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Why Are Nutrients Important During Pregnancy?
- Nutrients and Pregnancy: Nutrition is more important than ever during pregnancy. Choosing healthy foods daily will help give your baby the nutrients she requires to thrive. It will also assist you and your baby in gaining appropriate weight.
- Nutrition is eating a healthy, well-balanced diet to provide your body with the required nutrients. Nutrients are food-derived substances that the body requires to function and grow. Examples include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.
- Much of what you eat during pregnancy is passed on to the baby. As a result, it is critical to develop healthy eating and lifestyle habits, as well as an understanding of the nutrients required early on, if not before pregnancy.
Nutritional Supplements for Pregnancy
1. Vitamin B9
Vitamin B9, also known as “folic acid” or “folate,” is required to develop the embryo’s nervous system properly. it’s levels decrease during pregnancy. This decrease makes increasing the folate requirement in the fetus difficult.
It is found in orange fruits, dark green vegetables (fresh or canned), chickpeas, cheese, and dietary supplements. It is also present in lower concentrations in meat and fish.
2. Omega 3
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the development of brain cells and eyes. Consuming both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is ideal. However, because modern diets are generally high in omega-6s, restoring the proper balance with omega-3-containing products is critical.
It can be found in fatty fish like herring, mackerel, fresh sardines, tuna, trout, and shellfish, particularly cooked oysters, dried fruits, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios.
3. Iodine
Iodine is required for the brain development of a baby. During pregnancy, needs increase. Thyroid disorders in both mother and child can result from iodine deficiency.
It is found naturally in fish and some shellfish, and after proper cooking, it can be found in shellfish, mussels, cod, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines. Milk and dairy products, eggs, and, of course, iodized salt contain iodine.
4. Iron
It is essential throughout pregnancy, especially during the second and third trimesters. Iron enables red blood cells to transport oxygen from the mother’s lungs to the rest of the body and the fetal body via the placenta.
Before pregnancy, a varied iron-rich diet allows you to build up a sufficient essential reserve. It is found in blood sausage, the heart, but not the liver in red meat, veal, lamb, game, poultry (chickens, turkeys, and ducks), and seafood.
5. Calcium and Vitamin D
Calcium is required for the formation of a baby’s skeleton. It enters a period of steady growth beginning in week 28. As a result, calcium is essential for the excellent strength of your bones and future teeth. Sufficient consumption also increases the amount of this substance in breast milk.
It is primarily found in dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheeses, green leafy vegetables, spinach, watercress, calcium-rich mineral waters, and oleaginous fruits.
Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium from food, increasing the capacity of the maternal intestine for this absorption.
Vitamin D-rich foods include herring, mackerel, salmon, and trout.
6. Water
It aids in forming amniotic fluid and the formation of the placenta. It makes it easier for nutrients to reach the cells during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Regular consumption reduces the minor inconveniences that can occur at the start of a pregnancy, such as nausea, constipation, or urinary tract infections. It is recommended that you drink 1.5 L of water per day.
How Much Weight Should a Pregnant Woman Gain?
How much weight you gain is determined by your health and how much you weigh before becoming pregnant.
Please consult your doctor to determine whether it is safe for you to gain weight. It would be beneficial to gain weight gradually during pregnancy, with most of the weight gained in the third trimester.
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