Health & Nutrition
No longer are the views that when you are pregnant, you eat for two or that you shouldn't put
on much weight during pregnancy. These days we now have a better understanding of the
nutritional requirements that pregnancy demands from a woman's body. This section lists a few
principles of a good diet so when it comes time for your next doctor's visit, you have a few basic ideas you
can discuss with them.
So now you have just read some basic principles of a good diet, it is still easy to ask 'So how much of what does my pregnant body require?' Look no further! We have gathered that information for you, so you can sit, put your feet up & read on!
Your doctor may discuss taking supplements to help provide your body with the extra vitamins & minerals it requires to make your magic little bundle. Some of these may include iron, calcium, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Folate, Protein, Zinc & to some extent (about a 10% increase) Magnesium. Pregnant adolescence require more nutrients than an adult woman because their bodies are still developing. This may result in them giving birth to smaller infants because they are competing with the growing foetus for nutrients.
Foods high in Iron include red meat, nuts, legumes, Offal & several vegetables. Also, some breakfast cereals & bread are iron fortified. Iron is better absorbed by the body with the help of vitamin C. If taking iron supplements, take with a glass of orange juice to aid it in it's absorption. There are also some foods that interfere with your bodies ability to take in iron. Some of these are tea, spinach, wholegrain cereals & calcium-rich foods.
Folate, also known as Folic Acid, is probably something you have heard a lot about when discussing nutrition & pregnancy. It's part of the B group of vitamins & the recommended daily intake for a pregnant woman is about 800mg/day. That's double the RDI of a non-pregnant person! If you are carrying twins you need to take more! Women carrying twins have a ten times greater risk of developing folate deficiency. This is definitely something you would need to discuss with your doctor. Insufficient folate intake during pregnancy has been linked to neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in unborn babies. With all the folate fortified foods & drinks now available, it is quite easy to get the RDI you require. Some food rich in folate include oranges, avocados, nuts, leafy green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and asparagus, and legumes & liver.
Calcium is another important ingredient in your baby's recipe & dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, and calcium fortified soy milks are excellent sources of calcium. The RDI of calcium during pregnancy is 1100mg per day; 300mg per day more than for non-pregnant women.
During pregnancy your body needs double the RDI of vitamin C, that's 60mg/day. Foods high in vitamin C include capsicum, tomatoes, orange/grapefruit juice, strawberries, mango, raspberries & broccoli. Vitamin C is very heat sensitive, so cooking foods that contain this vitamin will destroy most of it.
Make sure all your fruits & vegetables are washed before eating them & be sure to follow all food hygiene guidelines to help avoid Listeria (an infection which comes from eating contaminated foods). Some foods to be cautious with or avoid are soft serve ice cream, soft cheeses, raw fish, seafood, soft drinks, foods high in sugar or salt, salad bars, raw or undercooked meat & eggs, & also caffeine. Eat foods that are either hot or cold, esp. with chicken. If you want to buy a roasted chicken from a store, make sure it is hot! Also, it is not recommended that you diet while pregnant. Nourishing a healthy, growing baby is your responsibility, and an imbalanced diet is a very bad idea. Be sure you give your body what it requires to make your little precious gift healthy & strong!
The information contained in the pages of Aradiia.com are a guide only & are not designed to replace medical advice. For any medical advice, see your local Child Health Clinic or doctor