EATING RIGHT DURING PREGNANCY
While good nutrition is an essential part of daily life it becomes even more essential during pregnancy because you and your  baby’s health greatly depend on good nutrition.
Therefore, Prenatal nutrition is the key for maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
Remember that the food you eat when you are pregnant is directly related to the health of growing baby because all the nutrients that need for the baby’s growth comes from the food or the supplements you take. In recent years there has been evidence that nutrition in early pregnancy could influence the susceptibility to chronic degenerative disease in later life (fetal programming)
As said earlier, pregnant women need more nutrients than other women. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends an additional intake of almost all the nutrients to keep both the mother as well as her infant in a good state of health. Therefore, it is essential for you to follow a Prenatal nutrition that can help provide the essential nutrients for you and your developing Fetus.
The nutritional needs of your body change during pregnancy due to the change in the body and the requirements of the Fetus development. During the first 3 months, nutrients of concern are protein, folic acid, vitamin B12 and zinc. In the second and third trimesters, there is a rapid growth of the baby and the key nutrients during this period are protein, iron, calcium, magnesium, B group vitamins and a fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
| Pregnant women become hungrier, especially during the last two trimesters of pregnancy. As a result they eat more food, taking in more calories and more of all the essential nutrients these foods should supply. |
Calories— You Need Energy to Grow a Baby
During pregnancy, the need for calories is increased and an extra 300 kcals are required every day in order to provide adequate nutrition for the growing baby and weight gain during pregnancy. The intake of calories increases if you are underweight or carrying multiple babies.
Pregnancy is not the time to restrict calories and carbohydrates. Skimping on calories and carbohydrates can pose serious risks for a growing baby. Women who do not gain enough weight have a greater chance of having Low birth weight babies, and these babies have a greater chance of health and developmental problems.
Proteins
Protein is an essential nutrient for strengthening your muscles, breasts, Uterus and baby’s tissues. It also improves blood supply. An average of 65 g of protein per day is required for you during pregnancy.
Any intake above or below the required levels has been shown to result in a poor pregnancy outcome. A lower intake of proteins can lead to intrauterine growth restriction. Higher protein intakes are associated with lower birth weight or small-for-gestational age babies.
Good sources of proteins are:
- Egg
- Pulses (Bengal gram, green gram, red gram, peas, soyabean, etc)
- Meat products
- Fish
- Cereals
Protein, calcium, folic acid, iron, vitamins and minerals are key nutrients for good Prenatal nutrition.
Fats
The average daily requirement of fat in pregnancy is 40 g. A total of 5 teaspoonfuls of oil is enough to provide this amount in a day.
Although some amount of fats and oils are necessary in the diet, too much can make you overweight and later lead to other complications. You should try to restrict (deleted) the amount of fat and oils in your diet. Butter, margarine and salad dressings like mayonnaise, pastry, fatty meats, cakes, biscuits and most take-away foods contain bad fats and need to be severely restricted. You need to take about 300 mg/day of DHA during pregnancy.
One important type of fat that is essential during pregnancy is DHA. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that is necessary for the brain development as well as the vision of your growing baby. The food you eat should include DHA as it can be produced in the body.
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins and minerals help your body use the energy provided by foods for both yourself and your baby. They also help repair and maintain Cells and tissues.
Folic acid (folate) is a vitamin of concern. Folate is required to build protein tissues and for the complete development of red blood Cells. Your Prenatal nutrition must include a minimum of 400 μg/day because less than this amount can lead to birth defects. Sources of folic acid are green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, bread, beans and nuts.
Vitamin B12 assists with the healthy development of the baby's brain and nervous system. Because vitamin B12 is only present in animal and dairy foods, pregnant women who have a vegan diet will need to have a vitamin B12 supplement.
Iron is an essential nutrient for the blood supply between you and your baby. As your growing baby stores iron for later use, the need for iron increases in your body. The iron content in your Prenatal nutrition must be 38 mg/day. As this amount of iron may not be got from the food you intake, the doctors generally suggest iron supplements.
Calcium is one of the essential nutrients of Prenatal nutrition. It is needed for your baby to maintain strong bones. If your diet lacks calcium rich foods, calcium for your baby’s growth is taken from your bones. The intake of calcium in this period should be 1000 mg/day. Rich sources of calcium are milk, curd, paneer, cheese, green leafy vegetables and fish.
Vitamin D, along with calcium is also essential for keeping your bones healthy and to help your baby have strong bones.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) helps in the growth of the developing baby, especially in first few weeks.
Vitamin A is needed for healthy skin and vision. It also plays a role in your baby’s immunity development. The recommended levels are 600 μg/day (retinol) or 2400 μg/day (beta-carotene). Sources of vitamin A are green leafy vegetables, orange, papaya, carrots, etc.
Zinc and iodine are also important for the proper development of your baby’s brain.
Fiber and fluids
It is particularly important to eat more fiber to avoid the common pregnancy problems of Constipation and piles (hemorrhoids). Increase your fiber intake by eating lots of fruit and vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables), whole meal bread and cereals, brown rice and pulses. You should also drink plenty of fluids. Increasing fiber without enough fluids can worsen Constipation.
Need for nutrient supplementation during pregnancy
Many times your body does not receive adequate nutrition due to many reasons like
- Nausea and vomiting
- Heart burn
- Constipation
- Food aversions
- Food avoidances
- Poor pre-pregnancy diet
- Excessive physical activity.
Nutrient supplementation is an easy way of ensuring an adequate intake of key nutrients. This will also assure that nutrients like DHA, which the body cannot produce, will reach you and your baby.
- Your baby’s health greatly depend on good nutrition
- Prenatal nutrition is the key for maintaining a healthy pregnancy and healthy progeny.
- The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends an additional intake of almost all the nutrients to keep both the mother as well as her infant in a good state of health. .
- During the first 3 months, nutrients of concern are protein, folic acid, vitamin B12 and zinc.
- In the second and third trimesters the key nutrients (deleted) are protein, iron, calcium, magnesium, B group vitamins and a fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
- During pregnancy, the need for calories is increased and an extra 300 kcals are required every day.
- An average of 65 g of protein per day is required for you during pregnancy.
- One important type of fat that is essential during pregnancy is DHA.
- Vitamins and minerals help your body use the energy provided by foods for both yourself and your baby.
- It is particularly important to eat more fiber to avoid the common pregnancy problems of Constipation and piles.
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