Eggs. Such a versatile and delicious subject! Eggs are a vitamin packed, nutrient dense superfood that you should consider consuming regularly when pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding.
Here’s why…
Many women struggle to get adequate vitamins and minerals in their diet. Many foods nowadays are highly processed and, while they taste good, they don’t hold a lot of nutritional value. When you are pregnant (ie building another person) you really need to be eating nutrient dense foods. Your prenatal vitamin isn’t enough to fill in the nutritional gaps in your diet. Yes, your prenatal vitamin is meant to restore some of the nutrients you’re missing in your diet, but simply taking a prenatal vitamin will not replenish your body of the nutrients that your baby requires to grow and you need to maintain a healthy body.
Sometimes when people think about eating healthy, they are intimidated by both the options and the prices of healthier foods. Eggs are both nutrient-dense, cheap, and easily accessible. There are also 1 million ways to prepare eggs! Let’s go over a few different reasons why you should consider eating eggs daily while pregnant, postpartum, and nursing.
Eggs are packed with essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
- For example, folate. Folate is a very commonly known need in pregnancy. Egg are very high in folate! By eating just two eggs daily, you will have covered 50% of your daily folate needs. You will also cover 25% of your vitamin B2 needs, 40% of your selenium needs, and 82% of your daily vitamin D needs. Eggs are also packed with vitamin A, E, D, B5, B12, iron, iodine, phosphorus, calcium, and a small amount of magnesium.
- Eggs are also high in good quality protein, as well as all nine essential amino acids. These proteins and amino acids are essential for the building and repair of muscle and tissue. (Like when you’re building a baby!) Therefore, eating eggs consistently supports effective muscle growth and muscle recovery. These factors make eating eggs an excellent idea for pregnancy and for postpartum recovery.
- Because of the amount of protein in eggs, they can keep you full longer and help with weight management. Especially for someone with gestational diabetes or someone concerned about excessive prenatal weight gain, cutting back on processed foods early in the morning and eating something lower in calories and high in quality protein can be very beneficial. Eggs can boost metabolic activity, keep your energy levels higher for longer, and delay the rate at which food leaves your stomach. For all these reasons, eating eggs early in the day can actually help you cut back on weight gain. If you struggle with weight gain in pregnancy or if you’re trying to shed a few pounds postpartum, eggs can be a great help! For women who struggle with variations in glucose levels, eating eggs can also help regulate blood sugar levels without adding unnecessary sugars and adding adequate protein.
In Addition,
- There are a few nutritional needs that are higher during pregnancy. One of those is choline. Do you ever feel like you’re experiencing “baby brain” or “mom brain”? Eating eggs might actually help with that problem! Choline can help boost proper liver function, increase normal cell function, proper brain and spinal cord development for your baby, and boost cognitive function. Because of the boost in cognitive function, your brain is getting the “food” that it needs!
- Eggs are a rich source of choline and can provide more than double the amount you would find in other common foods. That means you can probably fill your daily needs by only eating a few eggs every day. Everyone’s body and needs vary, so be sure to discuss your specific needs with your medial provider, they can help you decide how much choline would be needed to help with your brain function.
- Omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in the way your cells function. From heart health to brain health, omega-3’s are both needed and required for proper cell function. Eggs are an incredible edible source of omega-3‘s. Just one egg has 90 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. One of the most common sources of omega-3‘s are oily fish. Many pregnant women, and some postpartum women, cannot stomach the thought of eating fish as the smell can be off-putting. Eating eggs is a great substitute.
But wait, there’s more!
Many women suffer from prenatal and postpartum anxiety and depression. Sometimes, those issues are a result of their circumstances in life. But many times, those mental health issues result from hormonal imbalances, sleep deprivation, hormonal shifts, and a lack of proper nutrients. PPD and PPA sometimes result from these nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalances. Eggs contain iron, choline, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, tryptophan, and omega-3‘s. These are all associated with anxiety reduction, decreasing depressive symptoms, and naturally aiding in proper rest. Obviously, these factors can also depend on how often you’re being woken at night, your life‘s specific circumstances, and your specific needs. Powering your body with the nutrients it needs to properly heal itself can be life-changing. Especially if you were struggling with PPD or PPA, consider eating a few eggs every day to boost your nutrient stores and help yourself heal.
Not only are eggs important for balancing blood sugar, proper metabolism function, battling fatigue, and brain development, but they can also contribute to proper placental function, detoxification of your body, and helping you battle nausea. I personally believe everyone should be eating eggs daily, but especially, pregnant, women, postpartum, mothers, and anyone breastfeeding.
If you are able to stomach 2 to 3 eggs every day, definitely consider eating them often. Eggs are a very versatile food,and can be eaten in many different ways. Ask your doctor, or Midwife before eating them undercooked, but definitely try to work them in to your diet where you can.
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