Vitamins Information (Home) > Diets > Pregnancy Diet

Healthy Diet for Pregnancy

During pregnancy, there are a lot of changes that are brought about in the mother-to-be. This includes unusual cravings, and extra care that has to be taken. Good nutrition during pregnancy will help to keep a developing baby and its mother healthy. The need for certain nutrients such as calcium, iron and folate is increased at this time but only a small amount of extra energy (kilojoules) is needed. Women should be encouraged to eat to their appetite and monitor their weight.

There are a number of special requirements that must be taken into consideration for an expectant mother. They are as follows.

Folic Acid (folate)

This is needed to support the increasing maternal blood volume and to decrease the risk of baby Neural Tube Defects. This cannot be gotten from diet alone, and, therefore it is recommended that women should start taking a daily folate supplement of 400ug (0.4mg) 3 months prior to conception and should continue through the first 3 months of the pregnancy.

Excellent sources of folate include:

Iron

Iron is essential for maintaining a sufficient level of blood supply. Since the stores of iron in the body are not enough for both the mother and the developing child, iron supplements are recommended (low dosage of about 30 mg) during the second and third trimesters. Iron deficiency anemia can be prevented by eating foods rich in iron such as lean red meat, fish, poultry, dried fruits, whole-grain breads, and iron-fortified cereals.

Calcium

When calcium levels are low, there is muscular cramping especially in the lower legs and is most commonly experienced in the last trimester when the baby’s bones are becoming rapidly denser.

However, this can be remedied by consuming foods which are natural sources of calcium. These are

Dairy products

Vitamins

Vitamins are an important part of the pregnancy diet, and supplements should be taken whenever required, because sometimes, the food itself does not provide all of them.

A well balanced diet

Meals can be planned around these daily basic requirements:

6 to 11 servings of grain products

Some women fear the extra weight gain of pregnancy and decide to eat sparingly to avoid putting on body fat. Restricted eating or crash dieting in any form can seriously compromise a woman's health and that of her baby. And that is much more important than a few extra pounds.

VISITOR COMMENTS on " Diet for Healthy Pregnancy":

	More Articles
1. About Allium Sativum About Allium Sativum There are over 500 plants in the genus Allium, but the antioxidant superstars are garlic, onions, shallots, and leeks. [...]
2. Colon Cleansing Diet Colon Cleansing Diet Attaining a good health is of vital importance when you want to have a long life span. And when you want to achieve this [...]
3. Herbal, Natural, Home Remedies for Bad Breath Herbal, Natural, Home Remedies for Bad Breath Cardamom and parsley can be chewed in leaf form in order to eliminate bad breath. Parsley neutralizes acid, [...]
4. Elixir of Youth and Health Tibetan Goji Berries Tibetan Goji Berries: Elixir of Youth and Good Health The knowledge that including a small amount of Goji berries in regular diet not only extends the life span to more [...]

Bookmark This Page:











Send Page to a Friend

Visitors' Blog

Diets

AIDS Diet
Athletes's Diet
Atkins Diet
Bodybuilding Diet
Breast Feeding Diet
Cabbage Soup
Cancer Patient's Diet
Cardiac Patient's Diet
Pediatric Diet
Diabetes Diet
Diet Plan
Diet Programs
Fitness Diet
Cardiac Patients
Kidney Disease Diet
Low Calorie Diet
Hypertension Diet
Pregnancy Diet
High Protein Diet
Sports Diet
Vegetarians Diet
Weight Gain
Fasting Diet
Calorie Diets
Celebrity Workout
Diet for Gout
Herbal Diets
Zone Diet
Herbal Phentermine
South Beach Diet
High Fiber
Low Carb Diets
Low Carb Dieting
Low Carb Dieter Eat
Atkins Low Carb Diet
Atkins Low Carb Diet Program
Monounsaturated Fats
Food Choices Low Carb Meals
Shopping Right Supplements
Top 3 questions for Low Carb Dieting
Better Food Choices
Fluorosis
Wu Yi Tea
Ultra Lean Green Tea
Acai Berry Power 500