The importance of feeding for a pregnant woman is because of that she is the only source of feeding for her child, what are the ideal feeding rules for pregnant? well, Learn about them in the following article.
During pregnancy, you may have a strong desire to eat pickles and ice cream, this is good if it did mildly. However, remember that everything you eat during pregnancy affects the growing baby in your gut.
During pregnancy, you are the only source of nutrition for your baby, and every food your child needs to eat, only you can ensure that your baby gets the best food.
The role of calories in feeding pregnant women
The importance of feeding for a pregnant woman is in getting enough energy is important for growth and development and for the mother’s ability to cope with stress, such as infection or bleeding episodes.
Additional energy is required during pregnancy to :
Production of new tissues in the fetus and in the mother.
New metabolism required by new tissue.
The growing need for the energy required to move additional body mass during physical activity.
Because a woman’s body mass increases during pregnancy by 20%, strong motor activities require 20% more energy. Therefore, the total amount of calories was calculated to be around 80,000 calories – 300 calories per day.
The energy requirements must be adjusted according to the frequency and volume of physical activity carried out by the pregnant woman. Since energy consumption varies greatly, the optimal indicator of adequate intake is to gain the appropriate weight.
This relatively small increase in daily calories is important for proper pregnancy, and the extra calories required per day are equivalent to about one cup of ice cream or a piece of news with cheese.
An increase in calories in the first half of pregnancy leads to an increase in maternal fat, and fat that is deposited is an important energy supply that supports the growing needs in order to preserve the rapidly growing fetus in the last trimester.
The calories consumed in the second half of pregnancy will support the growing requirements of the pregnant mother for metabolism and physical activity, as well as for the rapid development of the fetus.
The role of proteins in feeding pregnant women
Proteins are one of the most important nutrients in the nutrition of a pregnant woman because they provide the necessary growth factor for body tissues, including a developing baby and placenta and an increase in the volume of mother’s blood and fluid surrounding the baby.
During pregnancy, 3-4 protein meals are recommended daily, and meat, eggs and other foods, such as legumes, are excellent sources of protein.
Fish is a good source of protein and other nutrients, but fish contain mercury that can particularly harm the fetal nervous system, so it is preferable to reduce the amount of fish eaten by the pregnant woman.
Pregnant fish-eating instructions
The US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend that pregnant women follow the following three guidelines within their nutrition:
Eat less than 12 ounces (two medium meals – equivalent to 340 grams) each week of low-mercury fish, and the five most common types of low-mercury fish are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish.
Be careful when you eat white tuna, as it contains more mercury than canned light tuna, so reduce the white tuna to 6 ounces (one medium meal – the equivalent of 170 grams).
New complex tissues are produced during pregnancy at a rate greater than at any other time in a woman’s life, and proteins are essential for this purpose. But during pregnancy, protein requirements cannot be separated from calorie and food requirements.
Recommendations of protein quotas for pregnant women
It is recommended that a pregnant woman consume 70 grams of protein per day, which is approximately 25 grams more than that of a non-pregnant woman daily.
Special dietary adjustments are rarely needed to cope with this increase, as most Americans eat more than the recommended amounts of proteins.
Feeding pregnant women with carbohydrates
Carbohydrates should make up the bulk of the calories you eat, as they are the main source of energy in the body. There are two types of carbohydrates:
Simple or refined carbohydrates.
Like glucose, it is ready for immediate use by the body and provides “instant energy”, examples of which include table sugar, honey, soups, fruit juices, and hard candy, They are not nutritional value, but only add calories to our food.
Consisting of whole grains, potatoes, pulses and beans, the body must break them into simple carbohydrates before they can use them, so they provide a steady supply of energy over a period of time.
Starch-rich foods also provide the fiber that accelerates digestion and helps keep it “regular”.
The role of minerals and vitamins in the health of pregnant women
The importance of vitamins and minerals for the health of pregnant women and the fetus is well known. Why is it important?
Calcium is of great importance in the nutrition of a pregnant woman, and it is involved in the structure of bones and teeth, is available mainly in milk and dairy products, but broccoli and canned fish are also good sources of it as well.
Since most pregnant women eat only 75% of the recommended calcium intake, you may need to increase the amounts of calcium-rich foods in your diet: Cheese, yogurt, yogurt and ice cream are good sources of calcium.
Calcium-rich foods can be added to a pregnant woman’s diet, such as orange juice.
It is recommended that pregnant women eat 4 meals of calcium-rich foods daily.
Iron requirements are nearly doubled in the feeding of pregnant women to 30 mg instead of 15 mg daily. The child and mother need more iron because of:
Increased maternal blood volume.
Iron stock of the child.
Support postpartum requirements.
Red meat, whole grains, bread, cereals, and leafy vegetables – good sources of iron, and iron in meat is absorbed more efficiently. When eating iron-rich food with vitamin C, iron absorption is stimulated.
Vitamins are essential for maternal and child health. Vegetables and fruits are good sources of many vitamins, some of which are rich in vitamin C and others contain vitamins A, B, E, minerals and folic acid.
Although some B vitamins can be obtained by vegetables and fruits, the bulk of B vitamins come from meat, fish, dairy products, cereals, and coconuts.
By eating properly during your pregnancy you will usually get the vitamins and nutrients (except iron, folic acid, and calcium) you need.
It is very important to keep in mind that you should not take too many vitamins, as excessive amounts of certain vitamins (such as vitamin A) can cause birth defects.
During pregnancy, your blood volume and body fluids will almost double, so it’s important to drink enough fluids. The recommended daily amount is 8-10 glasses of water, juice, or milk.
What about caffeine?
Caffeine during pregnancy is controversial, some studies suggest that drinking large amounts of caffeine (found in tea, coffee, soft drinks, and chocolate) may cause problems such as Abortion, Fetal death, Premature birth.
Or it can delay a child’s development and stimulate the appearance of behavioral problems.
But these studies were based on five or more cups of coffee a day, and it seems small amounts of caffeine safe during pregnancy, discuss with your doctor about taking caffeine.