A healthy diet when Pregnant.

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Nicola Richardson Home economics coursework

What do we mean by a healthy diet?

A healthy diet will benefit your baby even before it is conceived. A healthy diet can be achieved by following guidelines which are based upon the following 5 food groups:

  1. Bread, other cereals and potatoes.

  • These foods should be the main part of your diet.
  • They are good sources of carbohydrate, protein and vitamin B.
  • Low in fat and filling.
  • Try and choose a high fibre variety, which contain more vitamins and minerals and breakfast cereals which have extra iron and folic acid added.

  1. Fruit and vegetables.

  • Eat at least five portions per day.
  • They provide vitamin C, carotene and some of the B vitamins.

    3.Meat, fish and alternatives.

  • Eat moderate amounts.
  • Choose lower fat versions.
  • They are major sources of protein, vitamins and minerals.
  • When pregnant eat red meat, it is high in iron. Only eat meat if it is well done  to prevent food Poisoning.

    4. Milk and dairy products.

  • Eat or drink moderate amounts.
  • Choose low fat versions.
  • Avoid blue-veined cheeses.
  • These foods are high in calcium and a good source of protein.
  • Avoid using UHT milk as it has a lower amount of vitamins.
  • Use fresh milk whenever possible.

5. Foods containing fat and sugar.

  • Eat sparingly.

Eating well before you are pregnant gives your body a store of nutrients for your baby, especially if you have a poor appetite during the first couple of weeks of pregnancy.

Try to be the correct weight for your height. Some underweight women have trouble getting pregnant. Being overweight shouldn’t prevent you from getting pregnant, but you may have increased tiredness and back problems during pregnancy.

It is not advised that you try to lose weight while you are pregnant unless your doctor or midwife advises you to. A women of normal weight does not need any extra calories during the first 6 months of pregnancy and then only an extra 200 calories a day during the last three months.

Smoking.

If you smoke you should try to give up. Smoking may affect fertility and it also has harmful effects on the developing baby. If you can’t give up then at least try and cut down the amount you have.

Alcohol.

Limit your alcohol intake to no more than 8 units a week and no more than 2 units a day.

Exercise.

Exercise is essential in order to get your body into a healthy condition before and during your pregnancy. It is also good for the developing baby. Walking or swimming are ideal because they can be continued whilst you are pregnant  and wont do any harm to your baby.

 

Before Pregnancy.

Eating well before  you get pregnant can increase the likely hood of a trouble free pregnancy and helps give your baby a healthy start in life.

  • You must make sure you are getting a good supply of folic acid to help the development of your babies organs and tissues and has been shown to reduce the risk of apinal defects such as Spina Bifida.
  • Exercise moderately while you are pregnant try walking or swimming.
  • Quit smoking or cut down if you can’t stop. Smoking affects your babies development and growth.
  • Limit your intake of alcohol you should drink no more than 1 or 2 units once or twice a week.

During pregnancy.

Eat regular meals and if you are hungry inbetween then eat more starchy foods e.g. potatoes or pasta.

The old wives tale ‘Eating for two’ is not true, you should only increase your food intake in the last few months. Even then a healthy women of normal weight should only eat 200 extra calories.

Foods to avoid when Pregnant.

  • Vitamin A- Very high intakes of vitamin A (Retinol) during pregnancy may damage the developing baby. It is recommended that if you are planning a pregnancy you should avoid taking supplements or eating foods high in Retinol e.g. Liver, cod liver oil. Foods high in carotene (another form of vitamin A) are fine or a pregnant women to take and will not damage to baby.
  • Limit caffeine- Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cocoa and some fizzy drinks. Try and only drink upto 5 cups of coffee per day or 10 cups of tea.
  • Limit alcohol- Try not to have more than 8 units a week and no more than 2 units a day.
  • Stop smoking-If you can’t stop then cut down as much as you can.

Food poisoning.

Food poisoning and infections can occur in pregnancy and on rare occasions can harm our baby. You can take precautions to avoid infections like Listeriosis and Salmonella from foods and animals.

  • Listeriosis- is very rare. Can cause illness resembling mild flu in the mother. Can cause miscarrage or severe illness in he newborn baby. It is found in blue-veined cheeses, pate,cooked-chilled meals and ready-cooked poultry.

  • Toxoplasmosis-Is very rare. Ifound in raw meat and cat faeces which can seriously affect an unborn child.

  • Salmonella- is very common. Is linked with raw poulty and meat and raw or lightly cooked eggs. Salmonella is not a disease which can pass through to your baby but it is advised that you avoid an infection during your pregnancy.

It is also a good idea to avoid sweets, cakes, sugar and soft drinks as tese provide extra calories without giving many nutrients.

During pregnancy over-the-counter medicines and tablets shuld be avoided unless given by your doctor. A vitamin suppliment should not be needed if a good balanced diet is followed.

Folic Acid.

Folic acid (folate) occurs naturally in foods. An increased intake of folate may prevent neural tube handicaps such as Spina Bifidia. Try to eat 300 microgrammes of folate a day. Good sources of folate are fortified breads and cerials and vegetables.

A deficiency of Folate when you are pregnant can lead to birth defects.

Vitamins.

Vitamin B12 is essential to the growth and development of the baby. If good amounts of dairy products, eggs and fortified yeast extracts are included in your diet, then you should have enough of this vitamin

Protein.

There is no need to increase your protein intake, aslong as it follows general healthy guidelines and includes some poultry, dairy products, nuts and pulses.

Fibre.

It is important to increase your fibre intake when you are pregnant. Pregnant women often suffer from constipation. To avoid problems, increase your fibre intake by eating lots of fruit and vegetables. Remember to also increase fluid intake to help the fibre to do its work in keeping your digerstive system working healthily.

Breast feeding.

A mother who is breast feeding needs extra energy and nutrients. Some of this requirement is supplied by the diet. Only a small amount of extra food is needed. Using stores of energy which were kept during pregnancy can help the mother return to her natural weight.

Conception and early pregnancy.

Being a healthy body weight is important before pregnancy. Being underweight can make it difficult to conceive. It can also make it more likely that the baby will have a low birth weight ans as a result have a greater risk of ill health. Being extremely over weight will increase the isk of complications like high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy.

After Conception.

During pregnancy a woman’s nutritional needs increase because the diet must provide enough energy and nutrients to meet the mothers needs and provide extra for growth of the mothers baby.

0-3 months.

During the first 3 months of pregnancy, most women don’t need to eat more food than normal. The bady will become more effective at absorbing and using nutrients provided by the food. This is also when the pregnanct women usually feels different and may experience tiredness as well as feeling sick in the mornings.

3-6 Months.

This is when the pregnant women’s appitite usually increases. Extra calories that are needed at this time should be met by eating Cereals, pulses, nuts and seeds, dairy products and starchy vegetables such as potatoes.

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6-9 Months

The baby is mature now and this is a time for the pregnant women to ease up on activity and prepare for the birth. The baby takes up a lot of space and may press on the women’s stomach, reducing the space for food. Many women feel that they need to eat small meals more frequently. The  average energy requirement increases in the last 3 months of the pregnancy. This energy is stored as the women eases up on activity and prepares for birth. The energy stored will help when it comes to the time of giving ...

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