Every pregnant woman has an increased need for good nutritious food, but if you are pregnant with twins, it is even more important
that you eat an adequate diet. But just what constitutes an appropriate prenatal diet when expecting twins?
You actually need to consume quite a few calories. In fact...
Doctors recommend about 2700-2800 calories a day for a mother that is pregnant with twins.
Be aware that your age makes a difference in the nutrition you need, and this is even more true when you are pregnant. One
special category of moms-to-be who need more nutrition than others are pregnant teenagers. Teens are still forming their
own bones and other body parts. If you're not quite grown yourself and are expecting twins, make every effort to take care
to get the best nutrition you can.
Protein
First of all, it is essential that you get enough protein. Protein is the building block of nutrition, and is essential when
building a new little human being (or two.) Protein is found in all meats, as well as in eggs, cheese and milk, legumes,
nuts, and to a lesser degree, in grains. If you happen to be vegan, you might have a hard time getting enough protein.
Soybeans contain more complete protein than any other bean, although all beans are fairly rich in protein. It used to be
thought that vegetarians needed to combine certain plant foods in order for the incomplete proteins to be eaten at the same
time and thus complete the package. For instance, you were supposed to eat some beans with your rice. This idea has been
found to be a myth, and is not recommended any more by dietitians.
Even so, if you are pregnant with twins and eating a vegan diet, you will want to focus on those plant foods that contain
the most protein. You might even consider temporarily going lacto-ovo and and including some yogurt or eggs in your diet.
Either way, one of the principles of a healthy diet of any kind is to eat a wide variety of healthy foods. This is particularly good advice if you are pregnant with twins.
Calcium
Calcium is another nutrient that is needed in quantity when pregnant with twins. Calcium is the main mineral needed for the
formation of strong bones and teeth. It might sound like an old wives tale when someone says that the baby took all of a
woman's calcium and she wound up losing her teeth after the birth. The fact is, you do need more calcium during pregnancy,
and considerably more if you are pregnant with twins.
Dairy products are the classic source for calcium, although it is also found in many vegetables. Calcium assimilation can
be a problem for some people and on some diets. Calcium needs to be able to be used by the body, and some forms are more
easily used than others.
There is another consideration when trying to get extra calcium in the diet. Many processed foods purport to be dairy products,
but really contain very little of the nutrients found in milk. For instance, ready-to-eat pudding and instant hot cocoa sound
like they would contain milk but they really don't provide much more than sugar to the diet. On the other hand, if you make
your own homemade pudding and hot cocoa using real low-fat milk, you can count them as dairy servings.
One thing you can do to get enough calcium is to buy those packaged foods that contain extra calcium. For instance, orange
juice is often fortified with calcium.
Another good source of calcium for the diet, which is also a source of high quality protein and healthy fats, is canned fish.
Those fish which are canned with the bones in, such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, can be eaten with the bones, providing
ready calcium. One way to do this is to leave the bones in when preparing fish cakes, mashing them up so that they can't
be detected in the finished food. Another way is to simply eat the bones while preparing the recipe.
Folic Acid
Being pregnant with twins increases the need for all the B-vitamins, but folic acid is perhaps the most crucial of these.
It is necessary for the correct formation of the neural tube in the developing babies. Every woman who hopes to become pregnant
should be taking a multi-vitamin that contains at least 400 mcg. of folic acid, and continue taking it through the twin pregnancy.
I hope the above diet advice helps you if you are pregnant with twins. Please remember to see your doctor regularly, and try
to eat as healthy as you can.