1. Century Eggs
When the question 'How to increase fetal weight quickly?' arises, a plethora of promising candidates are put forth on motherhood forums, among which the name century eggs cannot be overlooked, but why?
The nutritional content in each century egg is as follows: 182kcal energy; 13.6g protein; 12.4g lipids; 82mg calcium; 212mg phosphorus; 600mg cholesterol, alongside plenty of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B group, and vitamin C, which are very beneficial for health.
And compared to chicken eggs, the iron content in century eggs is even higher, mothers know how essential iron is for pregnant women. With a relatively high protein content, nutrition experts recommend consuming only about 3-4 century eggs per week to achieve the ideal fetal weight, while avoiding eating century eggs in the evening if they do not want to feel bloated.


2. Edible Bird's Nests
In medieval times, swiftlet nests were a dish reserved exclusively for kings and emperors because they were nutritious and swiftlet nests were naturally harvested, making hunting quite difficult. However, now that many households can raise swiftlets, consuming swiftlet nests has become more common, albeit expensive but worth it.
Swiftlet nests are not only beneficial for those with weak constitutions or those who have just recovered from illness due to their immune-boosting properties, but especially for expectant mothers who have to endure periods of morning sickness and cannot eat a variety of foods, swiftlet nests - with their high content of amino acids, protein, and minerals - are very beneficial. Eating swiftlet nests helps pregnant mothers replenish the necessary nutrients for their bodies after a period of morning sickness. In addition to boosting maternal health, swiftlet nests also help protect the pregnancy and promote fetal development.
Mothers can prepare swiftlet nests in various ways, but the most common and effective method is to stew them with rock sugar. By soaking the swiftlet nests in clean water for about 3 hours to remove feathers and impurities (in case the mother buys raw swiftlet nests - often cheaper and guaranteed not to be mixed with other substances) then remove the cleaned swiftlet nests from the water and let them dry for a while before stewing with rock sugar for about 10-15 minutes. Mothers should consume less than 3g per serving and eat 3 times a week.


3. Beef
With the beneficial nutrient content of this ingredient, along with proper, scientific cooking methods, they are indeed a plentiful source of energy for the body.
This is why pregnant women should actively consume beef, especially in the final months of pregnancy, due to the high protein content in beef as well as many essential nutrients for fetal development, including: Protein accounts for about 26 - 27%, additionally containing various vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, B6, zinc, niacin, phosphorus, and especially iron - essential for the blood formation process.
Although it is a nutritious food, pregnant women need to balance their diet because an excess or deficiency of protein is not good, besides beef also contains fat so excessive consumption will increase blood cholesterol - which is not good for health.


4. Various Seeds
Seeds are beneficial for pregnant women as they contain many important nutrients, especially essential during pregnancy. Pregnant women need to supplement about 142g of protein per day, while just 28g of seeds already contain up to 56.6g of protein. You will find a number of valuable nutrients in different types of seeds.
There is a list of various seeds that mothers can eat if they want the fetus to develop comprehensively, not only gaining weight well but also being intelligent and developing their brain. These include: pumpkin seeds, peanuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, melon seeds, sesame seeds, lotus seeds, beans, walnuts, pine nuts, almonds. Besides containing high protein content to help the baby gain weight well, many seeds in this list also provide folic acid to prevent neural tube defects, omega-3 to promote fetal brain development, enhance phosphorus and calcium absorption for bone development,...


5. Sugarcane Juice
There is a misconception that sugarcane juice - with its high sugar content - is very harmful to the health of both mother and baby. This article seeks to clarify the nutritional benefits of this beverage. It is estimated that 100ml of sugarcane juice contains 12g of sugar - the main component of sugarcane juice, along with many vitamins and minerals. Drinking sugarcane juice during pregnancy will promote rapid fetal growth as the sugar content will be metabolized into fatty acids.
Furthermore, when pregnant women drink sugarcane juice in the early months of pregnancy, it can help alleviate morning sickness and promote radiant, healthy skin - a common issue for pregnant women due to hormonal changes. Indeed, sugarcane juice is very beneficial for the health of pregnant women; however, mothers should only drink sugarcane juice once a day and avoid drinking it in the morning or evening to prevent stomach discomfort.


6. Milk
Many pregnant women are often advised to use milk during pregnancy as it can be used instead of water and also helps the fetus grow well. There are many different types of milk on the market, in addition to prenatal milk - specially designed for pregnant women, there are also some types of milk that pregnant women share based on their own experiences, like when just last week after an ultrasound the baby was growing slowly compared to the previous week, but then gained 'half a kilo' the following week.
For pregnant women without gestational diabetes, condensed milk, matilia, ensure water,... will be a great suggestion because of the sugar content, a small amount of protein, especially condensed milk, although it is relatively cheap, it helps the fetus gain weight very well although it does not provide much nutrition to help the fetal brain development like prenatal milk. For pregnant women with gestational diabetes, it is best to drink sugar-free milk like TH truemilk or vinamilk.


7. Avocado
If a mother is pregnant in the summer, she should definitely not overlook avocados because of the wonderful benefits they bring. Avocados contain the highest protein content compared to other fruits, almost equivalent to prenatal milk, so they are very good for fetal growth.
In addition to helping the fetus gain weight well, eating avocados also helps prevent neural tube defects in fetuses (due to their folate content), helps fetal brain development (due to their unsaturated fat, omega-3 content), boosts immunity for pregnant women (due to the supplementation of vitamin B6), and has many other benefits.


8. Banana
Banana is a fruit that provides excellent iron. Eating bananas in moderate amounts during pregnancy will help increase the iron levels in the mother's body and reduce anemia symptoms by enhancing hemoglobin production.
Every 100g of banana contains about 1.2g of protein; 0.9g of fiber; 9mg of calcium; 32mg of phosphorus; 6mg of iron; and various vitamins A, B6, C. Therefore, eating bananas not only helps the fetus gain weight well (due to protein and calcium content) but also helps minimize swelling or leg cramps (due to potassium content), reduces morning sickness in pregnant women due to vitamin B6 supplementation.


9. Sweet Potatoes
Don't underestimate this popular dish because of the unexpected benefits it brings. Still on the topic of fetal weight, consuming sweet potatoes helps the fetus gain weight well as it contains a high calcium content - each tuber provides about 55mg of calcium, sparing you from struggling to eat shellfish. How calcium benefits the fetus is undeniable, as it helps the fetus grow taller, ensuring good height and weight gain; it also helps mothers overcome problems caused by low blood calcium levels.
Furthermore, sweet potatoes contain a significant amount of choline, which aids in fetal brain development, enhancing brain folding, memory retention capacity, and reducing the risk of fetal defects. They also prevent colds and infections by boosting the mother's production of white blood cells. This is crucial because during pregnancy, the fetus is like an organ transplant, and the mother's immune system needs to be suppressed to avoid rejection. Therefore, the mother's body is susceptible to illness, especially if she contracts the flu in the first trimester, which can easily lead to fetal defects. So don't hesitate to eat sweet potatoes, not only boiled but also baked, fried, and more.


10. Pumpkin Seeds
As pregnant women, surely everyone has experienced craving for countless snacks, sometimes just wanting something to nibble on all day long but considering the benefits and drawbacks of everything they eat. And let me introduce you to a snack that you can definitely nibble on all day without getting bored, and it also helps your little one gain weight quickly - that's right, pumpkin seeds!
Pumpkin seeds can be added to salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and are absolutely safe for expectant mothers. Not only are they safe, but they are also nutritious and provide important nutrients for prenatal development. Pregnancy is a period when a woman's body undergoes internal and external changes to make room for the baby's development.
Because this series of seeds contains 33 grams of protein to help the baby gain weight quickly and prevent constipation for pregnant mothers, don't overlook them!


11. Fish and Fish Eggs
Fish is a type of food that health experts recommend consuming more during pregnancy. This is because fish contains many essential nutrients. If you can't eat fish meat, that's a loss for you. However, you can choose to eat fish eggs because they also contain a similar nutritional composition to fish meat. Specifically, fish eggs are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, albumin protein, globulin, ovomucoid, ichthulini, and various vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, B... which are very beneficial for both the fetus and the mother. Older individuals who consume fish eggs can restore black hair and rejuvenate the skin.
Fish is always excellent to supplement during pregnancy. Mothers can supplement safe types of fish such as carp, avoiding deep-sea fish with high mercury levels that are dangerous for the fetus, such as tuna, swordfish. Fish provides approximately 30 grams of protein per 100 grams. Additionally, fish eggs and salted fish eggs also provide a very high protein content.


12. Seafood
Rich in calcium and omega-3 fatty acids, seafood provides essential nutrients for pregnant women and promotes healthy development in newborns. Pregnant women are advised to consume about 340 grams of cooked seafood per week. Note that fish must be cooked at over 100 degrees Celsius and must be properly cleaned and sanitized before preparation.
Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, tuna, and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. However, you should limit consumption of canned tuna due to concerns about high mercury levels. Other types of seafood that pregnant women should consider include shrimp, freshwater fish, crab, and shellfish. Mothers should aim to consume about 3 servings of shrimp or 1 kilogram of steamed clams or soup per week, and can also have 1-2 crabs or lobsters every two weeks. By always paying attention to their diet, mothers can ensure that their little ones grow rapidly.


13. Corn
Do any of our expectant mothers enjoy eating corn? Corn is a humble food that is rich in nutrients beneficial for pregnant women and their babies. With high levels of fat, fiber, protein, and folate, this food helps pregnant women prevent diabetes, constipation, improve vision for mothers, and stimulate the development of fetal nervous cells to perfection, without congenital defects.
Corn contains many essential nutrients for the health of expectant mothers. In particular, the folate content in corn helps prevent fetal defects and miscarriage risks. Folate is also the nutrient that experts recommend pregnant women to supplement through foods or supplements.
Despite its numerous benefits, mothers should not use corn to replace main meals and should not eat too much at once as it can be harmful to health due to nutritional imbalance.


