Prenatal Nutrition:
Second Trimester

• Add 200-300 daily calories.     • To reduce your risk of gestational diabetes, maintain nutrient balance and portion sizes.     • Take your prenatal vitamin at lunch if your system is sensitive in the morning.

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s you enter the second trimester, both you and your doctor will begin to assess your weight gain and how it corresponds to your baby’s anticipated growth. Note that the baby’s growth will typically occur in spurts, so if one week you don’t gain but another week you gain two to three pounds, the average of these weeks has you right on track.

While many people don't have a problem finding a way to add the necessary 200-300 daily calories for the baby’s growth, if you're looking for some tips, try adding a midday snack or a small snack before bed (warm milk can often do the trick). Protein intake to support muscle and organ growth is valued during this time, either in the form of animal or vegetable protein, so make it a priority to balance nutrients at eating occasions.

Additionally, during this time your blood sugar will be tested to assess risk for gestational diabetes (GD). While food choices cannot completely prevent this diagnosis, maintaining nutrient balance and portion sizes when you eat - as well as attention to quality of carbohydrates - goes far to reduce the risk for GD.

In terms of nutrients, if you are having trouble tolerating your prenatal vitamin, it may be helpful to take it at lunch with your food because your system may be more sensitive in the morning. If this doesn’t help, ask your doctor for another prenatal vitamin option.