India, July 13 -- During pregnancy, a mother has to eat not only for her own health but also to support the development of the fetus, making diet one of the most essential pillars of a healthy pregnancy. Ritika Poptani, Dietician at Surya Mother and Child Super Speciality Hospital, Pune shared with HT Lifestyle the importance of adjusting the dietary requirments along with trimester. Along with diet, maintaining a healthy weight gain is equally important.

She explained, "For Indian women with a healthy BMI, an optimal weight gain of 11.5 to 16 kilograms over nine months is recommended. The body's needs shift subtly, trimester by trimester, and so must the plate. Interestingly, the first trimester doesn't demand any additional calories. I...