Nutrition For Pregnancy
Why is proper nutrition necessary?
Proper nutrition is
very essential to a woman for the proper functioning of the growing fetus. A
woman should consume healthy and wholesome food during her pregnancy. She must
not necessarily eat sufficient food that does not add any nutrition to her body.
she may unnecessarily accumulate fat in her body and lose her figure later on.
During the time of
pregnancy various changes take place in her body. Besides physical changes even
psychological changes take place in her body. The type of physiological
behavior she experiences during her pregnancy, obviously affects the child in
her womb.
She requires the
following nutrients that are very necessary for her during pregnancy and she
must try to consume them:
Fat is the most
essential element in her body because it releases very instant energy. It is
stored in the body and later by the process of lactation is converted into
milk. Ideally your weight should increase by 300 calories. Hence a person who
is underweight must consume more calories so that he gains 300 calories. You,
better consult your doctor to know the right composition of your food.
Types of nutrition necessary
Protein is also one
of the most vital nutrition during the time of pregnancy. Protein is very
important to the woman’s body, especially during the first three months of her
pregnancy. During the first three months, the proteins accumulate in the body
and help the foetus to grow. After three months, the foetus grows very rapidly.
If she has sufficiently consumed proteins during the first three months, then
growth of the foetus will be rapid. Because, the proteins that are already
accumulated in the body help the baby grow.
Calcium during
pregnancy is required for the bone and the teeth formation. Therefore it is
essential for the healthy bone formation of the foetus also. Iron is required
for the body formation. Vitamin A improves the eye vision and also maintains
nervous equilibrium.
During the nine
months of pregnancy you must eat the type of food that is wholesome and brings
physical as well as mental growth during pregnancy.
Every woman must try
to reduce her intake of junk food as it only adds calories to the body and does
not release any energy into the body. For the first six months a woman need not
consume more than 200 calories per day.
Eat according to your
routine appetite. You may not have the habit of eating more food right from the
beginning. In such cases, consume only the quantity of food that can cause
digestion to your body. usually, for few months your appetite falls down very
drastically. Some woman cannot even consume water. Most of the woman face
problems such as nausea or sickness during the first few months of your
pregnancy. Then later on, say after two months, you can regain your
apatite. During the last few months of your pregnancy, your
appetite will still increase. But if you are suffering from problems like
heartburn, nausea, then you can have small meals frequently.
When you are
pregnant, just eat something, the moment you feel hungry. Do not fear eating
anything unless doctor has recommended you not to eat the particular food. If
your doctor has advised you to consume only particular food, then follow the
guidelines of the doctor carefully.
Following are the
food items that are very vital to the body of the pregnant woman as well as the
growing foetus.
Milk or milk products
produce tremendous energy and help in the development of foetus from every
aspect. Milk products include buttermilk, yogurt, cottage cheese, Vitamin B-12,
amino acids etc. if you are lacto sensitive then you can consult your doctor.
He will suggest you suitable foods that release equal amount of energy when
compared to milk.
Some of the food
items that release proteins into the body are cereals, whole grains, pulses or
even protein tablets are essential. She must consume food that contains lot of
vegetables like soups. Vegetables contain nutrients such as vitamin, mineral
and fibre.
Fresh fruits add many
type of nutrients into the body. she may even consume processed and canned
fruits. Fruit juices prepared from fresh fruits will also add a lot of energy
to her body.
Certain types of
meats also release energy to her because they contain proteins in rich
quantity. If the woman is a vegetarian, then she can consume 1.5 ounces of
nuts, 2/3 cup of legumes. ½ ounce of nuts is equivalent to one egg and one
ounce of meat is equivalent to ¼ cup of legumes.
A woman should drink
water that is utmost clean. Even if she is traveling outdoors, she must carry
water bag with her or buy the mineral water that is available outside. If she
is affected by the water outside, she may develop viral infection. She must
avoid juices that are available in cartons, because they contain very high
content of sugar in them.
If you want to have a
fish, be careful about the type of fish you want to eat. Some fishes may be
residing in places that is exposed to pollution and therefore consumption of
fish may lead to various diseases. But anyhow fish is a good source of protein.
Some fishes contain unsafe levels of mercury. Because in the seas, where the
fishes reside may be contain the deposits of mercury which absorb contaminated
water because, even if the fish is properly cooked, the element of mercury
still remains. She should not consume canned fish also because they are
preserved in saline solution. This leads to water retention.
Foods against nutrition
Here are some of the
food items which should be avoided at any cost:
a.
oysters or raw seafood.
b.
Cheeses such as brie, Camembert,
blue-veined cheese
c.
Unpasteurised milk.
d.
Eggs, pate, undercooked or underboiled
meat.
e.
Some woman who have allergies of
peanuts avoid it. Possibly, avoid any food that produces allergic effect into
your body.
f.
Woman should strictly avoid alcoholic
drinks because it brings physical as well as emotional problems into children.
Children may be born with learning defects.
Avoid any type of
food that does not add any nutrition into the body but also destroys the
existing nutrition of the body.
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