Healthy Foods for Pregnant Women

Good nutrition during pregnancy will help you and your baby to stay healthy. The need for certain nutrients such as calcium, iron and folic acid increases during pregnancy, but just need a little extra energy (kilojoules). Women should be encouraged to eat nutritious foods and weight control during pregnancy. Normal weight gain is around 10-13 kg for women before pregnancy ideal weight.Healthy Foods for Pregnant Women
The choice of food varies greatly it is important to meet the needs of good nutrition for pregnant women and for infants who were conceived. Try to eat:• Vegetables and fruits, whole wheat bread, cereals in bulk• Low-fat dairy products and lean meats in moderation• Foods high in fat, sugar and salt in small quantities• Lean meats, chicken and fish• Dried beans, lentils• Nuts and seeds• Low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt• green leafy vegetables• Folic acid supplementsAs with any healthy diet, supplements are recommended to consume folic acid before conception and during the first trimester to help reduce the risk of neural tube defects (neural tube defects) such as spina bifida.
Anemia and Iron IntakeThe gestation period led to the increased demand for iron. Developing fetus taken a number of iron from the mother until 5-6 months after birth so that the need for iron increases during pregnancy.Loss of iron during pregnancy tends to decrease because pregnant women do not menstruate so they can absorb the iron from the gut better. Advised to consume foods that are a source of iron each day (eg red meat), and also consume foods that are sources of vitamin C (like oranges) to help iron absorption.
Recommended Daily Intake of IronRecommended Daily Intake or Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of iron for pregnant women is 22-36 mg (10-20 mg higher than non-pregnant women). The number of these needs depends on the amount of iron stored in the body of a woman before she was pregnant. If the amount of 'savings' very little iron, then women need more intake from supplements. But keep in mind that iron supplements can cause constipation.CalciumRDI of calcium for pregnant women is 1100 mg (300 mg higher than non-pregnant women). During the third trimester, there was movement of some calcium to the fetus is beginning to form and strengthen bones. If the mother does not increase calcium intake, calcium requirements for the fetus during bone formation will be taken from her mother's bones.Most women are able to restore the bone quickly after she stopped breastfeeding. Your daily food during pregnancy should be ascertained contain enough calcium to protect your bones and to meet your baby's calcium needs.Dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt, and soy milk fortified with calcium is an excellent source of calcium.
Folate and Neural Tube Defects (Neural Tube Defects)All women who may become pregnant, are planning a pregnancy or in early pregnancy, should increase folate intake to 0.4 - 0.5 mg per day.Folate (also known as folic acid) is a group of B vitamins can be found in a variety of foods as listed in the table below. Some breakfast cereals have been fortified with folate and will be listed also on the list below.If a pregnant woman not consume adequate amounts of folate, their fetuses at risk for neural tube defects (neural tube defects) such as spina bifida. Folate is consumed in the pre conception and the first few weeks of pregnancy, can prevent 7 out of 10 cases of neural tube defects.Special sources of Folic Acid• Asparagus• Bran Flakes• Broccoli• Brussels sprouts• Legumes small• Dried beans• Lentils• Spinach
Sources of Folic Acid Very Good• Kol• Cauliflower• Onions• Oranges• Orange juice• leaf parsley• Legumes• wheat seed• whole wheat bread
Good sources of Folic Acid• hazelnuts• Vegemite• Radish• Potatoes• Salmon• Strawberries• Tomatoes• Peanuts bargaining• WalnutsAlthough liver contains a high folic acid, but not recommended for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, because of the high vitamin A content. In addition, there is a risk of listeriosis from the heart is still raw, or if the liver is not cooked to perfection. Both of these are at risk on the developing fetus.Vitamin A
Despite the increased need for vitamin A during pregnancy, vitamin A supplements are rarely recommended for pregnant women because it can cause birth defects.The best way to increase vitamin D intake is through dietary sources like milk, fish, eggs, and margarine. Liver contains vitamin A which is too high and this has been associated with birth defects, so the liver consumption during pregnancy should be avoided.Vitamin D
Vitamin D is needed to help calcium absorption. Margarine, cheese, fatty fish and eggs are foods that contain vitamin D.Vitamin Supplements
Multivitamins and calcium supplements can be recommended for pregnant women who: vegetarians, teenagers who may be less food intake, has a habit of smoking, drugs, alcohol, and overweight women who are controlling caloric intake to prevent excess weight gain is great.Eating for Two
You do not need to overeat during pregnancy. Recommendations of the expert is caloric intake in the first trimester, approximately the same as before pregnancy. In the second trimester, increased caloric intake about 10% of the first trimester, which is about 600kJ per day. But remember that the quality of nutrition is far more important than the quantity of food intake.Diet Dangers
Some women fear weight gain during pregnancy and decide to eat sparingly to avoid obesity. Restricted eating or crash dieting in any form can have a bad impact on the health of pregnant women and infants who are unborn.Pregnancy in Adolescence
Someone who is pregnant in their teens need more nutrients than are pregnant at the age of adulthood, because this age is still growing. Adolescents may give birth to smaller infants because they are competing nutrients between the young mother with the fetus.Anemia is more common in adolescents than older women. Calcium intake is also important because bone mass in adolescence is not maximized and inadequate calcium intake may increase the risk of osteoporosis later in life.Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting, especially morning sickness or morning sickness is common during pregnancy especially in the first trimester. To relieve it, you can eat snacks that contain little carbohydrate (such as a sandwich or fruit) every two or three hours.The following suggestions may help:• Eat dry bread, biscuits or cereal before getting out of bed in the morning. Get up slowly, avoid movement made a sudden.• Drink liquids between meals rather than with meals to avoid bloating that can trigger vomiting.• Avoid eating large amounts of greasy foods and spicy sharp• Smelling something that smells like fresh oranges• Relax, rest and get fresh air as much as possible. Keep rooms well ventilated and free of odor.• Drinking fizzy drinks when you feel nauseous slowly• Try food and drinks containing ginger can reduce nausea.Heartburn (burning sensation in the Ulu Heart)
Heartburn is common during pregnancy because the baby is growing pressure on the abdomen. Small, frequent meals is better than consuming large amounts of food at once. Try to maelakukan the following:• Avoid eating late at night• Avoid bending, lifting or lying down after meals• Avoid drinking tea, coffee or alcohol to excess• You can also try sleeping with a pillow rather high so that the head slightly raised.• Avoid alcoholIt has been general agreement that a pregnant woman should not consume alcohol to excess. Drinking alcohol excessively can increase the risk of miscarriage, gave birth to babies with low birth weight (LBW), congenital deformities, and the negative impact on infant intelligence. To date no known safe limit for alcohol consumption for pregnant women.The Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommend that women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should never become 'drunk', which can be interpreted not to drink alcohol, or if you still want to consume it, must be less than seven standard drinks in one week and not more than 2 standard drinks in a day.Listeria infection
The bacteria Listeria monocytogenes can contaminate some foods. People who are healthy may not feel the impact of this infection. But the risks to be faced by pregnant women. The biggest danger faced by babies who are conceived, ie with increased risk of miscarriage, died at birth or premature birth. Although listeria infection is easily treated with antibiotics, but prevention is better. Some foods are more easily contaminated by bacteria. Therefore, avoid these foods if you are pregnant.An example is food that has not been cooked, or frozen foods that are not re-warm, pate (paste made from beef liver), quiches (dry pudding), deli meats (processed meats) like ham and salami.Foods that are not pasteurized• Soft serve ice cream• Soft cheese such as Brie and Camembert
The organism that causes listeria is destroyed by heat. So the food is cooked properly is not at risk of exposure to these bacteria.Salmonella
Salmonella poisoning is a cause that can trigger a miscarriage. Sources of salmonella are raw eggs and uncooked poultry meat. Keeping food hygiene is the best way to reduce the risk of salmonella and listeria. The following are suggestions you can do:• Always wash hands before and after preparing food• Keep kitchen surfaces to keep them clean• Do not let raw foods contaminate cooked foods• Wash fruit, vegetables and salad before eating• Cook foods until cooked• Stay away from the kitchen pets• Use gloves when you clean the litter box or when you're gardening• Store food at appropriate temperatureMercury in FishThe Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommend consuming one or two servings of fish each week. A pregnant woman can consume one or two servings of fish each week, but they must be careful in choosing fish that will be consumed.There are several types of fish that need to be limited because these types of fish contain high levels of mercury, which is harmful to fetal development.Pregnant women should:• Avoid consumption of fish with high mercury levels, such as billfish (swordfish, broadbill and marlin), shark, gemfish, southern blue fin tuna and similar fish bluefin (catfish).• Limit consumption of tuna, which is one serving a week or 140gr of canned tuna in one week (smaller tuna contain less mercury).• There is no specific limitation to consuming salmon, including canned salmon.No need to worry if you are already consuming fish that have mercury levels high enough. It will only be a potential problem if you eat fish regularly this type, because it can cause the spread of mercury in the blood of a pregnant woman.Where You Can Get Help• Doctors• Midwives• Obstetricians• NutritionistThings to Remember• A pregnant woman should increase the quality of nutritional intake rather than quantity.• Pregnancy results in an increase in the need for certain nutrients like iron, calcium and folic acid.• Hygienic food is very important to consider during pregnancy

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