Nutrition is key to a healthy pregnancy and baby

Rate it!

Currently 2.333333 /5 Stars.
1
2
3
4
5

Nutrition is Key to a Healthy Pregnancy and Baby Pre-Pregnancy:
Planning to conceive begins with preparing your body to provide the best environment and nourishment for the fetus to grow and develop fully to term. Eating specific foods well before pregnancy ensures that you and your baby start out right. Significant nutrients for pre pregnancy are B-Complex Vitamins, especially folic acid and Vitamin-C and also minerals like calcium and iron.

Being overweight or underweight can also delay conception and unless the optimal weight is reached a woman may not get pregnant. A woman or her spouse who are other wise healthy but smoke or drink may also have issues with conceiving as it might reduce sperm count in males or interfere with ovulation and menstrual cycles in females.

Both the man and woman need to eat the right foods during pre pregnancy. A quick visit to a dietitian can set it right as a well balanced diet and exercise regimen helps the body to have the right chemical balances and nutrients to conceive.

Here are some basic tips -

Don't smoke or drink alcohol. Limit caffeine
Ensure you get enough vitamins - specially folic acid**
Maintain a healthy weight - On average you need only 100-300 calories extra daily when pregnant.
Try to get health problems such as diabetes under control
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day
Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, & whole grains.

** Folic acid helps protect a baby from birth defects of the brain and spinal cord (spina bifida) that can occur in the first trimester (or even before you even know you're pregnant).

NutritionVista

Previous Page Next Page

User Comments

28 April, 2012 | Varsha Panday | Reply

What's a healthy weight gain in pregnancy?

28 April, 2012 | Farha | Reply

Should I not take some supplements during pregnancy?

30 April, 2012 | Poonam | Reply

Dear Ms Farha,
A healthy pregnancy diet promotes good growth and development of the baby. The basic principles of healthy eating remain the same, but, some nutrients need special attention.
Most pregnant women benefit from taking supplements of folic acid, calcium and iron to ensure that they do not suffer from any deficiencies. These need special attention because:
Folic acid prevents neural tube defects in the baby.
Calcium is needed for healthy and strong bones and teeth for both the mom and baby. Calcium also helps the circulatory, nervous and muscular systems.
Since the volume of blood doubles during pregnancy, iron is needed to prevent anemia.
Your gynaecologist will advise you on the right dose and timing for these supplements. You must be very particular about these supplements because any lack of these nutrients can have long term adverse effects on you and your baby.
We wish you a healthy pregnancy!

28 April, 2012 | Mrinal | Reply

Dear Farha,
Please do not stop taking any supplements your doctor has recommended. Your physician knows best what your body's needs are. This article is bringing awareness to the need to ensure that your baby is getting the necessary nutrients to grow and develop well. Basic supplements like multivitamins, folic acid supplements or for iron deficiency anemia are some of the supplements your physician may prescribe. But do be careful of taking any supplements you may see advertized in magazines or TV etc. There are other supplements that can cause harm - so always ask your doctor before you try any supplement on your own.
Meanwhile, eat healthy, balanced food and get in some gentle exercise and enjoy this beautiful time before you become a mother. Good luck.

28 April, 2012 | Vijayalakshmi Iyengar | Reply

Listen to your body signals. Your own appetite is the best indication of how much food you need to eat and you may find it fluctuating during the course of your pregnancy:
* In the initial weeks in fact even before you find out you are pregnant you may not feel like eating proper meals, especially if it is your first pregnancy. You may suffer from nausea or extreme drowsiness or even sickness. Try then to eat smaller but more frequent meals throughout the day.It would be good to see what you can tolerate and eat that. Usually it is foods like fruits, both fresh and dry, nuts, dry toast etc
* During the middle part of your pregnancy your appetite will usually come back with a bang. You may be hungry and feel like eating more than usual. This is the time you focus on eating healthy foods as mentioned in the article both in terms of type and amount.
* Towards the end of your pregnancy your appetite will probably increase. If you suffer from acidity, heartburn or a full feeling after eating you may find it helpful to have small frequent meals and have plenty of water too.
Focus on this sub topic `How many servings should I eat from each food group?
The best rule is to eat when you are hungry and to choose healthy food rather than calorie-rich dishes with little nutritive value.

Post Comments

Contact Name:

E-mail:

(Will show your Gravatar icon)

Comments:

Notify me when new comments are added

User Rules

Dear User,

This is to inform you that this part of the site is moderated, and your comments will be published after the approval of the moderators. Your text comments can be modified or deleted at any time. All comments that are posted are moderated by paid employees to ensure appropriate behavior and monitor and prevent abuse and disrespect of users and readers. The moderators also ensure that all questions asked are forwarded to and responded by employees in a timely manner and by the appropriate and qualified employees. The moderators are the dietitians listed under "The NV Dietetic Team"

All users are by default considered as non medical professionals, unless explicitly stated. If you are a health professional giving medical information as a platform user, please list your status as a medical professional so as to be clearly identified.

Please note - We recommend you not include any personal data and will remove all advertising for a site or product.

All platform users and moderators must behave at all times with respect and honesty. If comments are inappropriate moderators may intervene and if a platform users is banned they will be warned or notified before being banned.

Please note regarding response time - The moderator’s is notified automatically with details the instant a comment is posted.

'The information provided on the NutritionVista.com website is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between a patient and his/her own physician.' The minimum age for the use or participation in these platforms is 18 years of age and is strictly adhered to. By posting a comment all users of this platform undertake to disseminate only information that is true and correct in light of their knowledge.

Tags: Anemia, Eat Healthy, Gestational Diabetes, Healthy Foods, Nutrition, Nutritional Myths, Nutritional Supplements, Pregnancy / Lactation, Vitamins & Supplements, Women's Health

© 2007 - 2024 NutritionVista.com. All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. All articles and content written by the Nutritionvista.com team for NutritionVista.com are the sole property of J.L.S Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. Content may not be copied without express permission to do so. If you want to link back to an article, please ensure a working link to the article title is used and is functioning at all times.