Pregnancy changes the body’s need for nutrients as you are not just eating for yourself. Therefore your macros when pregnant may need to be different than when you are not pregnant. This article provides some insights into this topic.
Pregnancy Macros
Pregnant women generally need 200-600 calories more than usual. Refer to a medical professional for more exact recommendations.
Discussion
Pregnant mothers have significantly higher calorie recommendations than the average person in order to support a growing child, this means that macros when pregnant will need to differ, as calorie needs are different.
The average increase in caloric intake is approximately 200-600 calories per day [1,2]. The requirements vary from person to person, and are dependent on factors including trimester of pregnancy, body size, bodyfat, and activity [2].
Where precisely do these calories need to come from? Well dispersing them across all three macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) makes the most sense. There is some indication that women may need more EPA and DHA (forms of omega-3 fatty acids) during their later stages of pregnancy as the fetus utilizes more of these nutrients [3].
However, it is outside the scope of practice for Macros Inc. to provide exact nutritional recommendations for expecting mothers. As such, we highly recommend consulting with a medical professional in order to have your personal nutritional needs tailored.
References
- Kominiarek, M. A., & Rajan, P. (2016). Nutrition Recommendations in Pregnancy and Lactation. The Medical clinics of North America, 100(6), 1199–1215. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2016.06.004
- Most, J., Dervis, S., Haman, F., Adamo, K. B., & Redman, L. M. (2019). Energy Intake Requirements in Pregnancy. Nutrients, 11(8), 1812. doi:10.3390/nu11081812
- Braarud et al., Maternal DHA Status during Pregnancy Has a Positive Impact on Infant Problem Solving: A Norwegian Prospective Observation Study. Nutrients, 2018, 10(5): 529