How to Take Care of Nutrition During Pregnancy?

A woman’s diet and regular exercise are essential for the growth of a healthy baby. Maintaining good health during pregnancy can reduce pregnancy complication, and you will be more likely to give birth to a healthy baby. Apart from the baby’s good health, it will be beneficial to you as well in many ways.

A nutritious diet during pregnancy is responsible for proper brain development, healthy weight during birth, reduces the risk of congenital disabilities. Apart from the baby’s growth, it also helps in combating mood swings, reduces the morning sickness, and improves the delivery process.

Ideally, a well-balanced diet for pregnant women must include protein, vitamin C, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, folic acid, iron-rich foods along with healthy fats. If you are not getting enough nutrients from your diet, then you must try take food supplements.

You must ensure to wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly before consumption so that you and your baby can stay from bacterial infections. Also, you must avoid eating refrigerated and undercooked red meat and seafood during pregnancy and lactation. Make sure all your dairy products such as cheese, milk is pasteurized before having them.

You must seek pregnancy food guide from the doctors so that you learn to take care not only for yourself but also for your baby. Pregnancy and food cravings are common – you must discuss with your doctor regarding cravings and how to curb them. Usually, cravings are caused due to nutrition deficiency during pregnancy. Thus, it is important that you should take care of the right nutrition.

What happens if you do not take a balanced diet during pregnancy?

Here are a few consequences of not following a nutritious and a balanced diet during pregnancy:

• You will be at high risk of anemia and other unpleasant symptoms such as fatigue and nausea feeling.
• You may have to deliver a premature baby, or in the worst case, you can undergo miscarriage too!
• Increased risk of congenital disabilities
• Your baby will be likely to be underweight.
• You can suffer from multiple pregnancy complications such as vaginal bleeding, premature labor and delivery and ectopic placement.

Pregnancy - nutrition deficiency is very common among Indian women, and this is primarily due to the lack of awareness on nutrition during pregnancy.

How important are nutritional supplements during pregnancy?

Having a nutritious diet is vital, but sometimes food may not be able to provide all the nutrients that your body requires. Hence, supplements must be taken in the form of tablets or capsules. Prenatal vitamin supplements can foster the development of the fetus.

• One of the essential food supplements for pregnant women is folic acid. Folic acid is known to lower risk of neural tube defect such as spina bifida. You can discuss with your doctor before starting the dosage of this prenatal vitamin. Folate supplements can be taken before pregnancy and also during the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy.
• Another essential mineral supplement which a pregnant woman must take is iron. Deficiency of iron can cause anemia, and it is a vital mineral for the development of the baby. You require 27mg of iron per day and vitamin C is necessary for the absorption of iron. Hence, ensure that you consume citric foods during pregnancy to assimilate iron.
• It would help if you take care of thyroid levels during pregnancy. Iodine is the mineral which regulates the thyroid hormone, and low amount of iodine can cause mental impairment and cretinism in the growing babies.

Pregnant and lactating women require a higher amount of iodine in the body and thus you must ensure to get 150micrograms per day throughout pregnancy and lactation period.

Healthy mom and baby is all you need

Pregnancy is a long term of nine months, where your daily nutrition plays a crucial role for both mom and baby, hence you should take of eating right during pregnancy. You must read books, articles, blogs on pregnancy guide and food supplements to gain more knowledge on the importance of nutrition diet. This will not only help you in deriving nutrients from food and food supplements but also ensure that when and how to eat and what not to eat.

Diet plays an important role during the entire journey of your pregnancy. Hence, you must feel free to discuss daily nutrition with doctors. They will guide you correctly about food supplements and other essential nutrients which is essential for both the mom and baby. Do not ignore your pregnancy nutrition!