idelines for dietary behaviors throughout the
pregnancy process. Foods consumed by women during
pregnancy are the primary source of nutrients
for a developing fetus. The ACOG recommends
women carefully plan meals to ensure a balanced
diet, consume additional iron and folic acid, and
become aware of foods and substances to avoid.
Women should avoid alcohol and foods that may
lead to listeriosis (a bacterial infection) or other food
borne illness. Additionally, foods containing caffeine
should be used sparingly because large amounts of
caffeine have been shown to increase risk of miscarriage
(ACOG Ed. Pamphlet AP001, 2008).
Dundas and Yarbro (2000) reported most
women seem to either consume too few or too many
calories with few women consuming appropriate
caloric levels for optimal health during pregnancy.
Research suggests that many factors including dietary
knowledge, discomfort, and doctor interaction
influence dietary behavior during pregnancy.
Begley (2000) suggested that women feel they are
lacking general nutrition knowledge while Dundas
and Yarbro (2000) reported that low and high levels
of calorie consumption may be affected by discomfort.
Pregnant women have reported eating small
amounts of food more frequently to counteract the
feeling of fullness during their third trimester, and
because many believed that their baby would be
healthier if they ate more frequently. Furthermore,
physical sensations associated with food deprivation
changed during pregnancy making them feel hunger
more often in some cases and less in others (Fairburn
& Welch, 1989).
Pregnant women have also expressed concern
regarding their doctors’ level of nutritional knowledge
and felt doctors did not have adequate time to
discuss nutrition concerns. Many indicated materials
they received at the doctors’ offices were not detailed
enough to meet their needs. Begley (2000) suggests
there is a lack of consistent education on nutrition for
pregnant women and there is a need to design and
implement new more effective nutrition programs.
Most physicians and their patients understand that
proper nutrition during pregnancy is important,
but many are not aware of specific recommendations
and how to achieve these behaviors. In many
cases, healthcare providers simply tell women to eat
a healthy diet and gain appropriate weight during
pregnancy. However, to achieve this, healthcare providers
need to give women the tools and direction to
do so properly (Vause, Martz, Richard, & Gralich,
2006)