Hi doc good evening. I’ll be 6 months pregnant this week. I want to be taking Lipton tea without milk daily or morning and night to avoid having a big baby. My 1st baby was 4.2kg and I had a C-section because she was big. Wish to have a normal delivery but don’t want the baby to be big. Is there any side effect to this??? Or am I harming my baby?? Please reply.

A: Big baby in pregnancy is called fetal macrosomia and happens when a baby gets too many nutrients probably due to mother being overweight, a previous history of big baby, Diabetes Mellitus in mother, eating too much during pregnancy, mother’s age more than 35 years etc However, starvation diet is not the answer as this might raise other problems like growth retardation in the baby.

The focus should be on a balanced diet with a graded weight increase of 12kg on average. In the first trimester, the calorie requirement doesn’t really increase. In the second trimester, extra calorie need is about 300 calories per day (three regular sized apples will give roughly this number of calories) and in the 3rd trimester, the extra calorie need is about 400 per day (four regular sized apples will give roughly this number of calories). This is the rule of thumb. Your doctors will advice on specific weight gain/maintenance goals based on your needs.

Remember that exercise is also a regular part of your pregnancy routine. Be guided by your doctor on this.

For more on this, please click on the links below:

Daily Health Tips: Help! I’m Pregnant And My Doctor Says My Baby Is Too Big!

Daily Health Tips: Eating for two!

Have a good night, y’all 😀