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Home » Dietary Guidelines » Nutritional Needs during Pregnancy
 

Nutritional Needs during Pregnancy

For a pregnant lady it is necessary to follow a healthy diet unless she has a specific health problem. For a pregnant woman it is required to have a variety in food that includes dairy products and also several fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet contributes more to pregnancy. A pregnant woman can also consult her obstetrician for specific advice. Some specific nutritional needs for pregnancy include dairy products, vegetables, fruits all these contribute to a healthy pregnancy.

During the beginning months of pregnancy folic acid is very strongly required and is one nutritional need during pregnancy it is also required at the time of inception.

Folic acid is especially required for closing of fetus neural tube. Thereby helping in preventing prevent spina bifida, a very serious birth defect. Folates can also be acquired in good quantity from spinach and can also be found from the green vegetables salads, melon, hummus, and eggs. In the countries like United States and Canada, many wheat products flour, noodles are supplemented with folic acid.

Calcium and iron are also another nutritional need during pregnancy it is especially required during this time because of the rapidly growing fetus. Women who are pregnant should also eat enough dairy products they should take more such foods for calcium and eat red meat for iron based foods. The foods consumed should not lactose intolerant or vegetarian. Women who do not love to eat milk products or meat can get calcium and iron from prepared soy milk and juice, soybeans, and certain leafy greens.

The doctors should prescribe iron pills to the pregnant women if they develop iron deficiency anemia. Calcium is effective only if women also obtain enough Vitamin D. vitamin D can best be provided by sunbathe each day for 10–15 minutes. Salmon and fatty fishes are also good sources of vitamin D. A healthy diet is vital in order to have a healthy pregnancy. Good nutrition is required to ensuring that a mother's body can give the unborn baby the diet she or he requires to develop and grow.

It is generally recommended that pregnant women often increase their daily food intake by 100kcal during their first trimester and 300kcal during the second and third trimester. Just for instance, an additional snack before bedtime comprising of a fruit, a serving of milk or yogurt and a few biscuits is often enough. A daily prenatal multivitamin supplement is often recommended during the pregnancy period.

The food items that are required to be avoided during pregnancy include the following:
  • Raw Meats and Seafood including sushi
  • Deli meats including hot dogs
  • Refrigerated smoked seafood
  • Raw eggs
  • Fish high in mercury
  • Soft cheese
  • Refrigerated pâtes or meat spreads
  • Liver
  • Unpasteurized milk and juices
  • Alcohol

The foods to be taken during pregnancy include the following:
  • Clams
  • Pork Liver
  • Oysters
  • Chicken Liver
  • Mussels
  • Beef Liver
  • Beef
  • Shrimp
  • Sardines
  • Turkey
  • Enriched breakfast cereals
  • Cooked beans and lentils
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Blackstrap Molasses
  • Canned beans
  • Baked potato with skin
  • Enriched pasta
  • Canned asparagus

For more details on nutritional need during pregnancy browse foodpyramidhub.com.