Information on Pregnancy Nutritional Needs

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Pregnancy Nutritional Needs

When a woman is pregnant, she is growing not only a baby, but also a centa. This placenta, like the baby, needs to be adequately nourished to ensure proper implantation and development for efficient functioning. placenta carries out many essential life functions for the baby. Along with umbilical cord, amniotic sac, and uterus, the placenta is a life support sys' for this tiny person.

The placenta, in providing nourishment for the baby, works very much a fuel pump. If the fuel is of poor quality or the wrong octane for the part lar engine, the pump will work ineffectively or may even stop complet Also, if the pressure or the volume of the fuel coming through the pump affected, the pump's efficiency will be altered. If you think of the nutrients the bloodstream as fuel, you can see that a poor diet results in a poor qu. of nutrients moving through the "placenta-pump." If the volume of fluid in bloodstream is inadequate, then the pressure of the blood coming through "placenta-pump" will be low and the nutrients will not be able to get thro in sufficient quantity to adequately nourish the fetus.

The body's blood volume needs to increase by more than 50 percent d ing the last half of pregnancy to enable the placenta to be an efficient pum This increase requires an adequate intake of sodium (salt), along with a s ficient intake of fluids. Many women experience an increased desire for during pregnancy. This is the body's way of ensuring the supply that is need to help increase its blood volume. Thus, restricting salt may hinder body's performance of this vital function and can result in intrauterine gro retardation.

Sufficient fluid intake is also needed for the production of amniotic fluid. By the last weeks of pregnancy, the amniotic sac contains about 1 quart amniotic fluid to cushion and protect the baby. This fluid is replaced every hours. In addition, tissue fluid increases by an estimated 2 to 3 quarts duri pregnancy. You need to drink at least 2 quarts of liquid a day to maintain th levels and to ensure a healthy pregnancy. The best fluids to drink are wat milk, and fruit juices. Stay away from alcohol and drinks that contain caffeine.

Many women and doctors are overly concerned about edema (swelling during pregnancy. Some degree of swelling is normal. The enlarging ute pressing on the veins of the legs causes dependent edema in women who sta or sit for long periods. In addition, estrogen, which is manufactured by tfr placenta during pregnancy, causes the tissues to retain extra fluid. Before yo. were pregnant, you may have noticed water retention just before your men strual period. Women who took birth control pills may also have experienced it. This was caused by the increased estrogen in the body.

In years past, doctors often treated this normal swelling with diuretics (water pills), as well as with a diet restricted in salt. Fortunately, they nc longer follow these practices because of the potential side effects. In addition almost all obstetrical authors now warn that diuretics can actually increase the symptoms and may even cause more serious side effects, including a rise it the blood pH (the relative acidity or alkalinity of substances), exchange of nutrients and waste products, decreased tolerance of carmimes. generalized edema, severe loss of calcium through the urine, and amino depletion. If the swelling is a result of hypovolemia (low blood volnu diuretics may drive salt and water from the circulation and lower the time lolume even further. This could actually cause or accentuate the PIH low Inc diuretic was supposed to prevent. Sometimes, however, diuretics are used in pregnancy, such as when the woman has abnormal swelling due heart disease or kidney disease.

Rather than resort to diuretics or salt restriction, the normal pregnant yintrati should make certain that her protein consumption is ample (75 to 100 Ipmers and that her salt intake is adequate. Salt is contained naturally in many foods. During pregnancy, "salt to taste" is a good rule to follow.

Your liver also helps to maintain an increased blood volume during pregnancy. It does this by providing albumin, a protein that keeps water in circulation. An inadequate intake of protein prevents the liver from producing enough albumin to hold water in the bloodstream. The water therefore leaks lin arc the woman's tissues, creating abnormal puffiness.

The liver also filters the pregnancy-induced hormones in amounts equal to what is supplied by 100 birth control pills taken and get rids the body of toxins normally produced in the lower bowel. Altogether, the liver performs approximately 500 functions. Since the liver is rather increasing stress as the baby grows, you need to increase your intake of calories, protein, vitamins, and sodium during the last half of your pregnancy counteract this stress.

The baby's brain grows the most during the last 2 months, and an adequate amount of protein is essential at this time for building brain cells. So even if imir duet has been unstructured up to your seventh month, a change now can rdliceetly benefit your baby. Conversely, if your diet has been adequate up to the seventh month, but you now begin restricting calories in an effort to control your weight gain, your baby may suffer.

Weight gain is often the focus of too much concern during pregnancy. Gaining weight is expected and necessary for the well-being of the mother-to-be baby. The amount of weight gain varies from woman to woman, as does concern of weight gain. Total weight gain is determined by prepregnant weights, eating habits, daily activities, and metabolism. Since every woman is unique. there is no specific weight gain that is correct for all pregnant women. However, if a woman was underweight before becoming pregnant, she will tend to gain more weight than what is expected in the average woman.

Even for overweight women, dieting during pregnancy is risky for both mother-to-be and child. Changing the woman's diet to eliminate high-calorie Alum joods and to include only nutritionally beneficial foods will provide the mum ir:th adequate nourishment. A diet that provides less than 2,300 calories Mg six provide the nutrients necessary for the baby to grow or for the woman to gain an adequate amount of weight.

During the last weeks of pregnancy, the baby lays down stores of vital azd insulating body fat essential for his survival. He builds his stores his diet for the first 6 months of extrauterine life will be low tie iron supplement in infant formula is poorly absorbed by babies. Nevertheless, during the last months of pregnancy, you must eat foods that will tturree you and your baby with a sufficient supply of iron. After birth, breasts feeding will help. Breastmilk contains just a small amount of iron, but iron is efficiently absorbed and utilized by the baby, which allows the infant iron supply to last longer.

If you are experiencing a multiple pregnancy, your increased nutriti needs are greater than those of a woman carrying a single baby. Each day, need to consume an additional 20 to 25 grams of protein per baby and take at least 300 more calories per baby. Physiologic swelling is even more e gerated, as you may have additional placentas or one larger placenta pr ing a greater quantity of estrogen. The larger and heavier uterus restricts blood flow from the veins of your legs more than normal, increasing de dent edema. The weight gain in a woman carrying twins can be as much as to 50 pounds if she is eating correctly. Women who eat a healthy diet and not restrict their salt intake often give birth to babies who are of no weight (not less than 5 1/2 pounds) and who arrive at term, not prematu as is usually expected.

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