The importance of good nutrition during pregnancy cannot be overemphasized. Everything a pregnant women consumes goes to the baby as well. What should a woman eat during pregnancy? What should a pregnant woman avoid? When a life is growing inside of you, it brings with it the necessity to be aware of how to set this life up for success, and healthy nutrition is one of the most important ways to take care of your unborn baby. This can be both an awe-inspiring and intimidating endeavor to undertake.
What to Include in a Healthy Pregnancy Diet
During pregnancy, it is recommended that a woman only needs to add about an additional 300 calories in her daily intake of food. Calories consumed should be from healthy sources. Focus each day on providing for the life of your unborn baby and this will help in planning out daily meals. Daily food should include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, protein and dairy, but pregnant women should pay specific attention to whether they are obtaining the needed amounts of the following foods and nutrients.
- Protein: Protein is a vital aspect of a woman’s diet during pregnancy, playing a very important part in the development of the baby. It helps in nourishing the placenta which delivers nutrients to the baby, and protein helps form the building blocks of the baby’s life. Protein also helps stabilize blood sugars and helps keep you fuller, longer.
- Folic Acid: Folic acid is a vitamin that has been found to be directly linked to the healthy formation of a baby’s neural tube. Pregnant women are encouraged to include folic acid as a part of their pregnancy diet because in the first 28 days the baby’s spine and brain form and folic acid helps in the successful and healthy formation of this vital development. Folic acid is so important that the recommended dose is found in prenatal vitamins, though it can be found naturally in leafy greens, among other foods.
- Calcium: The developing baby needs calcium as it helps it build strong bones. Calcium is also important because it helps develop a healthy heart and muscles. Calcium can be found in milk, cheese, yogurt, among other dairy products.
- Prenatal vitamins: Certain levels of nutrients and vitamins are necessary during pregnancy because of the demands placed on the woman’s body and the needs of the baby. Providing the required levels of these vitamins supplies the very best atmosphere possible for the baby to healthily develop.
What to Avoid in a Pregnancy Diet
- Dieting: Each woman will begin her pregnancy at a different fitness and weight level, therefore each will need to gain a different amount of weight to be within a healthy range. But pregnancy is not a time to intentionally try to shed pounds; the developing baby desperately needs nutrients that can only come through what the woman eats.
- Unpasteurized cheeses: Pregnant women need to pay special attention to what they eat and what can have a harmful effect on their baby. Listeria is a bacteria that is found in undercooked meat and unpasteurized milk products which a pregnant woman is more susceptible to contracting. Making sure that meats are fully cooked (deli meats or hot dogs are okay to eat as long as they have been re-heated/cooked to steaming hot to make sure the listeria has been killed) and that cheeses are pasteurized protect both the woman and baby.
- Excessive junk food: Though giving into cravings and having rewards after a hard day is welcomed in pregnancy, healthy eating is vital for good nutrition for both mother and baby. Sweet treats and highly processed junk food are fine in moderation, but ensure that the right vitamins and foods are eaten each day as well.
- Alcohol and smoking: Pregnancy is the perfect time to try to kick that smoking habit as it can have detrimental effects on the unborn baby. No level of alcohol has proven safe during pregnancy, so it is best to avoid it altogether. Considering the risks involved in drinking alcohol during pregnancy (miscarriage and stillbirth as well as fetal alcohol syndrome) most women consider it worth it to put their baby’s best interests first during the important developmental stage of pregnancy.
Pregnant Women Have Ability to Shape Their Baby’s Life
One of the more important things that a pregnant woman can do for her baby is to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. This diet includes a variety of foods, paying attention to eating adequate protein, calcium, and vitamins. In pregnancy, a woman has the power to directly influence and shape the life of her unborn baby; a healthy diet during pregnancy is one of the most important means by which to do that.
Sources:
Mayoclinic.com "Pregnancy nutrition: Foods to avoid during pregnancy" (Accessed December 5, 2010.)
American Pregnancy Asociation "Listeria and Pregnancy" (Accessed December 5, 2010.)
Sarah Sandifer - Sarah Sandifer is a freelance writer, a teacher, an Army Wife, a home decorator, an avid cook, and an athlete. She loves teaching high ...
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