It is fact that pregnant women need to provide good nutrition for two people, but it is fiction that she should eat for two. The unborn baby gets all the nutrients they need from its mother through the umbilical cord, so a healthy and balanced diet is important. If the mother is lacking any vitamins or nutrients, then this could be passed on to the baby. It is advised by nutritional experts that a woman who is not pregnant needs around 2100 calories per day, and that a pregnant lady should consume around 2500 calories per day. If the mother is breast feeding, they need around 3000 calories per day.

While putting on too much weight can affect a woman’s health and increase the risk of complications, gaining too little weight can also cause problems and mean the body is not storing enough fat. The current advice is not to go on a weight-loss or calorie-restricted diet during pregnancy, although a woman’s midwife or GP may have special advice if she weighs more than 100kg. Instead, current advice is based on eating a balanced diet and managing weight at an appropriate level.