It’s always important to eat a diet — and it’s even more important when you’re pregnant because what you eat is that the main source of nutrients for your baby. However, many ladies don’t get enough iron, folate, calcium, vitamin D, or protein. So once you are pregnant, it’s important for you to extend the amounts of foods you eat with these nutrients.
Most women can meet their increased needs with a healthy diet that has many fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins. consistent with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), you ought to attempt to eat a spread of foods from these basic food groups. If you do, you’re likely to urge all the nutrients you would like for a healthy pregnancy.
Key Nutrients you would like
Importance of nutrition during pregnancy according to ACOG, you and your baby need these key nutrients for a healthy pregnancy:
Calcium
Helps to create strong bones and teeth. Main sources include milk, cheese, yogurt, and sardines. During pregnancy you would like 1,000 milligrams (mg) daily.
Iron
Helps red blood cells deliver oxygen to your baby. Sources include lean meat , dried beans, peas, and iron-fortified cereals. During pregnancy you would like 27 mg daily.
Vitamin A
You need this vitamin for healthy skin, eyesight, and bone growth. Carrots, dark, leafy greens, and sweet potatoes are good sources. During pregnancy you would like 770 micrograms daily.
Vitamin C
Promotes healthy gums, teeth, and bones, and helps your body absorb iron. Good sources include citrus , broccoli, tomatoes, and strawberries. During pregnancy you would like 85 mg daily.
Vitamin D
Aids your body within the absorption of calcium to assist build your baby’s bones and teeth. Sources include exposure to sunlight, fortified milk, and fatty fish, like salmon. During pregnancy you would like 600 international units (IUs) daily.
Vitamin B6
Helps form red blood cells and helps your body use protein, fat, and carbohydrates. you’ll find vitamin B6 in beef, liver, pork, whole-grain cereals, and bananas. During pregnancy you would like 1.9 mg daily.
Vitamin B12
Helps form red blood cells and maintains your systema nervosum . you’ll find this vitamin only in animal products. Good sources include liver, meat, fish, poultry, and milk. During pregnancy you would like 2.6 micrograms daily.
Folate (Folic Acid)
A B-complex vitamin important within the production of blood and protein, it also reduces the danger of ectoderm defects (a congenital anomaly of the brain and spinal cord). you’ll find folate in green, leafy vegetables, liver, fruit juice , legumes (beans, peas, lentils), and nuts.
You must get a minimum of 400 micrograms of folate daily before pregnancy and through the primary 12 weeks of pregnancy to scale back the danger of ectoderm defects. During pregnancy, doctors recommend you get 600 micrograms daily.
Weight Gain
Weight gain is vital during your pregnancy and something you and your doctor will monitor for nine months until you give birth. However, gaining an excessive amount of or insufficient weight can contribute to problems during your pregnancy for both you and your baby.
Just because you’re eating for 2 doesn’t mean you ought to eat twice the quantity of food. If you’re a healthy weight before your pregnancy, you simply got to eat a mean of about 300 extra calories each day.
Recent recommendations by the Institute of drugs for pregnancy weight gain begin your pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI).
Adapted from IOM guidelines, 2009
Multiple Births
If you’re expecting quite one baby, you ought to discuss what and the way much to eat together with your health care provider. Your nutrient and calorie needs are above those of girls carrying one baby.
Prenatal Vitamins
Vitamin and mineral supplements cannot replace a healthy diet. Most doctors recommend that pregnant women take a prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement a day additionally to eating a healthy diet.
Taking a supplement ensures that you simply and your baby get enough important nutrients like Vitamin BC and iron. But don’t overdo it — taking an excessive amount of are often harmful for you and your baby.
Alcohol, Caffeine, and Fish
• Pregnant women and ladies who may become pregnant shouldn’t drink alcohol. Drinks containing alcohol include beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks, and malt beverages.
Even moderate drinking during pregnancy can cause behavioral or developmental problems for a baby. Heavy drinking during pregnancy may result in serious problems for the baby, including malformation and intellectual disability.
• While it’s unclear whether or not high caffeine intake results in miscarriage, it appears moderate caffeine intake (about two 8-ounce cups of coffee) doesn’t .
Still, it’s probably an honest idea to limit caffeine in your diet during your pregnancy. an excessive amount of caffeine can interfere with sleep, contribute to nausea, and cause dehydration.
• Fish are often an excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other healthy nutrients. But pregnant women should lookout to avoid certain sorts of fish because they contain high levels of mercury, which may harm a growing baby. Fish you ought to avoid include shark, swordfish, cavalla , and tilefish.
These are some of the nutritional requirements during pregnancy. Concerned about your health during pregnancy? Consult our Gynecologists today to your nearby pregnancy hospital by Booking an Appointment online!
