This month we wrap up our FEEDING THE BUMP tips with the third trimester. This is the trimester when the mother should gain the most weight as the baby is growing rapidly. So now is the time to slightly, take note slightly, increase food intake, but they must be with smart choices of high fibre, complex carbs, protein and loads of fresh vegetables. As I’ve repeatedly stressed, good nutrition is imperative throughout pregnancy and it is vital to continue during the final trimester as this is when the more serious complications can arise. Good news is most of these can be easily avoided by good healthy food. It’s also vital that a mother embark on motherhood nutritionally charged to avoid fatigue and help get through those first sleep-deprived months. If she begins with nutritional deficiencies it can be really hard to boost her own sources when all her energies are going into caring for the child. But enough preaching…. here are my tips that will do all of the above and more.

Firstly, with a huge belly there’s not much room for food, so small regular meals are more appropriate than ever. Encourage your preggie gal to eat healthy snacks every 2-3 hours.

Essential nutrients include:

* Omega 3 / essential fatty acids
* iodine
* zinc
* calcium
* magnesium
* iron
* B-group vitamins (folate & B12)

FOR THE BABY: Rapid brain development, makes own red blood cells, lungs develop and mature

Wanna smart baby? Who doesn’t so the intake of essential fatty acids, particularly omega 3 is never more essential than during the third trimester. Basically this is brain food and we are talking about oily fish (esp salmon (fresh or canned) and canned sardines), nuts, avocado, flaxseed oil (drizzle this over steamed veges – delish).

Iodine and zinc are just as important for brain development with studies showing a deficiency in iodine can affect brain development by up to 5-10 IQ points. Iodine rich food include seafood, eggs and iodised salt. So this Sunday, I suggest you get in the kitchen, poach some eggs and serve with smoked salmon, baby spinach leaves on wholegrain toast. Vegetarians may need to consult their health practitioner about a supplement.

Zinc rich foods include again seafood, lean beef, lamb, dairy and wholegrain products.

Your baby’s also beginning to lay down it’s own iron stores and make it’s own red blood cells. For this lots of iron rich foods, folate and vitamin B12. Rich food sources should be included in every meal through to birth and remember that what the baby doesn’t get through the diet, it will draw from the mother’s own supply leaving her depleted, fatigued and often with anaemia.

Include at least one of these food rich sources in each and every meal:

* lean meats
* parsley
* green leafy vegetables
* wholegrains
* beetroot
* dried apricots

…. and eat these foods with vitamin C sources to maximise iron absorption.

Your baby’s lungs with also mature and develop during the third trimester and for this it needs a diet rich in calcium so continue tips from the Second Trimester with lots of dairy products, sesame seeds, almonds, brazil nuts, loads of dark green leafy veges and canned sardines. You’ll notice that a lot of these foods sources are also rich in our other essential pregnancy nutrients and we call these our Pregnancy Superfoods. FEEDING THE BUMP has 28 superfoods and a fantastic recipe for a healthy baby is to include at least one in each and every meal throughout the pregnancy.

FOR THE MUM: Tiredness & fatigue, Fluid retention, gestational diabetes

Due to sleeping difficulties and the sheer burden of carrying a full grown baby around, any mum-to-be is going to be tired. It’s important to rest and eating energy rich, low GI food will help to retain what energy she does have. It will also keep nutritional stores replenished. A huge belly also doesn’t leave a lot of room for food, so now more than ever it’s important to eat small, regular meals every 2-3 hours.

Foods that fight fatigue:

* lean red meat
* fish and (cooked) shellfish
* eggs
* nuts and seeds
* lots of green leafy vegetables
* wholegrains, including multigrain bread, oats and barley
* bananas
* legumes and lentils (hummus)

Your partner’s blood volume has almost doubled and with all that extra fluid pumping around, it’s common to feel bloated. The obvious reaction is to cut back on fluids but this is the worst thing to do. It’s important to keep drinking lots of water to help flush out any impurities and general waste. Salt can exacerbate fluid retention, and while sodium and iodine are both vital during pregnancy, common sense should prevail.

Foods to help alleviate fluid retention:

* Leeks, onions & chives
* green beans & celery (esp. celery juice)

One of the more serious complaints common during the Third Trimester is gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that usually subsides after delivery, however it can increase a mother’s chance of developing diabetes later in her life. All expectant mothers should be tested for gestational diabetes, but again the good news is that it can be completely avoided and/or managed by a good diet and regular exercise. Diabetes causes a high blood sugar levels and the implications for the baby is that it will provide extra insulin to cope with the sugar levels. Insulin is an incredibly potent growth hormone causing your growing baby to grow very fast and very big – and this is not good. Big babies are hard to deliver and can be born hypoglycaemic.

Tips to avoid gestational diabetes:

* Again eat small regular meals
* Avoid processed and sugary foods
* Stick to low GI food choices
* Eat no more than 3-4 servings of fruit per day

FEEDING THE BUMP recipes for Third Trimester:

SALMON AND GINGER CURRY

This healthy curry is rich in essential fatty acids, iodine and zinc for baby’s brain, production of red blood cells and general good health. It’s low-GI and rich in the B-group vitamins for sustain energy to help fight fatigue, and it’s also a good source of vitamin C and calcium. Essentially it’s brimming with goodness and flavour with the healing properties of ginger and garlic.

1 medium sweet potato, diced into 2cm pieces

400g salmon fillet, skin and bones removed, diced into 3cm cubes

1 T olive oil

1 x 400g canned tomatoes (salt reduced)

100g green beans, cut into 2cm lengths

100g broccoli, cut into bite size pieces

fresh coriander leaves to serve

Curry paste:

3 tbs finely grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 sprigs coriander, roots and stems

2 tbs finely sliced lemongrass, white part only

1 shallot, finely sliced

1-2 tsp red chilli, seeds and pith removed, chopped

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add sweet potato and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain

Make curry paste by placing all ingredients into a mortar and pestle and pound into a chunky paste or process in a food processor. Toss cubed fish through paste, coat evenly.

Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add fish and quickly sear on all sides. Add tomatoes and gently stir through. Add sweet potato, beans and broccoli and mix to coat all ingredients with the curry flavours. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately with generous amounts of fresh coriander leaves.

FEEDING THE BUMP – FOR DADS

FEEDING THE BUMP is now officially a best seller and available in Australia, USA, UK & Spain. Thanks to all who have gone out and bought THE BUMP. For the uninitiated, the book follows the philosophy that food is medicine, and for pregnancy we can use food and nutrient rich recipes to help avoid, relieve and overcome the most common complaints of pregnancy, as well as following the development of the baby, and increasing the appropriate nutrients at certain stages throughout pregnancy to enhance that development ie: bones hardening, brain & central nervous systems developing. The book contains a complete nutritional guide to pregnancy, together with over 100 specifically formulated recipes for each trimester. And as the recipes are deliciously nutritious, they are beneficial to the whole family. The following a small morsel with some helpful tips for all expecting parents.