Complete Pregnancy Nutrition Course

What you will be able to do

• build balanced meals for pregnancy using the Food Pyramid, without "eating for two".
• follow HSE advice on folic acid and vitamin D, and know which supplements to avoid.
• choose foods confidently using the HSE list of foods and drinks to avoid in pregnancy, including the advice on fish.
• keep caffeine to no more than 200mg a day and explain why the safest approach to alcohol is none.
• manage common symptoms such as sickness, heartburn and constipation through everyday eating habits, and know when to get help.
• include iron, calcium and other key nutrients in your meals, including on vegetarian, vegan or budget diets.
• plan safe, regular activity in line with Ireland's Every Move Counts guidelines, including daily pelvic floor exercises.
• prepare questions for your midwife and plan your eating for the first weeks after birth.

1. 1Eating well in pregnancy, the basics

   See what a healthy pregnancy diet looks like using the Food Pyramid, why 'eating for two' is a myth, and which nutrients matter most for you and your baby.

   • Your pregnancy plate
   • Eating for two? Energy, appetite and weight
   • Key nutrients for you and your baby

   Pregnancy shopping lists

2. 2Supplements: what you need and what to avoid

   Understand the HSE advice on folic acid and vitamin D, which supplements to avoid, and how to keep the cost down.

   • Folic acid: the most important early step
   • Vitamin D, multivitamins and what to avoid

   Supplement and daily basics tracker

3. 3Food safety: foods to avoid and kitchen habits

   Learn which foods and drinks the HSE advises avoiding in pregnancy and why, how to enjoy fish safely, and the kitchen habits that protect you from listeria, toxoplasmosis and salmonella.

   • Foods to avoid and why
   • Fish in pregnancy: the right amounts
   • Kitchen habits that protect you

   Fridge door list: safe, take care, avoid

4. 4Caffeine, alcohol and what to drink

   Learn how to stay within the 200mg caffeine limit, why the HSE says there is no safe time to drink alcohol in pregnancy, and how to keep hydrated.

   • Caffeine: staying under 200mg a day
   • Alcohol, herbal teas and staying hydrated

   Supplement and daily basics tracker

5. 5First trimester: sickness, tiredness and eating when you can

   Practical ways to eat well when you feel sick or tired in the first 12 weeks, how to cope with aversions and cravings, and when sickness needs medical help.

   • Nausea and vomiting: what can help
   • Aversions, cravings and tiredness

   First trimester meal planner (weeks 1 to 12)

6. 6Second trimester: building iron, calcium and good habits

   As your appetite returns, learn how to get enough iron and calcium, why blood tests matter, and how to plan balanced meals for the middle months.

   • Iron: why it matters and how to get enough
   • Calcium, vitamin D and omega-3 for growing bones

   Second trimester meal planner (weeks 13 to 27)Pregnancy shopping lists

7. 7Third trimester: comfort, energy and getting ready

   Manage heartburn and constipation with smaller meals and fibre, understand your energy needs and glucose checks, and prepare food for the weeks after your baby arrives.

   • Heartburn, constipation and smaller meals
   • Energy, glucose checks and the last few weeks

   Third trimester meal planner (week 28 to birth)

8. 8Staying active in pregnancy

   Learn what Ireland's Every Move Counts guidelines recommend for activity in pregnancy, which activities are safest, and how to look after your pelvic floor every day.

   • What Ireland's guidelines say
   • Staying safe, and your pelvic floor

   Pregnancy activity planner

9. 9Your food, your life: special diets, budgets and your midwife

   Adapt the advice to vegetarian, vegan and cultural ways of eating, eat well on a budget and at work, and get the most from your antenatal appointments.

   • Vegetarian, vegan and cultural diets
   • Eating well on a budget and at work
   • Making the most of your midwife appointments

   Midwife question sheetPregnancy shopping lists

10. 10After the birth: your postnatal nutrition starter

    Look after yourself in the weeks after birth with simple meals, the right supplements, and HSE advice on eating while breastfeeding or formula feeding.

    • Eating well in the early weeks
    • Breastfeeding, recovery and looking after yourself

    Postnatal nutrition starter guide

• PlannerFirst trimester meal planner (weeks 1 to 12)Plan a week of simple, gentle meals and snacks that are easier to manage when you feel sick or tired, while still covering the basics of the Food Pyramid.
• PlannerSecond trimester meal planner (weeks 13 to 27)Plan a week of balanced meals as your appetite returns, with a focus on iron, calcium, fibre and fish within the safe limits.
• PlannerThird trimester meal planner (week 28 to birth)Plan smaller, more frequent meals that are easier on heartburn and constipation, and batch-cook some meals for the freezer before your baby arrives.
• ListFridge door list: safe, take care, avoidA printable list of common foods sorted by the HSE pregnancy advice, to stick on your fridge and check at a glance.
• TrackerSupplement and daily basics trackerTick off your folic acid and vitamin D each day, along with fluids and iron-rich and calcium-rich foods, so the daily basics become a habit.
• PlannerPregnancy activity plannerPlan a week of gentle, safe activity towards Ireland's Every Move Counts guideline of at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, plus strength, stretching and balance work and daily pelvic floor exercises.
• ListPregnancy shopping listsReady-made shopping lists built around the Food Pyramid and the key pregnancy nutrients, with sickness-friendly and budget sections you can tick and edit.
• TemplateMidwife question sheetPrepare for your antenatal appointments by noting your questions about food, supplements, symptoms and activity, so nothing gets forgotten.
• CardsPostnatal nutrition starter guidePrintable cards with simple, HSE-based eating tips for the first weeks after birth, whether you breastfeed, formula feed or both.