Pregnancy

When you are pregnant, you need more of certain nutrients. If you know you're pregnant¾or even think you are¾your first step after seeing your doctor should be to check the "I am pregnant" box on Diet Power's Personal Information Form. This will automatically make certain changes in your Personal Daily Allowances (PDAs). (If your doctor recommends different PDAs, you can change them. See Personal Daily Allowances, Editing Your.)

(If you're lactating while pregnant, check "I am pregnant" in the Personal Information Form; then ask your doctor to help you edit your Personal Daily Allowances to cover both conditions.)

How Your Personal Daily Allowances (PDAs) Change During Pregnancy

(Note: In the rare event that you're over 50 and pregnant, Diet Power will assign you the PDAs for pregnant women 50 and younger. As mentioned above, however, you can change your PDAs. Ask your doctor.)

(Another note: Until recently, some of the Recommended Dietary Allowances differed from trimester to trimester. This is no longer true, but Diet Power still asks you to specify your trimester in the Personal Information Form, so that it can tailor your Food for Thought items accordingly.)

• Your calorie allowance does not automatically change when you report being pregnant, because there is no standard for weight gain during pregnancy. (See "Pregnancy and Weight Gain," below.) But if you set a higher goal weight yourself, the program will, of course, raise your calorie budget by the appropriate amount. The program will also monitor your metabolic rate and adjust the budget each day to keep you tracking toward the goal.
   

• Copper rises from 890 micrograms to 1000 micrograms if you're 18 or younger, from 900 micrograms to 1000 micrograms if you're 19 or older.
   

• Dietary fiber rises from 26 grams to 28 grams if you're 18 or younger, from 25 grams to 28 grams if you're 19 to 50, and from 21 grams to 28 grams if you're 51 or older.
   

• Folate rises from 400 micrograms to 600 micrograms.
   

• Iron rises from 15 milligrams if you're 18 or younger to 27 milligrams. If you're 19 or older, it rises from 18 milligrams to 27 milligrams.
   

• Magnesium rises from 360 to 400 milligrams if you're 18 or younger, from 310 to 350 if you're 19 to 30, or from 320 to 360 if you're 31 or older.
   

• Manganese rises from 1.6 milligrams to 2.0 milligrams if you're 18 or younger, from 1.8 milligrams to 2.0 milligrams if you're 19 or older.
   

• Niacin rises from 14 milligrams to 18 milligrams.
   

• Protein does not automatically change, but you may need to reset your PDA yourself. See "Your Daily Allowance" in Protein.
   

• Pantothenic acid rises from 5 milligrams to 6 milligrams.
   

• Riboflavin rises from 1.0 milligram (1000 micrograms) to 1.4 milligram (1400 micrograms) if you're 18 or younger, from 1.1 milligrams (1100 micrograms) to 1.4 milligrams (1400 micrograms) if you're 19 or older.
   

• Selenium rises from 55 micrograms to 60 micrograms.
   

• Thiamin rises from 1.0 milligrams (1000 micrograms) to 1.4 milligrams (1400 micrograms) if you're 18 or younger, from 1.1 milligrams (1100 micrograms) to 1.4 milligrams (1400 micrograms) if you're 19 or older.
   

• Vitamin A rises from 700 micrograms to 750 if you're 18 or younger, from 700 micrograms to 770 micrograms if you're 19 or older.
   

• Vitamin B6 rises from 1.2 milligrams to 1.9 milligrams if you're 18 or younger, from 1.3 milligrams to 1.9 milligrams if you're 19 to 50 years old.
   

• Vitamin B12 rises from 2.4 micrograms to 2.6 micrograms.
   

• Vitamin C for women of ages 19 to 50 rises from 75 milligrams to 85 milligrams. For women 18 and younger, it rises from 65 milligrams to 80 milligrams. (These figures are for nonsmokers. For pregnant smokers, each figure will be 35 milligrams higher.)
   

• Vitamin E stays at 22 International Units (IU).
   

• Zinc rises from 9 milligrams to 12 milligrams if you're 18 or younger, from 8 milligrams to 11 milligrams if you're 19 or older.
   

Pregnancy and Weight Gain

Diet Power's Ideal-Weight Calculator is not valid for women who are pregnant, since standards for weight gain vary. Ask your doctor how much you should gain. Then use the Goal Setter to chart a course toward your recommended term weight.

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Last Modified: 7/1/07