The moment people around you know that you are pregnant, many suggestions for what to eat and what not start coming in leaving you confused. Read this to get true clarity:

Month 1:

When you discover that you are pregnant, one month is already over. So, a good suggestion is to start eating healthy right from the time you are planning to get pregnant and even start a folic acid supplement. Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should get at least 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of folic acid daily before conception and for at least 3 months afterward.

‍Month 2: Weeks 5-8

The rule for pregnancy nutrition is to eat from all food groups and definitely avoid fried, spicy foods and food that is not home cooked. Here is a sample diet plan that you can try with variations:

• On waking up: A glass of warm water with lemon juice + 2 soaked walnuts and 4 soaked almonds
• Breakfast : Oats veggie chilla with coriander chutney and 1 cup of warm milk
• Mid-morning : 1 citrus fruit (like orange, mosambi, kiwi, etc)
• Lunch : Carrot + beetroot salad with whole wheat roti + spinach sabzi + curd
• Early evening: Fistful of roasted makhana (fox nuts)
• Dinner: Palak moong dal khichdi with tomato chutney

‍Month 3: Weeks 9-12

As the weeks progress and you enter month 3, the nausea can continue. Include vitamin B6 rich foods like dark green leafy vegetables and starchy vegetables to give you some relief. Here is a sample diet plan that you can try:

• On waking up: 2 dried figs + 4 soaked almonds + 1 cup of cumin seed water
• Breakfast : Ragi dosa with coconut/ peanut chutney + 1 cup of milk
• Mid-morning : 1 tender coconut water
• Lunch : Mixed vegetable pulao with onion tomato raita + steamed sprouts
• Early evening: 1 seasonal fruit
• Dinner: Phulka with seasonal sabzi and vegetable stir fry with 4-5 cubes of paneer

‍Month 4: Weeks 13-16

As you have transitioned to the second trimester, your caloric and protein requirements have now increased. Make sure you add high fibre foods too, because as the iron supplementation can cause some  constipation. Here is a sample diet plan that you can try:

• On waking up: 4 soaked almonds + 4-5 soaked black raisins + 1 cup fennel seed water
• Breakfast : Sprouted moong dal chilla with coriander mint chutney + 1 cup milk
• Mid-morning : Cut fruit salad [Apple/ pear/ Pomegranate/ orange/ watermelon/ muskmelon] + Coconut water 
• Lunch : Cucumber and Carrot salad + Brown rice with lauki chana dal with a subzi and Buttermilk with chia seed or sabja seed. 
• Early evening: Sprouted green moong salad with lemon squeezed in it
• Dinner: Dal khichdi with sauteed mixed vegetables

‍Month 5: Weeks 17-20

It’s time to pay some attention to calcium. As the baby grows and develops, a steady supply of calcium is essential for the baby’s bone health. Here is a sample diet plan that you can try:

• On waking up: 4-5 black raisins + 2 dried figs with a glass of warm water
• Breakfast : Paneer paratha with curd 
• Mid-morning : A glass of buttermilk with pinch of cumin powder
• Lunch : Rice with sambar (add mixed vegetables) + kala chana salad 
• Early evening: Mixed vegetable soup with 1 medium fruit
• Dinner: Beetroot roti with any seasonal green leafy vegetable dry sabzi + stir-fried tofu with mixed vegetables

‍Month 6: Weeks 21-24

Now is the time to get plenty of iron to keep up with your expanding blood volume as well as to nourish your growing baby and placenta. Your baby's smooth and gorgeous skin is also in the making alongside lungs growing and multiplying. Hence your diet should focus on vit A , vit D and some zinc too. Let's also give attention to the protein as well, because soon the baby will start to grow in size and plump up. Here is a sample diet plan that you can try:

• On waking up: Herbal ginger tea + 2 dried apricots + 2 soaked walnuts
• Breakfast: Stuffed methi paratha with plain curd
• Mid-morning: Boiled Corn and pomegranate chaat + lemonade
• Lunch: Mixed dal + beans and carrot dry sabzi + jowar roti + buttermilk
• Early evening: Chickpeas and green peas tikki with mint coriander chutney
• Dinner: Millet pasta made in pink sauce with mixed vegetables (add button mushrooms, broccoli, carrot, beetroot puree can be added to the sauce)

‍Month 7: Weeks 25-28

You are in the third trimester which is the last leg of your pregnancy journey. It’s time to add foods rich in calcium and magnesium to alleviate those leg cramps which are quite common during this phase of pregnancy, relax your muscles and also prevent premature delivery. Here is a sample diet plan that you can try:

• On waking up: 4-5 soaked almonds + 2 dates + a glass of warm water with 1 tsp chia seeds
• Breakfast: Mix vegetable idli with coconut / peanut chutney + 1 cup of milk 
• Mid-morning: Lentil soup
• Lunch: Kidney beans curry with rice + mixed vegetable salad + curd 
• Early evening: Ragi khakhra with 1 seasonal fruit
• Dinner: Multigrain roti with green leafy vegetable sabzi 

‍Month 8: 29-32

• On waking up: 2-3 pitted prunes + 2 soaked walnuts + 1 cup fennel seed water
• Breakfast: Oats upma with green peas and peanuts + 1 cup of milk
• Mid-morning: 1 seasonal fruit
• Lunch: Brown rice with vegetable curry + blanched broccoli and steamed sprouts salad + curd
• Early evening: Peanut and puffed amaranth chikki - 2 pc
• Dinner: Vegetable dalia with coriander chutney

Month 9: 33-36

You are in the final month and the appetite can now slowly start decreasing. Include a lot of coloured vegetables and fruits in your diet to add antioxidants which will help relax your muscles. Here is a sample diet plan that you can try:

• On waking up: 2-3 dates + 2-3 soaked walnuts + 1 cup ajwain water (Boil 1 tsp ajwain or carom seeds in a cup of water for 2-3 minutes. Strain and drink
• Breakfast : Methi Paratha + Fresh Turmeric Pickle + Curd 
• Mid-morning : Boiled sweet corn chaat + 1 cup milk with 2 strands of saffron
• Lunch : Bajra rotis + Raw banana and black bean curry/ lassi + blanched broccoli salad
• Early evening: 2 tsp roasted pumpkin seeds
• Dinner: Vegetable kutki dalia + banana flower chutney
• Continue this format till Week 40 or whenever the baby arrives.

This is a sample diet plan for the 9 months to showcase the needed nutrients as your baby grows. iMumz is here to to give you all the pregnancy information and support based on your unique needs via the iMumz Womb Care Program.