Pregnancy may be the one time we allow all that hard work in the struggle to eat correctly and stay fit to fall by the wayside. Why shouldn't we eat that pint of ice cream all by ourselves, we're eating for two, right? Wrong!

According to Dr. Don Bradley, chief medical director of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, "Proper eating habits are vital to the health and well-being of mothers and babies during pregnancy."

Although we need to eat healthy during pregnancy, women should not be concerned about weight gain. "An average-sized woman may gain 25 to 30 pounds if she is eating right," says Bradley.

He offers the following tips for healthy eating during pregnancy:

Drink a quart or more of milk every day. Milk contains calcium that babies need to make bones and teeth. Low-fat and skim milks have just as much calcium as whole milk. Cheese and yogurt also have calcium.

Eat a lot of leafy green vegetables, beans, oranges and grapefruits. They contain folic acid, which can help prevent birth defects.

Eat kidney beans, beef and meats such as liver. These foods will give your blood the iron it needs.