Nutrition during Pregnancy
July 8, 2008
The feeling of carrying another life inside you brings with it loads of happiness as well as an added responsibility of ensuring the health and safety of that life. Everyone wants to give their child the best start towards life and the foremost requirement for that is to ensure that you eat a wholesome and a nutritious diet to produce a healthy and a happy child. To nurture yourself as well as your growing child, one should indulge in healthy food choices which contain the essential and the important nutrients in them.
Since the nutrient demands of the body is more during pregnancy, a pregnant woman should eat a variety of food items over the course of the day to get required amounts of calories, proteins, vitamins and minerals. One does not need to make any significant changes in one’s diet as the primary requirement demands an intake of a healthy and wholesome food. However, since one is eating for two lives, one should increase one’s intake of certain nutrients like foliate, iron and calcium to ensure optimal fetal development as well as one’s personal health. A well balanced diet consists of a balance of grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy and fats. Carbohydrates should be included the most in one’s diet as they provide energy and help in preventing nausea and constipation. Similarly, fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A found in yellow fruits and leafy vegetables aids in the development of your baby’s bones, skin, eyes and hair. Vitamin C, found in tomatoes, melons and citrus fruits, helps in bone formation and tissue repair of a body. Vitamin B12 is essential for proper brain and nerve functioning of both the baby and the mother. This vitamin is found in animal products and for those women who are vegetarian, vitamin B12 can be found in fortified soy milk. In addition, dairy products are a rich source of calcium which helps in the development of your child’s bones and teeth along with preventing you from the risk of osteoporosis.
During pregnancy, one should not look at going in for diets to reduce one’s weight unless advised by the doctor. Weight gain during pregnancy is normal and even healthy and a pregnant woman should aim to keep her weight gain around 10-15 kg during the course of pregnancy. One should thus enjoy healthy eating as a proper intake of minerals, vitamins and proteins helps in the overall development of your child and also reduces the risk of post pregnancy complications.
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