Dr.Nahed Aljumaily
Nutrition during pregnancy
During the last six months of pregnancy you need about 300 extra
calories each day to provide the weight gain recommended during
pregnancy. Eating a well balanced diet each day is one of the best
ways to make certain you and your baby are getting all the needed
nutrients to support growth and development.
Protein
You need to increase your protein intake from about 45 grams per day to
about 60 grams per day during pregnancy because protein is necessary for
the growth of your baby. Foods that supply protein come from both animal
and plant sources.
Folic acid
Folic; acid, also known as folate, is a B vitamin that is important for pregnant
women. Before pregnancy and during pregnancy, you need 400 micrograms
of folic acid daily to help prevent major birth defects of the fetal brain and
spine called
neural tube defects
. Current dietary guidelines recommend that
pregnant women get at least 600 micrograms of folic acid daily from all
sources. It may be hard to get the recommended amount of folic acid from
food alone. For this reason, all pregnant women and all women who may
become pregnant should take a daily vitamin supplement that contains folic
acid.
Iron
Iron is used by your body to make a substance in red blood cells that carries
oxygen to your organs and tissues. During pregnancy, you need extra iron—
about double the amount that a non pregnant woman needs. This extra iron
helps your body make more blood to supply oxygen to your
fetus
. The daily
recommended dose of iron during pregnancy is 27 mg, which is found in
most prenatal vitamin supplements. You also can eat iron-rich foods,
including; lean red meat, poultry, fish, dried beans and peas, iron-fortified
cereals, and prune juice. Iron also can be absorbed more easily if iron-rich
foods are eaten with vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus fruits and tomatoes.
Calcium
Calcium is used to build your fetus's bones and teeth. All women, including
pregnant women, aged 19 years and older should get 1,000 mg of calcium
daily; those aged 14–18 years should get 1,300 mg daily. Milk and other
dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, are the best sources of calcium. If
you have trouble digesting milk products, you can get calcium from other
sources, such as broccoli; dark, leafy greens; sardines; or a calcium
supplement
.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D works with calcium to help the fetus’s bones and teeth develop. It
also is essential for healthy skin and eyesight. All women, including those
who are pregnant, need 600 international units of vitamin D a day. Good
sources are ;milk fortified with vitamin D and fatty fish such as salmon.
Exposure to sunlight also converts a chemical in the skin to vitamin D.
Water
You need around 8 - 12 cups of fluids to keep your body well hydrated,
decrease your risk for urinary tract infections.
Caffeine
Take it in moderate amounts. Keep in mind that it crosses the placenta to
your baby. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola soft drinks, energy drinks,
and chocolate. Excess caffeine can lead to dehydration.
Weight gain
The recommended weight gain depends on your weight before pregnancy.
Generally, women with an average weight should add 11 - 16 kilograms.
Overweight women, on the other hand, should aim for 7 - 11 kilograms
weight gain, unlike underweight mothers who should aim for 13 - 18
kilograms weight gain. If pregnant with twins, it is normal to gain 14 - 24
kilograms.
• Pregnancy is not a good time to diet or try to lose weight.
nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy
Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy commonly occurs between 5 and 18
weeks of pregnancy. Between 50 and 90 percent of women with normal
pregnancies have some degree of nausea, with or without vomiting. The
severity of these symptoms can vary and can last for various periods of time.
nausea is caused by high levels of pregnancy hormones flooding your body.
Now that you’re pregnant, your body is producing the hormone human
chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in large quantities. This hormone makes sure
that your baby gets what he needs from your body in the early weeks. Once
the placenta takes over nourishing your baby, hCG levels drop and your
nausea should ease.
Other hormones can contribute to nausea and sickness in pregnancy, such as
oestrogen and possibly stress hormones, such as cortisol.
"Morning sickness" is the term often used to describe mild nausea and
vomiting that occurs due to pregnancy (and not due to other illness), while
"hyperemesis gravidarum" is the term used to describe a more severe
condition. Hyperemesis may cause you to vomit multiple times throughout
the day, lose weight, be unable to consume food and liquids, and typically
requires evaluation in the hospital and treatment with medication(s). To ease
the effects of nausea:
Eat small frequent meals.
Avoid having an empty stomach or a feeling of hunger.
Avoid strong odors.
Eat crackers.
Smell fresh lemons.
Indigestion during late pregnancy
Indigestion, also called heartburn or acid reflux, is common in pregnancy. It
can be caused by hormonal changes and the growing baby pressing against
your stomach
.
Suggestions help to reduce the burning feeling of stomach:
Eat small frequent meals.
Do not lie down after eating.
Raise your head and shoulders if lying down.
Avoid wearing tight fitting clothes.
Avoid food and drinks that cause you discomfort, such as fried foods,
coffee, etc.
Constipation during pregnancy
Pregnant women experience constipation partly because of high levels of
progesterone. "This hormone causes the muscles in the wall of the bowel to
relax so they are not making the contractions needed to help move things
along, Plus, as your pregnancy progresses, your uterus enlarges and presses
down on your bowels, which can slow their ability to empty.
To prevent
constipation:
Drink 8 glasses of water per day.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (with peels).
Include whole grains in your meal plan.
Be active every day.