Pregnancy food, Healthy Pregnancy Diet for Pregnant mother wellness
Food hygiene during pregnancy is very important, because in pregnancy the mother as well as baby has to get nutrition. Here the mother has to serve herself as well as she has to feed her fetus also. The pregnant mother require extra energy, she has to take extra amount, highly nutritious and hygienic Pregnancy food. The pregnant mother has to avoid using certain food, because some foods are very intoxicants and they are harmful to mother as well as for the fetus. The pregnant should include foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. Totally we can say the pregnant mother has to take well balanced diet.
The pregnancy food should be adequate to provide the following
- The pregnancy food should maintain the maternal health.
- The pregnant food should fulfill the needs of the growing fetus.
- The pregnancy food should provide strength and vitality required during labor.
- The pregnancy food should result in Successful lactation.
During pregnancy, there is increased calorie requirement due to increased growth of the maternal tissues, fetus, placenta and increased basal metabolic rate. Pregnant mother should eat Pregnancy food adequately so as to gain the optimum weight.
The pregnancy food ideal should be light, nutritious, easily digestible and rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. The pregnancy food consist in addition to the principal food at least half liter or 1 liter of milk, green vegetables and fruits. The amount of salt should be of sufficient amount to make the food tasty. At least, half of the total protein should be first class protein containing all the amino-acids and majority of the fat should be animal type which contains vitamins A and vitamin D.
Diet advice should be given with due consideration to the socioeconomic condition, food habits and taste of the individual. Pregnant Woman with normal BMI should eat as to maintain the schedule weight gain in pregnancy. The instruction about diet should be reasonable and realistic to individual women. Pregnancy food places a major role in well development of baby.
Supplementary nutritional therapy: As previously mentioned, there is negative iron balance during pregnancy and the dietetic iron is not enough to meet the daily requirement especially in the second half of the pregnancy. Thus supplementary iron therapy is needed for all pregnant mothers from 16 weeks onwards. Above 10 gm% of hemoglobin, 1 tab of ferrous sulphate containing 60 mg of elemental iron is enough. The dose should be proportionately increased with lower hemoglobin level to 2-3 tablets a day. 3 tablets provide 45 mg of absorbable iron. As the essential vitamins are either lacking in the foods or are destroyed during cooking; supplementary vitamins are to be given daily from 20 week onwards. The pregnancy food should consist of iron and folic acid containing foods.
Vitamins, nutrients and food which includes minerals
Pregnancy food includes extra vitamins, minerals, and nutrients these will help the fetus to develop well.
Folate as pregnancy food
Folate is a B vitamin and is very important for the development of the fetus in early pregnancy. It helps in prevention of congenital anomalies like open spina-bifidas. Minimum of 400 micrograms of folic acid is needed daily for a pregnant woman. The pregnancy foods rich in folic acid include breakfast cereals, fruit juices and nutritious drinks and green leaf vegetables.
Iodine as pregnancy food
Iodine is the mineral which is very essential to maintain the body metabolic state and also for the growth and development of the body. Iodine is very essential for the development of the fetal brain and is very important for growing children, if provided the sufficient amount. Iodine supplementation also helps to prevent the goiter. The foods containing iodine are milk and milk products, sea foods, eggs and fish, and by using iodized salt we can obtain the iodine.
Iron as pregnancy food
Iron is one of the very important mineral needed during pregnancy, because the iron helps in the formation of the hemoglobin which carries the oxygen through the blood. So iron is an important pregnancy food. During pregnancy extra amount of iron is needed because there is an increased need of the oxygen for the mother as well as for the fetus. Nearly 40 mg of iron is needed during pregnancy per day.
The diets rich in iron
- Green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, drumstick, and spinach
- Chicken
- Fish
- Some legumes such as lentils, kidney and lima beans
- Eggs
- And eating foods rich in vitamin C will also help in the absorption of the iron in the gut, for example drink orange juices
- And try to avoid drinks such as coffee and tea and cola drinks because they cause reduced absorption of the iron
Calcium as a pregnancy food
Calcium is one of the important mineral needed by the body for development of the skeletal system. The calcium helps in the strengthening of the bones and teeth. It helps to prevent osteoporosis. The daily recommendation of the calcium for the pregnant is about 1000 mg. The foods rich in calcium are milk and milk products, eggs, meat, vegetables etc. So calcium is a good pregnancy food.
Some of the safety guidelines for the maintenance of food hygiene
- Before eating the food the mother should have to wash her hands properly and pregnancy foods should be hygienic.
- Before cooking the food, the raw items should be washed thoroughly to prepare pregnancy food.
- The cooked food should be stored in a well manner that it should away from all insects in the home.
- The pregnancy food should be well cooked for the good softness, it should be easily digestible.