Q: Good evening Dr ketch! Please ma’am is it ok for a pregnant woman to drink chocolate drink? I’m few weeks pregnant first pregnancy! Please ma/am educate me on food to avoid

A: Thanks for your question and congratulations on your pregnancy

I’ve edited out the exact name of the chocolate drink you mentioned J

Chocolate drinks typically contain caffeine (less than what you would find in coffee though) because they are made from cocoa It is generally recommended to avoid caffeine in pregnancy. Although the amount in the recommended serving portion of this chocolate drink may not cause a problem, please be sure to fully discuss your diet plan with your doctor.

Here are 5 nutrition tips for a pregnant woman:

1. Eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods from different food groups.
2. Be sure to include a lot of high fibre foods like vegetables, whole grain cereals etc to deal with the constipation associated with pregnancy.
3. Ensure you take your antenatal medications (prenatal vitamins) in addition to eating well.
4. Drink at least 4 servings of milk, other dairy products or calcium rich foods. If you don’t eat enough, your baby will start drawing on your own stock from your bones. So, drink up your milk!
5. Be sure to also take foods rich in iron eg and foods rich in folic acid eg green leafy veggies and beans. World Health Organization recommends that pregnant women receive folic acid and iron tablets daily. Folic acid prevents neural tube defects which may occur during the first 28days of pregnancy. This is usually the period when quite a number of women do not even know they are pregnant. Thus, women who plan on getting pregnant should start on folic acid supplements at least 3 months before their planned date to safeguard against neural tube defects. If you haven’t started this earlier and realize you’re pregnant, start taking them as soon as possible.

Pregnancy provides an opportunity for a mother to adequately prepare her baby for life in 9 months. Make sure that you get all the nutrients that give your child a great health boost.

Have a great evening y’all 😀