Nutrition Guide for Pregnancy

“A mother does not become pregnant in order to provide employment to medical people. Giving birth is an ecstatic jubilant adventure not available to males. It is a woman's crowning creative experience of a lifetime.”― John Stevenson
What is Pregnancy?
Pregnancy is the condition in which a female is carrying a baby in her womb. This happens after successful fertilization of female’s egg cells by sperms of the male.
Focus on Nutrition
During pregnancy, a woman has not only nurtured herself, but also what she carries in her body has become a means of nurturing her child. This is why a woman needs to be very careful about what she consumes during pregnancy. So the mother needs to take a healthy, wholesome diet keeping in mind the development of the child. It is important to know what to eat during pregnancy. In this article we will introduce you to all the foods that are the best nutrition for pregnancy. However we recommend that you consult your doctor for a proper diet plan.
Major Pregnancy Nutrition
Although all nutritional components are important and are needed in more or less quantity but there are four major nutritional components that are most important to be kept under consideration during pregnancy because they are very important for the health of both the mother and her baby. The four most important nutritional components are mentioned below:
- Iron
- Protein
- Calcium
- Folic Acid
Good Sources
It is crucial to know which foods are rich in which type of nutrients to balance them in your diet. To help you out we have mentioned some amazing sources that have good quantity of high value pregnancy nutrients.
- Protein
Protein is very essential for the growth of the baby in womb. Protein said to be a builder nutrient because it helps to develop the vital organs for baby. A pregnant woman needs approximately 71 grams of protein per day. Here is below the food sources of protein with a suitable amount:
Cheese 226 g
Poultry 86 g
Fish 85 g
Lentils 99 g
Milk 237 g
Eggs 50 g
Peanut Butter 32 g
(Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28)
- Calcium
A baby needs enough amount of calcium for its bone growth; therefore, it is essential for pregnant women to take a sufficient amount of calcium-containing food. During pregnancy if the baby’s development faces the insufficiency of calcium, baby consumes it from mother’s body. This makes mother’s body deficit in calcium that can cause bones problem in the future.
The Calcium containing foods are mentioned below with suitable consumption amount:
Cereal 20-60 g
Juice 237 ml
Milk 237 ml
Yogurt 170 g
Cheese 28 g
Salmon 85 g
Spinach 95 g
- Iron and Folic Acid
It is very important to give the baby the right amount of blood and oxygen during pregnancy, which means that the amount of minerals a pregnant woman intake is needed to be more than that before pregnancy. This is because in pregnancy your body consumes iron twice than what it consumes your normal routine. Your body does not make iron itself and Iron deficiency in pregnancy can lead to anemia. Moreover, folic acid is vitamin B which helps to prevent the abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. So you need to give the body a fair amount of iron, folic acid and supplements, and the intake of food rich in iron should be enhanced.
The suitable food sources in pregnancy that are rich in iron are the following:
Green Leafy Spinach, collard green, broccoli and kale (3 mg per 1/2 cup cooked greens)
Dry Fruits Apricots, figs and prune (1 mg per ¼ cup)
Grains Beans, peas and lentils, cereals (4 to 6 mg)
Meat Red meat, liver, chicken and lamb (2-3 mg per ounce)
Egg Yolk 1 mg per large egg
Wheat Bread O.5 mg per slice
Fruits Raspberries, Diced potatoes (0.8 mg per cup)
Iron supplements are also prescribed by doctors if there is any risk of anemia in pregnancy.
Things to Avoid
Although eating healthy nutrient is important during pregnancy, it is also essential to avoid a lot of food that can prove to be harmful such as alcohol, fish with a high amount of mercury in it, the unpasteurized food, raw meat, and undercooked food. These foods can cause serious hazards in the development of various body organs of the baby.
In conclusion, taking in a well-calculated and right nutrition during pregnancy is very crucial for both mother’s health and baby’s development.