Triplet Pregnancy: Recommended Number of Servings

Talk to your doctor about recent studies in nutrition and higher order multiples pregnancies. Ask about an appropriate weight gain schedule (keeping in mind that you will likely deliver early). 

These are the recommended number of servings for each food group from different studies.  

Source	Meat &/or Alternates	Milk Products	Fruits & Vegetables	Breads & Cereals	Fats
MultipleBirthFamilies.com	2-3	4-6	6-10	8-12	moderation
Luke & Eberlein	3 & 2 eggs	10	8 fruit & 5 veg	12	& nuts: 7
Fierro	6 & 2 eggs	4	2 leafy green 2 Vit C rich 1 Vit A rich (orange coloured)	5	5
Franklin	3+	3+	3+ veg 2+ fruit	6+	sparingly; select rich fatty acids
Birch & Bleyl	5  (2+ animal source & 2+ veg source)	6	2 Vit C rich 2 dark green  + as much as you like	8
Curtis & Schuler	3 meat &  2 beans, peas, seeds &/or nuts	5	4 veg & 3 fruit (1+ leafy green or deep-yellow; 2+ Vit C rich)	6+	limited amounts
Canada Food Guide: Pregnant w/ singleton	2* (*: plus 2-3 extra servings from any group)	2*	7-8*	6-7*	2-3 Tbsps

Copyright Ursula de Vries 2010

Sources for Servings Chart:


MultipleBirthsFamilies.com http://www.multiplebirthsfamilies.com/articles/pre_q3.shtml 

Luke, Dr. Barbara & Tamara Eberlein, When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy. Harper Collins Publishers Inc. New York, NY, 2005. (This book is my favourite, with incredible nutritional detail which is good if you need to make food choices due to being a vegetarian or if you have food allergies or sensitivities and what types of food to concentrate on each trimester.)

Fierro, Pamela, The Everything Twins, Triplets, and More Book. Adams Media, Avon, MA, 2005.

Franklin, Dr. Rachel, Expecting Twins, Triplets, and More: A Doctor’s Guide to a Healthy and Happy Multiple Pregnancy. St. Martin’s Press, New York, NY, 2005.

Birch, Kathleen S. and Janet L. Bleyl, Exceptional Pregnancies: A Survival Guide to Parents expecting Triplets or More. Elm Street Press, Stockton, CA, 2000.

Curtis, Dr. Glade B. and Judith Schuler, Your Pregnancy Quick Guide: Twins, Triplets and More the Book you Need to Have when you are Having More Than One. Da Capo Press, Cambridge, MA, 2005.   

Canada Food Guide Checklist for your fridge

This blog is not intended as medical advice; consult with your medical practitioner.


Previously published in the September 2010 Multiplicity Newsletter for TTMAC: Twins, Triplets and More Association of Calgary. www.ttmac.org  Republishing permission granted. Thank you to L. Nielson for editorial work.