You know you have to eat well when expecting -- this helps help ensure a healthy pregnancy and gives your baby’s development a boost. But which foods pack the biggest nutritional punch? And how can you easily include them in your roster of meals, mini-meals, and snacks? Here, a handy guide to super foods and healthy eating!

Eggs Protein is crucial for your new baby’s growth during the second and third trimesters, and eggs are an easy and inexpensive way to get a good dose. Hardboiled eggs make for a fast snack, while an over-easy egg on top of rice or stir-fry veggies can give the meal a protein boost.

Beans Fiber-full, protein-rich, and low in calories -- what’s not to love about beans? Whether you choose black, pinto, navy, or chickpeas, they’ll taste great in a quesadilla or sprinkled on salads and pasta dishes.

Sweet potatoes Regular potatoes are fine, but for some added vitamins A and C (which helps you absorb iron and helps ensure healthy gums for you and your new baby) pick the dark orange variety. Bake a couple until they are soft and top with low-fat Greek yogurt and chives, or slice sweet potatoes into edges and roast them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes.

Salmon This fish delivers a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids , which can give your new baby’s developing brain a boost. Expectant new moms can enjoy 12 ounces of fish a week, so consider low- and no-mercury varieties like salmon, trout, and sardines. If cooking fresh fish doesn't appeal to you, opt for the canned varieties (try salmon salad on rye).

Nuts The healthy fats found in nuts can help foster your new baby’s brain development; walnuts, with their omega-3s , are particularly potent. Eat them whole or spread walnut butter on whole-wheat toast or slices of pear.

Low-fat dairy Calcium, protein, and vitamin D can be found in dairy aisle products, so stock up on skim milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Greek yogurt is an especially good pick because of the extra protein it offers.

Don’t be concerned if your pregnancy diet isn’t perfect all the time. Just try to work in a couple of these picks each day to keep you and your baby as healthy as possible.

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It’s normal to worry about the sun’s harsh rays, but you could go stir-crazy if you don’t get outside every day. Fortunately, it’s not hard to protect your baby’s skin.

Dress for success. This means breathable, loose-fitting, long-sleeve cotton pants and shirts. Don’t forget to cover her head with a wide-brimmed hat, too. It's important to keep the sun's ultraviolet radiation from harming her delicate baby skin.

Load up on lotion. Sunscreen used to be reserved for babies over 6 months of age, but this thinking has changed. Apply baby sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 to 30 liberally over all exposed body parts; reapply after swimming, sweating, or every two hours. It's better to err on the side of caution and overdo it a bit when it comes to preventing sunburn.

Go off peak. The best tip for baby skin care is to stay in during peak hours, which are between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in most parts of the U.S. That might seem like forever, but in reality, most babies are up and ready to go early (Hello, 6 a.m.!). Take a walk first thing, then let her play at home, have lunch and take a nap during peak sun hours. When she wakes up, the sun will be less severe and you can take her out for some fun without worrying about burning her sweet baby skin.

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It’s normal for infants 3 months and younger to go through fussy periods, especially between 6 p.m. and midnight. But if the go-to techniques like feeding, changing, swaddling, and rocking don’t stop your baby’s cry, your little one could be part of the 20 percent of babies who have colic.

Causes of baby colic
If your baby develops colic, or excessive crying, you’ll start to notice it between his second and fourth weeks. His crying will intensify -- rather than trail off -- as the day goes on, and he’ll probably be gassy and alternate between extending and curling up his legs.  

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes baby colic, but these are some possible factors: 

• An immature nervous system

• Trouble with self-soothing

• A medical problem, like a hernia

• Something in your diet irritating his tummy, if you’re breastfeeding

Soothing your crying baby
Perhaps the most upsetting thing about a colicky baby is that often nothing seems to console him. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try. Here are a few tactics that can calm baby colic.  

•Rock him. Rocking or putting your baby in his baby swing with some white noise -- like a vacuum or the dryer -- in the background can sometimes help, since the steady motion can be soothing.  

•Walk with him in his carrier. Like rocking, this motion is comforting, and being close to you might also help him feel better.

•Swaddle him. Wrap your baby in a large, thin blanket. It’ll help him feel warm, cozy, and secure.

•Give him a pacifier. It doesn’t always help, but for some babies, the sucking motion is soothing.

•Rub his back. Lay your baby tummy-side down across your knees and gently rub his back with your fingers, which could release some of the pressure in his stomach.

•Check your diet. If you’re breastfeeding, certain foods in your diet could be causing discomfort for your baby. Milk products, caffeine, cabbage, and onions are all potential culprits, so try omitting them one at a time, over a period of days, to find out if one of them is the real culprit.

Remember, there’s hope!
You might not believe it now, but baby colic doesn’t last forever. By the time your baby reaches the 4-month mark, his colic will likely pass -- and you’ll all be happier!

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Infants can get hemorrhoids, but fortunately, they’re quite uncommon. Hemorrhoids may occur when blood vessels around the anus become engorged from poor circulation. Eventually, they bulge under the strain of a bowel movement and may even bleed.

If you notice bluish coloration around your baby’s anus when she’s having a bowel movement, it might mean she’s pushing too hard. The strain may cause little tears in your baby’s anus, which can cause bleeding.

Grunting or straining while pushing out a stool is normal in young infants. They may become red in the face while passing a bowel movement (BM) as a side effect of pushing too hard. Brief straining or pushing for less than 10 minutes can occur occasionally at any age.

Her discomfort may be caused by constipation. Ask your doctor for the best ways to help relieve your baby’s symptoms.

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