Baby Care

Rational nutrition is one of the main factors determining the physical health of everyone. And for the future mother’s nutrition is a necessary condition for normal fetal development, adequate course of pregnancy, health and wellness.
Diet for pregnant women
Pregnant women and then nursing mothers tastes and desires can change quite frequently. But long-term scientific observations allowed identifying common standards of nutrition in pregnancy, necessary for normal fetal development. A pregnant woman can satisfy all the nutritional needs only with the help of a balanced diet. Excessive or unbalanced diet during pregnancy causes a serious threat to the baby’s well-being.

Pregnant woman’s healthy diet: eat “live” food; eat more fruits, vegetables, herbs, edible wild herbs, nuts, germinated cereals. It is also important to exclude or limit the usage of fried food, which irritates the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, as well as salt. Don’t forget to monitor weight, blood and urine pressure. Development of a newborn depends on how a mother eats during pregnancy.

FEATURES of PREGNANCY DIET

Every day a pregnant woman needs proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber and other important substances. Therefore, the diet of a pregnant woman should include all main food groups:
- Meat (preferably beef, lean, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, rabbit, but not sausages or hot dogs);
- Fish and fish products (preferably low-fat varieties – cod, hake, etc.);
- Milk and dairy products (including yogurt, cheese, sour cream, curds, etc.);
- Bread (preferably from rye flour or bran) and bakery products;
- Cereals (preferably oatmeal and buckwheat), and pasta;
- Dietary fat (20-40 g butter and 15-20 g vegetable fat – sunflower, corn, soy, olive oil).

During pregnancy, adequate consumption of vegetables (300-500 grams a day) and fruit (preferably not less than 200 g per day) is very necessary during pregnancy. Sugar and confectionery products (preferably marshmallows, candy, low-fat cakes) should be consumed in limited quantities (up to 60-80 grams per day).

Particularly useful vegetables are: carrots, beets, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, dill, celery, and it is better to limit the usage of potatoes, cabbage. From fruit are recommended apples, pears, apricot, plum, cherry, peach, banana, they should be more attentive with citrus, kiwi, grapefruit, mango.

Pregnant women must get the right amount of vitamins and multielements, they also need extra multivitamins which are made especially for pregnant women and contain all the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements. 3-6 months before planning pregnancy, a woman with her husband should take folic acid (100 mcg 4 times a day for the prevention of malformations of the nervous system of the fetus and continue using it in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy) or a complex of vitamins for pregnant women with folic acid. Multivitamins also must be taken in the period of pregnancy and breast-feeding.

PREGNANCY DIET AND MULTIELEMENTS

Calcium and iron are very important. Calcium is necessary for the formation of the musculoskeletal system of the fetus. When there is insufficient flow of calcium from food this can lead to lower bone density (osteoporosis).

The main sources of calcium are milk and dairy products: yogurt, curds, especially cheese.
Insufficiency of dietary iron is the main cause of widespread anemia among pregnant women, and later among infants. Therefore, pregnant women should receive adequate amount of iron that is derived mainly from meat, fish, liver, apples and other fruit, cereals. Women in the second half of pregnancy need to receive 30 mg of dietary iron. Therefore they need additional oral iron or iron-containing vitamin-mineral complexes.

Iodine is a part of the thyroid hormones. It is required from the third month of pregnancy. Sources of iodine are: iodized salt, sea kale, sea fish.

Endocrinologists recommend pregnant women to take drugs which contain iodine.

Zinc is involved in the formation of fetal bones, and with its lack, a child may be born too small. Sources of zinc: fish oil, nuts, onion, pumpkin seeds, peas and beans.

PREGNANCY DIET: WHAT AND HOW?

Pregnant women in the second half of pregnancy should gain 300 grams of vitamins per week, and for the entire period of pregnancy should it should reach 10-12 kg.
Pregnant women must use cereals (wheat, buckwheat, oats), whole-grain bread, various vegetables (beets, carrot), fruit and berries (especially cherry, apple, plum), dried fruits in order to get sufficient number of dietary fiber.

As we have already said pregnant women should limit salt (up to 7-8 grams per day).

Just like during pregnancy, during breast-feeding mothers should limit or completely exclude certain food from their diet. This is especially important if a child is only breastfed, there are adverse reactions such as unstable stool, frequent regurgitation, bloating, skin rashes. These products are chocolate, coffee, whole milk, citrus fruit. In addition, some products (onion, garlic, spices) can give unusual smell and taste to milk, because of which the child can refuse the breast. During the entire period of breastfeeding, women should continue taking additional specialized vitamin and mineral complexes and products mentioned above.

In conclusion, it must be said that good food and rest are key components of mother’s and child’s health.