Pregnancy and Nutrition ? The Importance of Eating Right
While every woman should eat right at all stages of her life, pregnant women need to think about their diets like never before. While an occasional junk food splurge or slip up is not the end of the world, it is important for women who are or may soon become pregnant to pay careful attention to their diets and think carefully about the foods they eat every day. Proper nutrition is more important now than ever before – after all she is now eating for two.
While all vitamins and minerals are important, there are some nutrients that become even more critical during pregnancy. It is important for women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant to talk with their doctors and develop a comprehensive dietary plan – one that takes the nutritional needs of both mom and baby into account.
Protein – The Building Block of Life
Getting proper levels of protein during pregnancy is absolutely essential, since protein is critical to the development of the growing fetus. Pregnant women will need to eat more protein than their non-pregnant counterparts, a full 25 grams per day more – or a total of about 70 grams.
The amount of protein needed is equal to that found in three eight ounce glasses of milk or roughly seven ounces of chicken, meat or seafood. All pregnant women should monitor their protein intake carefully to ensure sufficient quantities are consumed each day.
The consequences of not getting enough protein can be quite severe, and that is why maintaining a proper nutritional balance is so important. Insufficient protein levels could; result in restricted growth of the fetus, causing a host of problems down the line.
Iron – An Essential Element
Iron is one of the most essential parts of a good pregnancy diet. Women who are pregnant should ramp up the amount of iron in their diets by a full 50% in order to ensure proper fetal development and growth. Iron is vital to the production of hemoglobin – the protein used to carry oxygen. During pregnancy the need for hemoglobin – and iron- increases sharply, so pregnant women will need to eat plenty of iron rich foods.
Iron deficiency during pregnancy can have serious consequences for both mom and baby. In the case of mom a lack of iron can cause fatigue and a general lack of energy. Low iron levels can also result in low birth weights and other problems in the child.
Calcium- Essential for Strong Bones
Calcium is another essential element for the growing baby, and it is important for pregnant women to increase their consumption of this vital nutrient. Growing babies need plenty of calcium for the development of strong and healthy bones, and if there is not enough on hand mom’s body may steal it from her own bones. This lack of calcium could have serious consequences for the mother, including reduced bone mass and even osteoporosis.
By paying careful attention to nutritional requirements and developing a comprehensive dietary plan for the pregnancy, a pregnant woman can reduce her chances of complications with her pregnancy and birth defects in her unborn child. A good diet is always important, but when you are responsible for another rapidly growing life, eating right is even more essential.
The Pregnancy Safety Database is a great resource for up to date guidance on issues that may impact pregnancy. Pregnancy-Safety.info, the maintainers of this database for expectant mothers, sponsored this article.