During pregnancy your nutrition needs are going to increase. Even before becoming pregnant it is a good idea to make every effort to start eating healthy and taking a women’s multivitamin. A prenatal multivitamin is a better choice during pregnancy.

Let’s start with the recommended daily intake of food during pregnancy.

DURING PREGNANCY :

7 or more Fruits and Vegetables (3 fruits/4 vegetables)

Fruits and Vegetables high in vitamin C are the best. These include strawberries, melons, oranges, papaya, tomatoes, peppers, greens, and broccoli.

9 or more Whole Grain Products

A fortified breakfast cereal containing iron and folic acid is the best way to start each day. Enriched bread, rice, pasta, and any whole grain product are your other choices.

4 or more dairy products

Low-fat milk or non-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese are the obvious choices.

60 grams of protein (two or more 2-3 ounce portions of lean meat)

Other sources of protein include eggs, nuts, dried beans, and peas. Do not eat undercooked or uncooked meat or fish. (NO SUSHI) Do not eat deli luncheon meats

PREGNANCY NUTRITION FACTS

Fish

Some fish are higher in mercury content than others. Mercury can cause problems with your growing baby’s brain and nervous system.

Fish to avoid completely:

shark
swordfish
king mackerel
golden snapper
white snapper

Fish eating limitations:
Limit your intake of fish to 12 ounces a week
Limit your intake of white tuna or tuna steak to 6 ounces a week

Safest fish to eat:
shrimp
salmon
catfish

light tuna

Weight

Calorie intake should only be increased by 300 a day during pregnancy for the average woman.
Weight gain should be around 28-40 pounds for women that are underweight at pregnancy.
Women that are overweight at pregnancy should gain only 15-25 pounds.
Weight gain should be around 2-4 pounds the first trimester and 3-4 pounds a month for the remaining time.
Excess weight gain is hard to lose after pregnancy because your body’s fat increases up to one third during pregnancy.
Breast feeding burns 500 or more calories per day making it easier to lose weight.
Consult your health care provider for your specific healthy weight gain.

Vitamins and Minerals

Check the RDA chart for your needs during pregnancy.

Folic Acid is a special concern because a deficiency can lead to neural tube birth defects. Your multivitamin should contain 400 mcg of folic acid. Birth defects happen before you even know you’re pregnant so always take a multivitamin with folic acid during child bearing age.

Vitamin C taken in doses over 500 mg/d can lead to your baby being born dependent on large quantities of vitamin C.

Iron is also of special concern because the average American diet does not provide enough iron during pregnancy. If your prenatal multivitamin does not contain enough iron your doctor will prescribe an additional supplement. Iron is needed for you and the baby to have healthy teeth, bones, and blood.

Water is often overlooked during pregnancy but it is vital for you and your baby. It carries the nutrients from your body to the baby and it helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, swelling and urinary tract infection. A minimum of 6 eight ounce glasses a day is required. Juice can count toward your 6 glasses but be careful of the added calories. Any drink containing caffeine actually reduces the fluid in your body and cannot count towards your 6 glasses.

Calcium is needed by you and the baby for strong teeth and bones. During pregnancy you need 1,000 mg/d and 1,300 mg/d if you are less than 18 years old.

Alcohol Consumption

There is no safe time or amount of alcohol to consume during pregnancy. No alcohol is the only way to insure the health of your baby. Alcohol you drink goes to your baby through the umbilical cord. Alcohol affects the baby’s growth, the baby’s brain, and can cause birth defects. These effects will remain with your unborn child for his/her entire life. FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) is the name given to anyone affected by their mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Problems learning, memory retention, and hearing are just a few things that alcohol can do to your child.

Caffeine

Caffeine in large quantities can lead to low weight babies. It also reduces the amount of vital water in your body. Although not yet proven, some studies suggest that it may harm the fetus. While not as dangerous as alcohol it should still be avoided.

Diabetics

Diabetics can have perfectly normal babies like every other woman. There are a just a few things you need to be careful of.
1. Keep your blood sugar under control for a minimum of 3 months before becoming pregnant.
2. Make sure you get enough folic acid at all times during your child bearing years (400 mcg/d).
3. Don’t let your blood sugar get too high during pregnancy. This can lead to birth defects or your baby having blood sugar level problems

Ways To Control Morning Sickness

*Eat 6 small meals instead of 3 large ones

*Don’t go without eating for long periods of time

*Don’t drink fluids with your meals

*Don’t eat greasy, spicy, or fried foods

*Avoid unpleasant smells

*Don’t get over tired

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Keller ]]> http://www.mrbabbie.net/18/womens-health-pregnancy-nutrition-is-for-all-women-of-child-bearing-age/feed 1 http://www.mrbabbie.net/6/foods-to-eat-when-pregnant-for-the-perfect-healthy-baby http://www.mrbabbie.net/6/foods-to-eat-when-pregnant-for-the-perfect-healthy-baby#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:32:02 +0000 http://www.mrbabbie.net/?p=6

Every woman wants what’s best for their baby. That’s the main reason why so many women breastfeed. But what about before your baby is born? Giving them the best start possible means giving them all the nutrients they need. So here are the foods to eat when pregnant for a happy, healthy baby.

The most important thing to help your baby develop properly is nutrients and vitamins. These are essential for building bones, skin and even immune systems. These nutrients and vitamins sometimes come from tablets and pills. But why spend your day trying to swallow pill after pill when you can incorporate all these nutrients and vitamins into your diet? So for example pasteurised milk, yogurt and hard cheeses are all excellent sources of calcium, essential for fetal development of teeth and bones. Green vegetables such as broccoli and lentils are high in folic acid, which assists in preventing spina-bifida, while certain seafood will provide omega-3 fatty acids which help with behavioural development. A healthy, well balanced diet is key when you are pregnant and will not only make your baby perfect but will also help you feel better too.

Some women find pregnancy a struggle when the morning sickness kicks in, the heartburn starts and the constant feeling of being uncomfortable rules their whole body. Of course we know that it’s all worth it but that doesn’t make the pain any less bearable. This may seem difficult but you should always put your health first. Your baby will feed off you and unless you are in good shape and feeding your body the nutrients it needs, your baby will not be healthy either. It is well known that happy mummies make happy babies so if you are feeling uncomfortable, be sure to try and do something about it rather than just accept that this is how pregnancy is supposed to be.

The main thing to remember is that all foods to eat when pregnant should have a high nutritional value. They could be full of anti-oxidants, they could be full of vitamins or they could be high in zinc. As long as you keep these foods to a maximum and keep saturated fats to a minimum (found predominantly in fast foods, junk food, processed foods, etc) then you will definitely have one happy baby on your hands!

Don’t forget that in order to have a happy baby, you should be in tip top condition and no more so than after the birth. It’s proven that women who follow a healthy diet and a low impact fitness routine throughout their pregnancy are more likely to recover from childbirth quicker. Now that you know the foods to eat when pregnant you can go ahead and start making that happy little bundle of joy that can’t wait to meet you!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Noonan ]]> http://www.mrbabbie.net/6/foods-to-eat-when-pregnant-for-the-perfect-healthy-baby/feed 0