Dietary Fiber

Breast milk is best for your baby

Breast milk is best for babies. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Health Promotion Board (HPB) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Unnecessary introduction of bottle feeding or other food and drinks will have a negative impact on breastfeeding. At around six months of age (but not before 4 months), infants should receive nutritionally adequate and age-appropriate complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Consult your doctor before deciding to use infant formula or if you have difficulty breastfeeding.

Abbott Singapore fully recognises breast milk’s primacy, value and superiority and supports exclusive breastfeeding as recommended by the WHO.

The content on this website is intended as general information for Singaporean residents only and should not be used as a substitute for medical care and advice from your healthcare practitioner. The HPB recommends that infants start on age-appropriate complementary foods at around 6 months, whilst continuing breastfeeding for up to 2 years or beyond to meet their evolving nutritional requirements. If no longer breastfeeding, toddlers can switch to full cream milk after 12 months. This should be complemented by a good variety of solid foods from the four main food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, meat and alternatives). For more information on the nutritional requirements of infants and young children, please visit www.healthhub.sg/earlynutrition.

How dietary fiber can benefit your pregnancy digestion

When you are pregnant, the benefits of eating fiber increase. Eating fiber-rich foods is an important part of maintaining your digestive health, especially when you are pregnant. The dietary reference intake (DRI) for women is 28 grams of dietary fiber daily. However, most women actually get less than half of this recommended amount.

The facts about fiber and your pregnancy digestion

It might seem strange that fiber plays such an important role in digestive health because it is not a source of energy and it cannot actually be digested. However, fiber can benefit your pregnancy in multiple ways.

Fiber helps keep pregnancy weight gain under control

While you should be gaining weight throughout your pregnancy, you don't want to gain too much weight. High-fiber foods are a great way to help you feel fuller for longer, with fewer calories. This, in turn, will help you manage your pregnancy weight gain more effectively. In fact, National Institutes of Health studies have shown that people with high-fiber diets typically eat about 10% fewer calories.

Fiber helps prevent constipation during pregnancy

Constipation is one of the most common digestive symptoms during pregnancy. Eating the recommended amount of dietary fiber is the best way to help prevent constipation. For more information, learn how nutrition can help relieve pregnancy-related constipation.

Fiber helps regulate your blood sugar during pregnancy

Getting the right amount of fiber in your daily diet can slow the absorption of food, helping to prevent blood sugar from rising too quickly. This can help lower the risk of developing diabetes.

Fiber helps reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease during pregnancy

Certain types of fiber help lower low-density cholesterol (the bad type) by trapping cholesterol-rich bile acids in the digestive system, which helps prevent this cholesterol from being absorbed. This can reduce your risk for developing high blood pressure, as well as coronary artery disease or stroke.

How to add fiber to your pregnancy diet

It's best to increase your fiber intake gradually, so your body can adjust. Add fiber slowly and throughout six small meals or snacks a day. You can find fiber in a variety of foods. Experts say that the type of fiber you eat is less important than making sure you get enough overall. However, getting fiber from natural food sources is always best. Try eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes to add a mix of various fibers, as well as a wide range of nutrients to your diet.