You can begin being a responsible, loving mother even before you become pregnant. Eating well can help prepare your body for pregnancy and help to ensure that all the necessary nutrients to support your baby's growth and development are there right from the start.
Pregnant women are often concerned about gaining too much weight.
If you re eating sensibly, most of the weight you are gaining is the baby - for most women its about 40 percent of the weight they gain. An average weight gain is between 25 and 35 pounds if your weight before your pregnancy was healthy. Canada s Food Guide to Healthy Eating will provide guidelines and information for nutritious meal planning throughout your pregnancy. The food guide shows pregnant or breastfeeding women the amount of food needed everyday to stay healthy. For more information, refer to Alberta Health's booklet Healthy Eating for Pregnancy .