals offered for each food group. . After that, you can write it down to see how much each part you should eat and mark the foods that are missing at each meal.

1. Going to the market according to a clearly listed list will help you limit unhealthy meals and make sure to get adequate vitamins and minerals from everyday foods.

Part 2: Change eating habits

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1. Eat healthy snacks to reduce nausea and fatigue

These symptoms are common at the beginning of pregnancy and can last up to the 16th week. It is important that you try to eat even though you often experience nausea or morning sickness. Instead of eating a full meal at 3 meals, you should eat less and eat more healthy snacks to reduce nausea. At the same time, it also supports digestion and reduces the common heartburn during pregnancy.

1. Reserve crackers, fruits ( strawberries, plums and bananas are easy-to-eat fruits ), low-fat yogurt, vitamins ( without additives and preservatives ).

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2. Drink enough water

Take it several times a day to make sure you have enough water for your body. Although it may be necessary to use the toilet more often, you should drink plenty of water to support the blood circulation and filter the fetal waste.

1. You should drink about 10 cups of water ( 2.3 liters ) every day during pregnancy. To find out if you drink enough water, look at your urine: clear urine and a lighter yellow color if you drink enough water.
2. Try to drink more water in the early morning and then gradually decrease after 8pm. This will help you sleep deeper at night without having to wake up to go to the bathroom.
3. You can drink a little caffeine during pregnancy. Limit only 200mg per day - about 2 ready-made coffee cups. Do not drink more than this, because too much caffeine when pregnant will cause health problems for the fetus. You should also avoid drinking coffee near the time of supplementing iron or eating foods high in iron because caffeine can affect the body's absorption of iron. You should eat after drinking coffee for at least an hour.
4. There is no safe level of drinking alcoholic beverages when pregnant.

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3. Eat high-fiber foods to reduce constipation

As the baby grows in the belly of the pregnant woman, the baby will insert the mother's intestine. Therefore, the process of digesting food to absorb the vitamins and minerals you consume also slows. Therefore, mothers often have constipation during pregnancy and will need to supplement more fiber to help the intestines digest food more easily.

1. If you have constipation, eat lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and grains. You should also practice light exercises like walking or some stretching exercises to support the bowels and stimulate the digestive system.

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4. See your doctor right away if you gain weight quickly or have frequent headaches

Double pregnancy increases the risk of pre-eclampsia. When pre-eclampsia is present, pregnant women will have hypertension, increase the amount of protein in the urine and become more inflamed than normal - especially, visible on the face and hands. Rapid weight gain and headache can be a symptom of pre-eclampsia, so see your obstetrician for an immediate check.

1. Your obstetrician will treat your symptoms depending on the severity. They may only ask you to take a break and take the medicine in a mild case or to take the baby right away if the condition gets worse - this is the only way to " cure " pre-eclampsia.
2. You should know that during pregnancy your body will gain more weight than a single pregnancy. Healthy women with normal body mass index before pregnancy usually increase from 17 to 24.5kg when pregnant with twins and 11-16kg when pregnant with a single pregnancy. Your doctor will give you more weight gain.

5. Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of premature birth

When pregnant with twins, the risk of early birth or premature birth is usually high. If you have vaginal bleeding or discharge, diarrhea, which feels heavy in your pelvis or lower back area and frequent contractions, you should inform your doctor immediately.

1. Even if not born prematurely, the timely detection and handling of these symptoms is also important to ensure the safety of the fetus.

Part 3: Drinking functional foods

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1. Talk to your doctor about taking vitamins and minerals

Most pregnant women are aware of the need for iron, iodine, and folic acid from their daily diet. Your doctor may also recommend using dietary supplements if you regularly skip meals, eat poorly or experience other health problems.

1. Do not use dietary supplements without consulting your doctor.

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2. Do not double the dose when pregnant with twins

Taking too many vitamins and minerals will harm your unborn baby. If you are a vegetarian or don't drink much milk, take a calcium supplement. Vegetarians also need to take vitamin B12 supplements. Like other pregnant women, you should take folic acid supplements every day to make sure you get enough of this acid to your body.

1. Do not drink fish liver oil, high dose vitamins or supplements that contain vitamin A because it can harm an unborn baby.

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3. Ask your doctor about taking herbal products

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA ) does not examine and manage herbal supplements, so the quality and effectiveness of each herb may vary between manufacturers or even between shipments with the manufacturer. However, the FDA advises pregnant women to consult their doctor about the full diet before taking the herbs. Some herbs contain unsafe ingredients for pregnant women and can be dangerous to the fetus.

1. If you are interested in herbal supplements but do not want to be in trouble during pregnancy, consult a trained herbal specialist and get a certificate. You can ask your doctor for a referral so you can meet a reputable herbal specialist.