Building A Strong Baby

‘You are what you eat’ has special significance during pregnancy – the only time your eating habits directly affect another person. So what should you be putting on your plate to ensure optimum health for your growing baby?

- Tracey Hawthorne

‘MATERNAL NUTRITION – what the mom-to-be eats – is a key factor that affects birth outcomes and has long-term effects on the health of children,” says Johannesburg gynaecologist Dr Kiran Kalian.

Dr Candace Howe, an obstetrician/ gynaecologist at HM Medical in Newport Beach, USA, concurs. She says that there’s substantial scientific research to show that metabolic programming happens in the womb, so a mother’s healthy nutritional status is extremely important.

So what foods should we be eating to help our babies grow strong while they’re in the womb?