You can count on carbohydrates to be your body's main source of energy, especially for the brain and nervous system. Carbohydrates quickly and efficiently convert to energy for mom and baby. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, starches, and foods in the meat group such as beans and soy products. The only foods in which they are not found are meat, poultry, and fish. Fiber is also considered a carbohydrate and is important to health. However, fiber is not considered a nutrient because most of it is not digested or absorbed into the body.

Comprehending Carbs

Carbohydrates are classified into two different categories: simple carbohydrates, or sugars, and complex carbohydrates, or starches. Sugars are carbohydrates in their simplest form. Refined sugars are found in foods such as table sugar, honey, jams, candy, syrup, and soft drinks. Refined sugars provide calories, but they lack nutrients like vitamins and minerals, and fiber. Some simple sugars, such as those that occur naturally, are found in more nutritious foods, such as the fructose found in fruit or the lactose that is part of dairy products. Complex carbohydrates are basically formed of many simple sugars linked together. They are found in foods such as grains, pasta, rice, vegetables, breads, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Complex carbohydrates are much more nutrient-rich than simple sugars.

Before complex or simple carbohydrates can be used as energy, they must be broken down into glucose, or blood sugar. Glucose is carried through your bloodstream to your body's cells, where it is converted to energy. Since simple carbohydrates or sugars are already in their simplest form, they go straight into the bloodstream. Complex carbohydrates must be broken down into glucose. Some glucose is used as energy, and some is stored. The hormone insulin helps to regulate your blood sugar.

How Many Carbs?

On average, women should get approximately 45 to 65 percent of their calories from carbohydrates. Since pregnancy increases calorie needs, more calories must be ingested from carbohydrates. The key is to increase your calories by eating more complex carbohydrates and not more sugar. Take in more complex carbohydrates by eating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, rice, breads, and cereals. Try adding more beans, lentils, and peas to your daily meals.

To figure how many grams of carbohydrates you need, follow these steps:

Calculate your estimated calorie need,

Multiply your total by .45 (at the low end of recommended carb intake) to up to .65 (at the high end). The result is the number of calories you should get from carbohydrates.

Calculate the number of grams of carbohydrates you need to eat as follows. Take the number of carbohydrate calories and divide by 4. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, so the result of this step is the total grams of carbohydrates you should eat daily.

Following the Food Guide Pyramid and eating the suggested number of servings from each food group during pregnancy will ensure you are consuming the amount of carbohydrates your body needs for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Even though carbohydrates are extremely important, they need to be balanced with the other two macronutrients: protein and fat.