For the sake of your baby’s health and your own, family planning should start in the food pantry, according to Mills-Peninsula obstetrician and gynecologist Debra Shapiro, M.D.

“Good nutrition before, during and after pregnancy will protect your baby and make sure you don’t come up short,” she says.

The old saying “one baby, one tooth” refers to the fact that a baby will take from the mother’s body what it needs, the doctor said.

“It’s going to be developed and born as perfectly as possible, and you will be left with a deficit if you don’t get enough nutrients.”

Here are some of the basics when eating for two:

Folate and folic acid – 1 milligram per day
Helps prevent neural tube defects, serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. The synthetic form of folate found in supplements and fortified foods is folic acid
Sources: fortified cereals, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits and dried beans and peas

Calcium – 1,000 milligrams per day
For strong bones and teeth, circulatory, muscular and nervous systems
Sources: dairy products, salmon, spinach and cereal

Protein – 71 grams per day
Crucial for baby’s growth. Repairs your cells as your body changes
Sources: lean meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Also dried beans and peas, tofu, dairy products and peanut butter

Iron – 27 milligrams per day
Helps make hemoglobin to expand your blood volume and help baby make his or her own blood supply. Helps mother avoid fatigue, infections and low birth weight in baby
Sources: lean red meat, poultry and fish. Also iron-fortified cereal, nuts and dried fruit

A prenatal vitamin will cover some of an expectant mother’s nutritional needs, Dr. Shapiro says.

“But women are wise to make healthy eating part of their plan, and remember that specific health and dietary considerations should be discussed with your doctor.”

For example, multiple births require an extra gram of folic acid per growing fetus.

“Omega-3 oils – found in fish such as wild salmon – also seem to play an important role in baby’s brain development,” Dr. Shapiro said.

But fish with high mercury levels – such as tuna, halibut and cod – should be avoided.

Dr. Shapiro suggests women take a mercury level test when planning a pregnancy.

“We think that high mercury levels in pregnancy may have a negative effect on brain development in the fetus,” she said. “A simple blood test will help alert you to elevated levels, which would be passed on directly to your fetus.”