When you’re pregnant, you are surrounded by tons of information and advice, and all of the pregnancy books and all of your doctor’s instructions and the tips from friends and family are geared towards making sure that you do the exact right thing in terms of providing the best possible start for your baby.

Among the most important of these is making sure that you are providing the nutrition that your baby needs to grow big and strong and with every advantage you can give him. Nutrition is particularly important to a baby’s brain development, both before they are born and after.

Infant Brain Development Timeline

Your baby’s brain will start to develop within the first month of conception, and though it is largely complete at the time of birth, it actually doesn’t stop developing and growing until after your child’s teenage years.

When you are pregnant, the cells of your baby’s brain are multiplying at a dramatic rate – by the time you are in your second month of pregnancy the brain has already taken shape, and although the process is controlled by genetic code, the rate and efficiency of the process are directly impacted by the baby’s environment; this means your pregnancy diet is vitally important.

The brain goes through its peak growth period in the fourth and fifth month of fetal development. This timeline coincides with the point in the pregnancy when most women begin to show, and some start to worry that they look fat.

It is essential that you keep your nutritional intake, particularly of protein, right where it is supposed to be; don’t cut calories or think about your weight right now, because what you cut from your own diet is literally stealing from the baby’s brain development.

Infant Brain Development and Nutrition

Although there are tremendously complex developments going on in your baby’s brain during your pregnancy, nutritional experts advise expectant mothers not to obsess over their pregnancy diet.

If you are eating a healthy, well-balanced diet then your baby will be able to get all of the nutrition that he needs. They suggest that you remember that you’re eating for two, and add somewhere between three hundred and eight hundred additional calories depending upon whether you are having one baby or multiples and what your pre-pregnancy diet was.

Make sure that you are eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Dairy is important too, but the most important thing that your baby needs, both before being born and after, is protein. Make sure that you are eating at least 200 grams of protein every day, and that your baby receives that through either your breast milk or formula after he is born.

Infant Brain Development Research

Research has shown that in addition to making sure that your baby is getting lots of fresh produce and protein, there are also some essential minerals and vitamins that you need to be providing.

One of the most important supplements you can add to your pregnancy diet is a prenatal vitamin, which provides the best possible combination of nutrition.

But vitamins work best when taken in combination with real food. Eating plenty of dairy will make sure that your baby’s teeth and bones are strong, and also provide important fluids. Infant brain development can also be negatively impacted by taking in the wrong things, and the most important thing to avoid is alcohol.

Drinking alcohol while you are pregnant can have significant negative effects on the way that your baby’s brain develops, and these can have long lasting effects not only on intelligence, but also on behavior, temperament and overall development.