Prenatal Diet Nutrition

The food that a pregnant woman eats is bound to affect not only the nutrition but also the development of her baby. This is the reason why prenatal diets are so important. The mother needs to eat efficiently and well so that she and the baby sail through the pregnancy. What the baby gets in these months by way of nutrition can play a big role in the health profile. Every culture has a definite prenatal diet.

The importance of nutrition at the time of pregnancy is so important that every culture emphasises the importance of eating special foods during pregnancy. The strength and advantage of a good prenatal diet all depends on the mother. For the longest time, prenatal diets meant eating for two. But in today’s health-conscious culture, a healthy prenatal diet is a diet where what the mother eats is more important than how much she eats. If a mother eats wells, she sets up a precedent of a healthy baby, a comfortable pregnancy and a natural birth. An effective prenatal diet also takes care of other chronic health conditions that you might have which could complicate your pregnancy.

All doctors today give pregnant women a prenatal diet plan which includes a menu of what to eat, a diet chart on the portions and the time of the meals along with some exercise, which is also a must for pregnant women. The best prenatal diet is considered to be a healthy prenatal diet. A sample prenatal diet can start with breakfast of a potato cheese scramble and a smoothie with fruit juices and wheat germ. Calcium fortified milk and a whole wheat muffin can be a snack as also crudités with a creamy dip like hummus or cream cheese. Lunch could comprise of a fish sandwich or salad, where the fish you choose can be salmon. You can supplement that sandwich with a salad with one of the healthier grains such as bulgur or quinoa. Half a cantaloupe can make a very tasty dessert if you aren’t fond of dark chocolate. You can have more protein as part of your dinner, in the form of grilled chicken, with lots of vegetables along with a big salad. Homemade date squares can make for a very effective dessert. Though most prenatal diets have nuts and milk as one of the must-haves, you can even follow a vegan prenatal diet or a vegetarian prenatal diet. It is important that you get your protein substitutes. For vegetarians, dairy is a big substitute for protein and for vegan; it would be an increased consumption of nuts and lots of lentils and legumes. You have to make sure you get enough protein as protein is very important for a baby. If you cannot have meat or dairy, you have to find appropriate substitutes. It is important to bring that to your doctor’s notice so that the doctor can give you correct replacements or if required, additional supplements. There are many prenatal dietary supplements that are available and, as the name suggests, supplement the nutrition that you are getting through your food. Sometimes mothers are given folic acid supplements to make up for the limited amount that is consumed through food.

Prenatal Foods to Eat, Avoid

Prenatal foods are not special foods but regular food which is more nutritionally rich and will have better benefits for the unborn child and the mother. Proteins, for instance, are very important and perform the role of building blocks so they are very important for a baby. A prenatal diet ensures that the dietary needs of the mother-to-be are met. The rough foods guide in a prenatal diet tells you that your diet should include protein, healthy fats, and calories. The basic food guide for a prenatal diet should include food rich in folate or folic acid, vitamins and minerals, omega 3 fatty acids, iron, calcium and of course fiber. Some of the best prenatal foods include eggs, cereals, meats especially organ meats like shellfish and liver, and dairy. Leafy green vegetables and deep orange foods are also excellent for a prenatal diet. Fermented vegetables are also very good. Even food made from traditional soaking of grains like sourdough, or beans and legumes not only have a lot of nutrition and good fiber. Iron rich foods like molasses and raisin along with egg yolks and meats help considerably. Including large amounts of fruits and vegetables in your prenatal diet reduces your baby’s chances of allergies later in life. When you are on a prenatal diet, there are some foods that you should avoid. Foods like caffeine in any form, sea food like shark or mackerel, artificial sweetners, raw or unpasteurized cheeses, any form of alcohol or smoking and foods high in fats and sodium are foods that should be avoided by pregnant women. Junk food should definitely be avoided, not only for its high fat and sodium content but also because it is chockfull of preservatives.

Many doctors and even websites can create customized prenatal diets, which monitor the food week by week. Lot of prenatal dietary advice is available in the form of literature as well as on the internet. You might spend the first trimester fighting to keep your food inside. But in the second trimester the baby grows really fast and it becomes very important for you to eat well in the second trimester. In the second trimester, you can increase the good fats you eat. By the third trimester, the baby is growing to its final size and almost everything you eat goes directly to the baby. You need to more vitamins and minerals in the third trimester as all of the body systems of your baby are strengthening. Your body is also readying itself for labor. You should be take calcium supplements in order to strengthen your baby’s bones as well as your own bones. Towards the end of your pregnancy, you are bound to experience a congested feeling owing to the large size of your baby. Due to this your organs are bound to be in a tight squeeze. Make sure that you consume adequate amounts of fiber so as to keep constipation at bay.

Submitted on May 11, 2011