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Pregnancy And Nutrition- What to know
Oct 17, 2022
Pregnancy And Nutrition- What to know
When you are pregnant, your body goes through severe changes, both hormonal and physical. To cope with these changes, it is essential to make good food choices for you and your baby’s health. Consuming a balanced and healthy diet is good for your overall well-being as it provides everything for your changing body and your baby. The primary source of nourishment for your body is the food you eat, so you should get all the necessary nutrients from the food sources.
The good news is that it isn’t that hard to follow the nutritional guidelines for pregnant women. You have some tasty options as well, so even if you have cravings, you can come up with a healthy menu to satisfy those cravings. If you wish to have a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy, you should focus on the following main
Balanced diet
Regular exercising
Appropriate weight gain
Timely and appropriate mineral and vitamin supplementation.
Caloric and dietary recommendations
Fluid intake when you are pregnant
Foods ideal for pregnancy
Dairy: low-fat or fat-free yogurt, 1% or skim milk, soymilk (for potassium, calcium, vitamins A and D)
Proteins: peas and beans; seeds and nuts; lean beef, pork, and lamb; salmon, herring, trout, pollock, and sardines
Grains: cooked or ready-to-eat cereals (for folic acid and iron)
The following foods should be avoided when you are pregnant:
Undercooked and raw seafood, meat, and eggs. Although it is safe to eat cooked sushi, you should avoid sushi that is made with raw fish
Refrigerated smoked seafood
Meat spreads and refrigerated pâté
Food safety guidelines
Cleaning: After you handle or prepare uncooked foods, remember to wash the knives, cutting boards, countertops, and your hands.
Chill: Be prompt in refrigerating the perishable foods.
Prenatal mineral and vitamin supplementation
It is recommended that women of childbearing age should consume 0.4 mg of folic acid every day. It is a nutrient found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, berries, citrus fruits, fortified breakfast cereals, and beans. Certain vitamin supplements also contain the nutrient.
Folic acid helps in reducing the risk of birth defects like neural birth defects (spinal cord and brain defect). Neural tube defects can cause incontinence, paralysis, and even intellectual disability. This birth defect mostly occurs during the first 28 days of pregnancy and that is when folic acid is particularly important. Hence, you should begin the intake of folic acid before conceiving and continue when you get pregnant.
Dr.BRUNDAVANI
PHD, CPNS (USA),Nutritionist
Rainbow Children’s Hospital & BirthRigh, Banjara Hills.
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