Prenatal Nutrition and Exercise

The section of the site provides access to nutritional and exercise information for pregnancy. It is recommended that you go to My Pyramid website and log-in to learn about diet and food choices during pregnancy. A pregnant woman needs about 300 calories a day more than prior to pregnancy. Women with a normal (19-25) Body Mass Index (BMI) prior to pregnancy should gain 25-35 pounds during the pregnancy.

Additional folate or folic acid (400 mcg) is necessary during pregnancy to help prevent fetal neural tube defects. Prenatal vitamins as well as many foods contain folic acid.