Fish for you and your baby

Good, healthy food is always important to keep you at your best, but when you are pregnant, or planning to conceive, you have to be sure you are getting everything you need to keep yourself and your baby healthy and well. Did you know it takes about 80,000 calories over nine months for a baby to develop and grow? This is an average weight gain for mum of between 11-16 kilos (around 2 to 2 1/2 stone). During pregnancy, your need for calories and nutrients increases and it is important that you eat a healthy, balanced diet. Fish is a rich source of lots of the nutrients you will need during your pregnancy and eating fish twice a week can help you to get all the extra nutrients you need at this special time.

Your body needs the right amounts of all nutrients during pregnancy. Protein is a very important nutrient that helps your baby to build healthy cells and muscles. Fish is a rich source of protein that is easy to digest and all types of fish contain protein.

Omega 3
Omega 3 fats are very important for developing your baby's brain, eyes and nervous system. Omega 3 fats may also lower the risk of you delivering a low birth-weight baby and of having a pre-term (premature) delivery. Oil-rich fish is an excellent source of beneficial omega 3 fats. Your body cannot make these special fats, so you must eat foods with omega 3 fats regularly for good health. As few other foods contain omega 3 fats, fish is one of the best foods to eat. Oil-rich fish include: herring, trout, mackerel, sardines and salmon.

Vitamins
B vitamins are needed to help your body make new blood cells and to help you to get energy from your food. All fish are a source of some B vitamins including B1,B2 and B6 and especially vitamin B12.

Vitamin D is needed to help your body to absorb the calcium you eat. Oil-rich fish such as salmon, herring and trout are all excellent sources of vitamin D.

Calcium
A growing baby needs lots of calcium to build bones and mums-to-be need lots of calcium to keep their bones strong right through the pregnancy. It is particularly important to eat lots of calcium rich foods during pregnancy, especially as more than one third of women don �t normally eat enough. Dairy products are one of the best sources of calcium and fish can be used as a top-up. Sardines are a source of calcium and tinned salmon, when eaten with the bones, will also give you some extra calcium.

Iron
Iron is needed during your pregnancy to help you and your baby to make new blood cells. Babies also lay down a store of iron while they are in the womb and this iron has to last them for the first six months after birth. It is important for you to eat enough iron during pregnancy to meet all these needs. Oil-rich fish such as mackerel, herring and trout, are a source of iron. Iron is found in higher levels in shellfish, but some women may choose to avoid shellfish while pregnant.

Are all fish safe to eat during pregnancy?

Fish, along with other foods, should be well cooked while you are pregnant and you should avoid raw, cured and undercooked fish such as smoked salmon or sushi. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) recommends that women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant and young children should select fish from a wide range of species but should not eat sword fish, marlin and shark, and should limit the amount of tuna they eat. Check the FSAI website for updates on this recommendation. You should also avoid cod liver oil and other fish oil supplements. Cod liver oil has large amounts of vitamin A, and too much vitamin A can be harmful during pregnancy.

A healthy pregnancy needs a healthy, balanced diet. Choose a wide variety of foods and include fish in your diet twice a week. This is one way to help you to get some of the important nutrients you need to keep yourself and your baby in the best of health right through your pregnancy.