Pregnancy Diet Guidelines Help Nourish Mother and Baby

Healthy Pregnancy Diet is How the Mother Cares for Her Baby

The fetal body grows and develops faster than at any other time during that individuals life and having a healthy pregnancy dietis how the mother cares for her baby. A pregnant woman can find many informative nutrition lists containing foods she should and should not eat while pregnant online as well as in books and magazines. One of the best resources she can turn to is the health provider caring for her during her pregnancy. Many obstetricians and midwife services have someone on staff that has studied nutrition because of how important eating right can be for mom and baby’s health.

Pregnant women should consume a variety of foods in order to glean from her diet as vitamins and minerals as her body will need to support the growing life inside of her. Fiber will become her friend especially as her pregnancy advances and she experiences some of the intestinal upsets that fluctuating hormones can cause. A healthy pregnancy diet also includes dairy products and other calcium-rich foods. A healthy diet consists of more than just foods it also should include plenty of water. We have all heard medical professionals say that water is an essential element to the human body. Staying well hydrated is essential because water supports many of the body’s systems. Dehydration can lead to early labor and all the dangers and risks that entails to both mom and baby.

In order to insure that the pregnant woman receives enough of the essential vitamins and minerals that her body needs a healthcare provider will most likely prescribe a prenatal vitamin supplement.

Gaining too Much Weight While Pregnant Can Lead to Possible Risks

Weight gain is part of the state of pregnancy. Gaining too much weight while pregnant can lead to possible risks and makes returning to the pre-pregnant body much more difficult. A study conducted by Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research found that a weight gain of more than 40 pounds over the entire pregnancy nearly doubled the risk of these women to give birth to a heavy baby. In order to avoid excessive weight gain pregnant women should use sweets and fats sparingly giving more attention to other food groups such as meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, breads and grains, iron rich foods and foods that contain vitamin C such as broccoli, cauliflower, green peppers, grapefruits and oranges. Pregnant women should also be mindful of including at least one source of vitamin A each day. Foods that are a good source of vitamin A include apricots, beet greens, cantaloupe, carrots, pumpkins and spinach.

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