What it is
Choline is a nutrient that builds the baby's brain, spinal cord, and memory centers. Almost nobody mentions it. Most prenatal vitamins carry little or none because it is bulky. Eggs are the easiest food source. The choline is in the yolk.
What's typical
Needs rise in pregnancy and again while nursing. Surveys find more than 9 in 10 pregnant women in the U.S. fall short. Two whole eggs give about half of a day's pregnancy need. Liver gives more. Beef, chicken, fish, and milk carry moderate amounts. A mother who skips eggs and meat may get a third of the target without knowing it.
What's known
The AAP named choline a brain-building nutrient in a 2018 policy statement. A Cornell study found that mothers who ate about double the standard intake in the third trimester had babies with faster processing speed. The old fear of eggs and cholesterol is not supported in current guidelines.
What helps
- Eat eggs most days if you like them, yolks included. Scrambled, boiled, in fried rice.
- If eggs turn your stomach, lean on beef, chicken, and milk for a while.
- Check your prenatal label for choline. Many list zero.
When to call someone
- Nowtrouble breathing or swelling after eating eggs is a 911 call.
- Todaynot usually needed for this topic.
- At your next visityou eat vegan, you cannot eat eggs, or you want to ask about adding choline. Bring your prenatal label.
Who helps
Tools: Postpartum Meal Planner
Related
- Prenatal vitamins: when to start and what's in themBefore Pregnancy
- Folate and folic acidPregnancy: Eating
- What to eat in pregnancy: the short versionPregnancy: Eating
- Food safety: listeria, mercury, raw foodsPregnancy: Eating
What mothers here say
No one has posted under this topic yet. The first experience here will help the next mother who searches for it at 2 a.m.
Experiences and questions are their authors' own, not reviewed advice. The topic's steward lists the ones that help most in a credited digest once there is one. Unusual experiences stay, with a note.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Advocacy for improving nutrition in the first 1000 days policy statement (2018)
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Choline fact sheet for consumers
- Lily Nichols RDN — Real Food for Pregnancy
Sources are named, not yet linked. The steward verifies each one and adds the link.
Steward this topic
Birthworkers listed in our directory can claim a topic, verify its sources, and curate what mothers share here. Your name and credential go at the top of the page. Takes about an hour the first time.
Find your directory page