The Baby Mum-Mum Blog

Breastfeeding – USDA Launches New MyPyramid For Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

What am I supposed to eat?  Am I getting enough nutrients?  How much do I need to eat?  These are all questions on the minds of expecting and new mothers.  To help answer those questions, the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Prevention in conjunction with the Food and Nutrition Service’s Women, Infants, and Children Program, and the Department of Health and Human Services, has launched a new MyPyramid (formerly known as the Food Guide Pyramid) specific for pregnant and breastfeeding women. 

How It Works
As NBC Action News reports, to use the program an expecting mother provides some physiological information along with her baby’s due date and a breastfeeding mother provides her baby’s birth date along with whether or not she is solely breastfeeding.  The new MyPyramid then calculates dietary needs and provides personalized meal guidelines for the expecting or breastfeeding mother that can be downloaded into a full color printout.  The nutrition advice provided is consistent with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and includes calorie needs, food groups, and serving sizes. Other topics include weight gain during pregnancy, breastfeeding, food safety, and special health needs. The MyPyramid for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers can also provide registered dietitians and other health care providers with a tool to help women obtain sound nutrition for themselves and their children.  
 The USDA plans to release another on-line tool known as the MyPyramid Menu Planner within the next few months.  The Menu Planner will provide specific meal plans that match your calorie needs with nutrient requirements.

Pros and Cons
As with any new resource, there are both pros and cons.  Because is it brand new, modifications can be expected to take place based on user feedback.

Current Pros Include:
•    Easy to use format
•    Colorful diagram of dietary needs
•    Provides serving sizes for each food group
•    First online tool specifically for pregnant and nursing women
•    Emphasizes fruits and vegetables, including what types
•    Gives moms an opportunity to directly impact their own health

Current Cons Include:
•    If you are overweight, you are referred to a physician without entering the site
•    Calorie requirements may be marginally higher than what you are eating
•    Does not allow for dietary preferences or specialized diets (e.g. vegan, lactose intolerance,            celiac, or vegetarian)
•    Limited amount of information
•    Very few specific foods listed
•    No non-dairy sources of calcium provided

One Giant Step Forward
Despite its shortcomings, the new MyPyramid for mothers is a step in the right direction.  It can provide a great framework for which to plan your daily meals, something many expectant and breastfeeding mothers may find difficult to achieve on their own.  For more detailed information or dietary recommendations, speak with your physician or dietitian.

Additional resources for breastfeeding, pregnancy, and nutrition:
Women Fitness
Breastfeeding 123
UCSF Children's Hospital
Women's Health Channel