Pregnancy Nutrition Essay
Pregnancy Nutrition Essay
This is the time when women take more care of their health, nutrition and lifestyle to ensure a healthy baby. The healthy habit acquired during this phase of life is beneficial for not only the mother but also her baby to preserve a healthy body throughout their lives. Pregnancy Nutrition Essay.Scientific explanations to this concept also revealed that the food habits and the good lifestyle adopted during the prenatal phase by the expecting mothers have long term significance on the life of both the mother and her child. A healthy diet with nutritional value as per the body requirements of the mother ensures that the baby gets a healthy beginning during its infancy. Conceptually, proper nutritional diet for proper growth of the baby, regular physical activity and proper sleep are few suggestive measures that help in ensuring the health of both (Alberta, 2012). Discussion Healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle are the major prerequisite for pregnant women. During the pregnancy phase, women body undergoes many biological changes and hence requires special care and attention. Hence, to stay healthy and safe become the major priorities during pregnancy as this would help to have a comfortable nine months of prenatal phase (Ludwig Currie, 2010). During pregnancy, women need to eat food from various sources to make sure that all the necessary minerals, vitamins and nutrients are consumed in adequate quantity to have a proper development of baby. It is worth mentioning in this context that underweight and/or overweight might cause severe impacts on the healthy growth of the baby and can even hinder the certainty of a normal delivery process. thus, causing immense effects on the mother’s health too. In a recent report by Boston Children’s Hospital (2013) revealed that while underweightedness of mother in the prenatal phase may cause the birth of a child suffering malnutrition, overweightedness of the mother can similarly act as a major and unpreventable cause for childhood obesity. Therefore, to maintain a proper weight a proper diet is to be maintained along with performing proper physical activity (Ludwig Currie, 2010). The nutrients that are particularly important during pregnancy are the folic acid, iron and vitamins, calcium, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids (Safe Food, 2008). Stating precisely, consumption of folic acid is important to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Pregnancy Nutrition Essay. This acid intake helps to avoid conditions such as spina bifida or other neural deficiencies, which can affect the spine of the baby and its healthy growth. During the early pregnancy, formation of the baby spine takes place, which requires a proper intake of folic acid. In this context, recent researches such as Sure?n, Roth, Bresnahan, Haugen, Hornig, Hirtz, … Stoltenberg (2013) and University of Granada (2013) depicted empirical results showing a strong dependency of mothers’ consumption of folic acid as regular dietary supplement and the psychological development of the child. Experimental research conducted in Sure?n, Roth, Bresnahan, Haugen, Hornig, Hirtz, … Stoltenberg (2013) further elaborated the fact that folic acid consumption can reduce autism risks within the child. Additionally, eating food rich in folates helps in proper nourishment of the fetus. Few good sources of folates are green
A healthy diet is very important because the deficiency of some nutrients can cause various adverse effects for both, mother and the fetus. Pregnancy Nutrition Essay. It is know that the mother and the baby compete for the same nutrients and calories, and for this reason it is necessary that mothers have a balanced diet of nutrients for you and your baby. Most nutritional and…show more content…
This diet will then be related to different factors like, with the women’s weight before I got pregnant, the gestation period, with the frequency at which the pregnant women practiced activity and weight gain during pregnancy.
As for the foods listed, the best guarantee for good nutritionduring pregnancy is a varied diet rich in meat and fruit. For according to the opinion of several experts is the food that the baby finds the important source of vitamins, minerals and as many other nutrients considered essential to the developing fetus and these foods are concentrated large amounts of vitamins and minerals.
In the other hand when it comes to breastfeeding, the diet should also have some care, the ideal is to drink plenty of fluids, but not coffee, tea, food dye, light food, sweeteners and chocolate, do not eat too much garlic and seasonings strong, not taking any medication without a prescription, no smoking, no drinking alcohol and eating fish two to three times a week to help in your diet.
Among the components found in food most important to the healthy development of the fetus during pregnancy are, the vitamin A, C, D and E, folic acid, carbohydrates, iron, niacin thiamine, pyridoxine, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Pregnancy Nutrition Essay.
Vitamin A helps cell development, bone growth and formation of the tooth bud of the fetus, and interferes in the development of eye tissue and the immune system of
While women who are pregnant increase their caloric intake to accommodate for the developing fetus, this increase should only be around 300-calorie/day (Ricci, 2013). M.C.’s total caloric intake for the day was 2,008 calories, which was within the parameters of her recommended 2,200 calories. However, her intake of the various food groups was not as balanced as it should be. Her grain and dairy intake were the two areas lacking. During the 24-hour time frame she consumed only 3 oz. of grain compared to the recommended 7 oz. M.C.’s dairy intake was about half of the recommended amount of 3 cups. Her protein and fruit intake however, were over the recommended amounts. Her fruit intake was at 3 ¼ cups compared to 2 cups and her protein intake was 16 oz. compared to the recommended 6 oz. The only area that met the target serving was the vegetable category, which amounted to 3 cups comparable to the 3¼ cup recommended for the daily intake. Additionally, she consumed a sufficient amount of water and stated that she is diligent in taking her prenatal vitamins daily. Pregnancy Nutrition Essay.
M.C. is on the right track with her keeping her caloric intake within the recommended amount. However, she does need some counseling with modifying the intake of several of the food groups. The foods in the areas she is lacking are vital to the development of the fetus. Whole grains are excellent sources of both folic acid and iron, two very important nutrients that contribute to reducing neural tube defects in the fetus as well as helping prevent iron deficiency anemia of the mother (USDA, 2014b). M.C. can increase her intake of grains by adding a cup of whole grain rice with her lunch or adding a snack of a couple of ounces of dry cereal into her daily diet. Her dietary intake of dairy was also an area lacking. According to Brantsaeter et al., prenatal dairy intake, especially cow’s milk, can. Pregnancy Nutrition Essay.
