Healthier the mother, healthier will be the child! Mother becomes the natural reserve of essential nutrients for the child during pregnancy and lactation. Whatever the mother consumes is indirectly being fed to the child through placenta.
Proper nutrition leads to healthier, larger babies with less or no complexity and defects whatsoever. No nutrient should be given less importance to or neglected. Every vitamin and nutrient plays its own role in foetal development and infant growth. However overeating should be well averted too, and a perfect balance of blood pressure, weight and body sugar must be maintained to avoid any deformity in the new born.
Fiber enriched food
Constipation, gastric and abdominal pain are a very common problems found in pregnant women. Best way to deal with it is including a lot of fiber rich food in your diet chart. This will not only help with the bowel movements but also help you with the essential nutrients intake for the body. Junk food or fast food that we consume from joints are rich in calories only with no or minimal nutritional value.
While including food rich in fiber in your intake will also keep a check on excess weight gain, bloating, blood pressure and diabetes. Green leafy vegetables are a good source of fiber rich food, apart from this avocado, apple, whole wheat food products, other fruits, corn, maize, chickpeas, flax seeds are few other resources rich in fibre content. Having excess of anything is bad, and so is it in this case. Excess intake of fiber enriched food may lead to diarrhoea or flatulence.
Folic acid enriched food
In addition to eating folic acid rich food it is also important to take supplements of folic acid on a regular basis. Folic acid is responsible for rapid cell division and growth of infants when in womb. It is also required to synthesize DNA , and plays a pivotal in developing of nervous system, brain and spinal cord of the foetus.
Avocados, citrus fruits, legumes, sunflower seeds are naturally rich in folic acid. Avocados can be mixed with salads or curry, sunflower roasted seeds can be consumed with raisins as a healthy snack or whole wheat tortillas are good snacking options for meeting the dietary requirement of folic acid. Ministry of Health prescribes an additional medicinal intake of folic acid dose on regular basis to avoid bearing an anaemic or defective child.
Iron enriched food
Lack of iron enriched food intake is very common in the first few weeks of pregnancy. But this has adverse effects on the health of mother and child. Not only the chances get higher of the child being anaemic, it can also adversely affect the brain of the child, and thus the chances of his normalcy are affected. It is also an important element in synthesising of red blood cells, supply of oxygen to cells and for developing bones. It is naturally found in chickpeas, beans, seafood, red meat, oat and wheat. Cooking food in cast iron utensils is a great way to include iron in daily meal.
Protein enriched food
As kids we’ve all studied that proteins are building blocks of the body. This is taught to us since our elementary school, a PhD is not required for this basic knowledge. Amino acids in proteins play a vital role in baby’s growth, more so from 4th month onwards.
Till the third month very basic organs are formed, but the baby starts growing and developing fast only in the second trimester of the pregnancy. Protein is essential for production and development of new cells. Less intake of protein may affect the foetal brain along with body mass of the new born. Food elements rich in protein are legumes, soy and dairy products, fish, meat poultry and nuts.
Calcium enriched food
Calcium is an important supplement for would be mother’s as it helps in developing of heart rhythm, growth of stronger teeth, bones, healthy nerves and muscles. It also helps in blood clotting. As most of the organs are formed in three months including the heart it is very important to increase your intake of milk from the very beginning, since milk is a natural source for calcium.
Though there are many drugs available over the counter to replenish our body with the requisite dose of calcium, but it is best when taken from naturally available resources like curd, cheese, sesame seeds, spinach, almonds. These food resources are easily available and can be consumed with regular diet with no unease.
Drinks that can be consumed at party
Alcohol drinks are a strict no no! Be it your 21st birthday or golden jubilee, but the rule stands unchanged, however special the occasion be. Water is the safest and most constructive bet. It not only quenches thirst but also washes of all toxins and aids in digestion and bowel movements. But when out for a party and options are few you can switch to non-alcoholic drinks like soda, virgin mary, non alcoholic champagne, mock tail, herbal drinks etc. Caffeine too should be averted when pregnant as it causes dehydration, and is also said to be responsible for miscarriages.
Foodstuff to be avoided during pregnancy
As mentioned above alcohol sure is topmost in the list of avoidable, but you’ll be surprised to know there are plenty more of them. Unpasteurised milk or cheese either can be harmful for the child. Consuming mercury containing fishes for example shark, swordfishes etc can lead to a permanent damage to the foetal brain.
Raw eggs and raw meat are not any less harmful either; they could be carriers of bacteria and parasites which can cross the placenta and cause deformity in growth and development of the child. Smoked seafood, or fishes from contaminated water bodies along with undercooked waterborne animals consumption can lead to diseases and make our bodies prone to infections and illness, which can adversely affect the baby in ways more than one. On a lighter but important note junk food should be consumed in minimal quantities.
Photo Credit: Thebestpregnant.com
How To Get Right Nutrition During Pregnancy
Healthier the mother, healthier will be the child! Mother becomes the natural reserve of essential nutrients for the child during pregnancy and lactation. What
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2025-04-05
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