Essential Daily Health Goals for Pregnancy

We don't have control over how our birth will unfold. But, we do have control over how we treat our bodies to create the best possible outcome. Investing in your health helps protect your plans to have a beautiful birth experience. Eating wholesome foods, moving our body regularly, drinking nutritive teas, taking our vitamins and taking seriously the health screenings available to us, give us the best tools to grow a healthy baby and improve our birth outcomes.

Setting clear daily health goals can help manage common pregnancy challenges and promote a positive experience. This post explores practical, midwife-recommended daily health goals that every pregnant woman can adopt to nurture their well-being and prepare for childbirth.

Pregnant woman gently holding belly in natural light

RECOMMENDED DAILY GOALS

• Consume 80-100 grams of protein

• Aim for 28grams of fiber in foods

• Eat an iron rich food at every meal

• Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water

• Take a walk or other exercise for 30min a day

• Soak in 15 min of sunshine (if possible)

• Drink 3 cups of pregnancy tea, starting in the second trimester 

• Practice a relaxation technique, pray, journal

• Take recommended supplements

Proteins are THE building blocks for human life.

Your body's demand for protein increases as your pregnancy progresses. In the first half of pregnancy, aim for 80g of protein. For late pregnancy, 100g is recommended. If this seems like a lot, keep in mind our servings are often larger than we realize. 3oz or 1 serving of a chicken breast is about the size of a deck of cards and contains 30g of protein. Adequate protein can help you manage your blood sugar, it reduces the risk of preeclampsia and reduces the risk of preterm birth by helping your baby grow to their optimal weight.

Prioritize Fiber

Aim for 28 grams of fiber per day. Fiber helps us go to the bathroom regularly, preventing common pregnancy complaints like constipation and hemorrhoids. It also slows the digestion of carbs, which is very helpful for controlling blood sugar. Foods that are high in fiber also have many other benefits. Beans for example, are also a good source of iron, folate, and protein. Avocados are a good source of fiber, folate, healthy fats and potassium (which helps with leg cramps and nausea).

Include an iron-rich food at every meal

Iron needs during pregnancy are 1.5x higher due to our blood volume doubling. Iron deficiency can lead to low birth weight, premature birth, decreased thyroid function and developmental delays. The United States Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron during pregnancy is 27 mg per day for all pregnant individuals to support increased red blood cell production, placenta development, and fetal growth. This typically requires supplementation. Unfortunately, iron supplements often come with side effects such as constipation and nausea.

I suggest getting as much iron as you can from food sources and supplementing the rest. The best food source are meat, such as liver, organ meats, red meat, game, oysters, clams, sardines and dark meat poultry. Try pairing them with foods high in vitamin c, like peppers and tomatoes, to help absorb the most iron. Other sources of iron are cooking in cast iron pans, dark leafy greens, blackstrap molasses, beans and fortified cereals. Avoid consuming dairy products, coffee or black tea with your iron supplements as they can prevent proper absorption.

Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water

Water supports every system in the body and helps prevent common pregnancy issues like constipation and urinary tract infections. Proper hydration also helps maintain amniotic fluid levels, which protect the baby. To encourage drinking more you can try, carrying a water bottle with you to encourage frequent sipping, adding fruit or flavors to make it more appealing, or adding an electrolyte mix. Consuming hydrating foods such as watermelon, cucumbers, and oranges are also helpful.

Walk and enjoy the sunshine!

Even a 15-minute daily walk during pregnancy offers significant health benefits, including reduced risk of gestational diabetes, better weight management, improved mood, and increased cardiovascular endurance. It helps alleviate common pregnancy discomforts like backaches and constipation, strengthens muscles for labor, and improves sleep quality.

When I started including labwork for Vitamin D on my clients I was shocked to see that most people are vitamin D deficient. If you have darker skin, you are at a 6-fold higher risk for deficiency. Vit D is crucial for the development of your baby’s bones, your immune system, and adequate levels have a protective quality against pre-eclamsia and gestational diabetes. You can safely take a 1,000IU of vitamin D per day during pregnancy. OR, you can get the equivalent with 15 min of sunshine per day with exposed limbs to sunshine.

In conclusion, a 15 min stroll in the sunshine can give you a significant health boost!

Drink 3 cups of pregnancy tea per day

Herbal teas designed to support pregnancy include herbs that are very high in vitamins and minerals. Your blood volume roughly doubles during pregnancy in a process called hemodolution. The increased volume supports the growing baby and protects against blood loss at delivery. The unfortunate side effect of this process can cause anemia and deficiencies in other vitamins and minerals. Pregnancy tea is a group of herbs that can help support the body during this fluid expansion. I recommend starting in your second trimester with one cup per day and increase to 3 after 28 weeks gestation. You can find my recipe here: Herbs for Pregnancy

Practice a relaxation technique, pray, journal

Reducing stress not only benefits the mother but also supports healthy fetal development. Pregnancy can bring emotional ups and downs. Daily stress management can help reduce oxidative stress, which is responsible for health complications like high blood pressure and preeclampsia.

This might include:

• Relaxing Breaths: Spending 5 to 10 minutes focusing on taking a deep breath and relaxing a body part, until your whole body feels calm and heavy.

• Journaling & Praying: Writing down thoughts and feelings to process emotions.

• Regular church attendance: to receive regular spiritual, emotional and social support.

• Connecting with supportive people: Talking with partners, friends, or support groups.

• Engaging in hobbies: Activities like reading, crafting, or gentle gardening provide mental breaks.

Take Recommended Supplements Consistently

Prenatal vitamins and supplements fill nutritional gaps and support fetal development. If we were prescribed a heart medication, most people would be very diligent in taking it. If there was a pill you could take to prevent preterm birth, would you take it? If you had labwork and a deficiency was identified, think of your supplements as medicine for the thing you are trying to prevent. Consistency is key!