How to Get Food Assistance for a Pregnant Woman

Pregnant women are essentially eating for two. Poor diet during pregnancy can lead to all sorts of problems, such as nutritional deficiencies, anemia, low birth weight and gestational diabetes. Pregnant women with low incomes may need assistance getting the food they need for good health.

Instructions

• 1

  Apply for food stamps, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, at your local welfare office. The amount of food stamps you'll receive depends on the number of people in your household and your total household income. You can use your food stamps card to purchase all sorts of food items at most grocery stores. You cannot use it to buy non-food items like vitamins, medications, personal hygiene products or pet food, however. You also cannot purchase alcoholic beverages with your food stamps card.

• 2

  Apply for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC. In most states, recipients receive vouchers they can exchange for certain food items in local grocery stores. In some areas, recipients receive boxes of food instead. See the link in the Resources section to find the toll-free telephone number for the WIC program in your state. Call to find out where to apply in your county.

• 3

  Contact other agencies that provide supportive services to pregnant women, such as pregnancy crisis centers. Services offered by these agencies varies, but pregnancy crisis centers will often assist pregnant women with basic needs like food, clothing and shelter to enable them to continue their pregnancies.

• 4

  Contact other agencies that provide food assistance, such as food pantries. These agencies do not limit their services to pregnant women but they do provide assistance to women during pregnancy when needed. Eligibility criteria vary from program to program. Some food pantries offer assistance with non-food items as well, like toilet paper, soap, shampoo and cleaning supplies.

• 5

  Talk to your doctor or midwife or, if you are receiving prenatal care from a clinic, ask if there is a social worker to whom you could speak. You can also call the hospital at which you plan to give birth and ask to speak to a social worker there. These health care professionals may be able to direct you to other sources of food assistance.