Pregnancy is a very happy period between conception and child birth during which time the foetus grows and matures inside the mother’s womb until ready to be born. During this period of foetal development, there are many physiological, emotional and hormonal changes in the mother’s body that influence the needs and the efficacy of the various nutrients. It is important to have a balanced diet high in all nutrients and fibre, both for you and your baby.
It is not true that you need to eat for 2 people; in fact women should only increase their calorie intake by about 300 cal a day during the second and third trimesters. It is more important to eat the right types of food to ensure that you and your baby are in fact getting the right nutrients.
Diet inadequate in calories and nutrients can lead to low birth weight babies, as deficiency of proteins and other vital nutrients can lead birth defects and complications before and after birth.
IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY DIETThe basic meal planning principles should be followed while planning a diet for a pregnant woman.
The first 2 to 3 months of pregnancy is marked by symptoms like loss of appetite and morning sickness making it difficult for her to follow a good diet. This is often the result of hormonal and psychological changes taking place in her body. To reduce and counter the effect of nausea and morning sickness, it is advisable to have small amounts of foods with regular frequency. Solid carbohydrate foods like biscuits, whole wheat bread or fruit, as first food in the morning as well as before meals will help to relieve the nausea of early pregnancy. Avoid fried, strongly flavoured and spicy foods.
As mentioned earlier, it should be remembered that during the first trimester, the mother's nutrient intake need not be increased. But during the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy, the mother should take care to include more foods rich in nutrients. To take care of this, she can include fruits and nuts as snacks in between the meals rather than three large meals. Therefore her feeding pattern should be 5 to 6 small meals a day. Increased protein needs can be met by including protein of good quality like milk, beans, pulses, groundnuts, soy beans and tofu. Iron needs can be met with foods like whole grain cereals, whole pulses, some leafy vegetables and dry fruits. Constipation is a common problem during pregnancy. Therefore, foods rich in dietary fibre, like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals, pulses and plenty of fluids need to be included in her diet.
The following are the main nutrients to be kept in mind while planning a pregnancy diet-- proteins, iron, calcium, folic acid and vitamin c.
Foods should be chosen from the four basic food groups as presented below--- Four to five servings of fruits and vegetables to meet the vitamin and mineral needs.
- Six or more servings of whole-grain or enriched bread and cereal for energy.
- Three or more servings of milk and milk products for calcium.
- Three or more servings of poultry, fish, eggs ( for non vegetarians ), nuts, dals, sprouts, dried beans and peas for protein
PROTEINS: They are needed for the development and growth of the baby.
RICH sources of PROTEINS:
Milk and milk products, all dals like rajma, chana, tur, mung , masoor, pulses and legumes, sprouts’ whole grains, nuts, eggs, meat, fish and chicken.
IRON: Iron is needed in larger doses, especially in the later stages of pregnancy as it is essential for the formation of healthy red blood cells. It is sometimes difficult to meet your body’s increased need for iron. In such a situation an iron supplement should be recommended.
Rich sources of IRON; Leafy green vegetables, lotus stem, dal, sprouts, unrefined whole cereals, dry fruits, dates, fishes, meat, liver, jaggery, neem leaves. You can help prevent iron deficiency anaemia by eating more iron-rich foods like dried fruits, whole-grain breads, and iron-fortified cereals.
CALCIUM: Pregnant and lactating adult women require an additional 40% of calcium a day (1200-1500 mg per day).Almost all of the extra calcium goes into the baby's developing bones and teeth. To get this extra calcium, 3 extra servings (3 cups) of milk or dairy products or calcium fortifier foods are needed.
Rich sources of CALCIUM :
Milk and milk products, all dals, pulses, sprouts, leafy green vegetables, ragi, til (sesame seeds), nuts, eggs and fish.
However milk products are high in fat, so if you are gaining too much weight, opt for low-fat varieties, such as skimmed milk and cottage cheese (paneer).
FOLIC ACID :
Pregnancy doubles a woman’s need for folic acid. It is necessary for the development of central nervous system of the baby. Folic acid has been shown to be important in preventing neural tube defects and is essential for the formation of red blood cells. Severe folic acid deficiency can result in a condition called megaloblastic anemia, which occurs most often in the last trimester of pregnancy. In this condition, the mother’s heart, liver and spleen may become enlarged which and can threaten the life of the foetus.
Rich sources of FOLIC ACID:
Kidney beans, leafy green vegetables, peas, fresh fruits, nuts, and liver are all rich in folic acid. For vegetarians rich sources are brewer’s yeast and wheat germ. Women in their childbearing years should consume plenty of these foods. But one must remember overcooking largely destroys folic acid, so eat plenty of salads, fresh fruits and steamed of stir-fried vegetables.
Diet alone is not likely to provide enough folic acid. Therefore, it is recommended that women should start taking a daily folic acid supplement of 400ug (0.4mg) 3 months prior to conception and should continue through the first 3 months of the pregnancy.
SODIUM :
This is important during pregnancy. 2,000 to 8,000 milligrams of sodium a day is recommended during pregnancy. There are 2,325 milligrams of sodium in one teaspoon of salt, and because salt is in most foods, the increased need for it during pregnancy is not too difficult to achieve. Sodium helps to regulate the water in the body. But avoid consuming salty foods like pickles, pappads, canned foods, processed and preserved foods and other fried snacks.
VITAMIN C :
It helps to build a strong placenta, helps your body in resisting infection and aids in iron absorption.
RICH SOURCES OF VITAMIN C : The richest source is amla (gooseberry), fresh citrus fruits like oranges, guava, tomatoes, dark green leafy vegetable, lemon and potato.
FIBRE:
This should be the largest part of your diet since constipation is common in pregnancy and fibre alleviates it.
All fruits, vegetables, salads, sprouts, whole grains & cereals, pulses and nuts are rich in fibre. Limit your intake of refined and processed food. Drink plenty of water.
FLUIDS :
A liberal intake of fluids in the form of water should be consumed daily. Drinking at least ten glasses of water a day can help prevent common problems such as dehydration and constipation.
Alcoholic beverages are best avoided during this phase in your life. Alcohol can cause birth defects and mental retardation in babies. Cut out coffee, tea and alcohol or any drink with caffeine, a stimulant present in coffee, tea, cocoa, colas. In large amounts it leads to various problems like irritability, insomnia and low–birth weight in babies. Large doses of caffeine also act as a diuretic and can cause dehydration.
- Soft drinks, alcohol and teas and coffees. Green teas or herbal teas are recommended. Some herbal teas are safe to drink during pregnancy like citrus or orange peel, basil or tulsi tea and lemon balm teas. Avoid chamomile tea.
- Seafood (containing high mercury content like shark, mackerel, sword fish etc ), meats, raw eggs, and organ meats should be avoided.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners
- Avoid cheeses made from un-pasteurized milk.
- Un-pasteurized milk and juices.
Diet Tips to Manage Morning Sickness:
Morning sickness can keep you from getting the nutrients and energy you and your unborn baby need. Eat what you can and be sure to get enough fluids. You may find the following tips helpful.
- Opt for cold dishes, which give off fewer aromas
- Try dry, bland foods, such as crackers and popcorn
- Eat small frequent meals and munch on small snacks throughout the day
- Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of fluids daily to avoid dehydration. Sip fluids frequently between rather than with meals to avoid stomach fullness at meal times
- Avoid processed or canned foods.
- Avoid highly seasoned dishes.
- Check with your doctor if you are having problems keeping food down.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Use vegetables in rice like steamed pulao or veg. khichadi rather than fried rice.
- Use cereal and pulse combinations for better protein absorption like dal+rice, or missi roti atta.
- Fortified flour can be used to make rotis and breads.
- Use of jaggery is recommended instead of sugar.
- Squeeze lemon on leafy vegetables for better absorption of iron.
- Have cheese instead of butter.
- Have small frequent meals.
- Drink fluids in-between the meals rather than with meals.
- Avoid drinking large amounts of tea and coffee.
- Stop having alcohol and quit smoking.
- Avoid salty, greasy and fatty foods.
- Avoid foods low in nutrients but high in calories such as chips, cookies, soft drinks, cakes and pastries.
- Eat a wide variety of food to get all essential vitamins and minerals.
- Do regular exercises
- Take folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects in the baby.
EXERCISES DURING PREGNANCY:
Being fit during pregnancy means more than just a diet. Previously it was believed that a pregnant woman should take complete rest during the nine months of pregnancy. But now things have changed and women have started taking mild to moderate exercise seriously.
Pregnant women should exercise regularly. Exercise plays as important a role in maintaining health and well being of a pregnant woman. Exercising also can help to alleviate few common problems like fatigue, lower back pain and listlessness. However, it is recommended that one follows a few guidelines as precaution;
- It is advisable to take your doctor’s opinion before begin any exercise plan.
- Begin mild exercise gradually and refrain from doing very high intensity exercise.
- A brisk walk at a comfortable pace is all that’s required.
- You can monitor your heart rate and breathing. Take care not to exceed 140 beats per minute.
- Remember to wear comfortable clothes and shoes for proper ankle support.
- Drink plenty of water or fluids and take small breaks in between your exercise or walks.
- Avoid over exercising and over stretching to prevent strained muscles and ligaments.
- Do regular yoga and meditation under an expert’s guidance.
Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy
There are many good reasons why exercise is important during pregnancy. Exercise, when performed properly increases strength and endurance of the muscles, helps to improve flexibility and tone of the muscles especially the uterine muscles, and improves heart lung efficiency. Exercises also help in strengthening the major muscle groups involved in child birth like the uterus, abdominal, buttock and thigh muscles. With these muscles in good condition, the woman will have an easier time at birth.
Pregnancy often causes gastrointestinal tract disturbances leading to constipation and haemorrhoids. Proper exercises and yoga can help to provide proper tone to the intestinal muscles.
Exercises also help to burn calories. With a balanced and nutritious diet plan and exercise, a pregnant woman can prevent obesity and excess body fat.
Walking, swimming, stationary cycling and stretching exercises are recommended during this period.
The following exercises should be avoided during pregnancy
Boxing, Hockey, Contact sports (due to increased risk of abdominal trauma) ,Soccer, Wrestling and gymnastics.
YOGA DURING PREGNANCY
Pregnancy is a period of preparation to make your baby’s entry into the world a wonderful experience. Gentle stretching and relaxation techniques will help to relieve stress and will help you prepare better for the birth process. The various exercises or postures that yoga offers can work wonders to make your pregnancy and child birth smooth and to help your body ship shape and flexible.
Yoga is a series of asanas or exercises designed to help stretch and relax the muscles, coordinates movement, breath and awareness. Yoga offers many benefits both before and during pregnancy. But, during pregnancy, these practises must be done with certain modifications under able guidance.
- Yoga includes breathing techniques that help to ensure abundant and regular supply of oxygen.
- Yoga exercises also help in reducing or alleviating pre and postnatal depression, by relaxing the mind and putting a lot of fears at rest. The primary advantage of practicing Yoga is that the rhythmic breathing exercises provide mental calmness to the mother.
- Yogic exercises help maintain muscle tone, especially for the back and pelvic muscles .
- Yoga helps improve sleep and helps improve blood circulation.
- Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep) is a relaxing technique that calms the mind body and even helps during the trauma of childbirth.
- Yoga helps to improve your emotional state and helps you to be in control.
- Yoga also helps to relieve oedema or fluid retention that usually occurs during pregnancy especially in the last trimester.
- Yoga helps in easy labour and helps to restore the uterine and pelvic muscles to normalcy after delivery.
- Yoga not only helps in smooth and natural pregnancy and child birth, it also helps in the physical and mental development of the foetus.
Listed below are the 5 most important tools of yoga that contribute to make one’s pregnancy and child birth an easy and relaxing experience;
Yogic Exercises work on the reproductive organs and pelvis. This promotes easy child birth.
- Breathing or Pranayama – These are techniques that help to ensure an abundant supply of oxygen to the mother as well as the baby.
- Mudras and Bandhas help to stimulate the muscles of the reproductive organs.
- Meditation has a therapeutic effect on the mother and helps to connect with your child better.
- Deep Relaxation or Yoga Nidra (Yogic sleep) is particularly effective during pregnancy for physical and mental relaxation.
Lifestyle of the mother-to-be:
It is unadvisable for the pregnant woman to watch films depicting scenes of horror, murder, and violence. It can produce negative effect on the child's character in future. During pregnancy she should keep company only with people who have a favourable influence over her. She should read fine literature, look at the beautiful works of art, listen to soft music, contemplate pleasant landscapes and have only positive and constructive thoughts.
Post-natal Diet & Exercise:
Post natal nutrition is as important as the diet during pregnancy. When you were pregnant, you may have eaten more than usual to support your baby's growth and development. Breast feeding too takes a toll on the mothers health making it necessary to make wise choices of foods to promote healthy weight loss after pregnancy.
Focus should be on fruits, vegetables and whole grains: These are foods high in fibre content and should form a major part of the daily diet. Other nutrient-dense foods include low-fat dairy products, such as skim milk, yogurt and low-fat cheeses, nuts and dry fruits, herbs and seeds.
- To avoid temptation, stock yourself with foods that are good for you. If junk food poses too much temptation, keep it out of the house.
- Eating smaller portions is recommended. Do not skip meals or limit your intake of fruits and vegetables. You'll miss vital nutrients. Instead, reduce intake of high calorie foods.
- Eat only when you're hungry. If you're anxious or nervous or if you simply think it's time to eat, distract yourself. Take your baby for a walk, call a friend or read a favourite magazine.
Food recommendations:
- Consume raw salads and vegetables as they are high in fibre and gives a feeling of fullness for a long time.
- Consume plenty of fruits, as they are rich in fibre, natural sugar, vitamin and minerals.
- Do not have fruit juices. Instead have vegetable juices. (no beetroot/carrot juice)
- Instant foods, refined flours and foods should be avoided as they are easily digested and tend to increase the blood sugar level instantly.
- Do not sieve the wheat flour as it reduces the fibre content and one can also add bran (wheat/oat) to increase the fibre. A high fibre diet delays gastric emptying time and makes you remain satiated for a longer period of time.
- Avoid foods with hidden fat content like biscuits, cookies, salad dressings and sauces.
- Avoid soft drinks and alcohol.
- Avoid salty foods to prevent water retention.
- Have frequent small meals and do not skip any meal.
- Cooking in non stick cookware is recommended to reduce the oil and fat consumption.
Post pregnancy care
In the past, women were often instructed to wait at least six weeks after giving birth to begin exercising. But the waiting game may be over. If you exercised during pregnancy and had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, it's generally safe to begin exercising within a few days of delivery or as soon as you feel ready. If you had a C-section or a complicated birth, talk to your doctor about when to start an exercise program.
When your doctor gives you the OK:
- Get comfortable. If you're breast-feeding, feed your baby right before you exercise. Wear a supportive bra and comfortable clothing.
- Start slowly. Begin with light aerobic activity, such as walking, stationary cycling or swimming. Avoid jumping and jerky, bouncy or jarring motions.
- Break it up. Exercise in short sessions throughout the day. As your stamina improves, gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts.
- Include your baby. Take your baby for a daily walk in a stroller or baby carrier. If you prefer to jog, use a jogging stroller designed for infants. Lay your baby next to you while you stretch on the floor. Hold him or her in your arms and dance to your favourite music.
- Target your abs. Losing abdominal fat requires dietary changes and aerobic exercise, but abdominal crunches and other abdominal exercises can help tone your stomach muscles better. Remember to drink plenty of water before, during and after each workout. Stop exercising immediately if you experience pain, dizziness, blurred vision, and shortness of breath or a sudden increase in vaginal bleeding. These may be signs that you're overdoing it.
Be realistic:
Most women lose about 10 pounds during birth, including the weight of the baby, placenta and amniotic fluid. During the first week after delivery, you'll lose additional weight as you shed retained fluids. But the fat stored during pregnancy won't disappear on its own.
Through diet and exercise, it's reasonable to lose about half a pound a week. It may take six months or even longer to return to your pre-pregnancy weight — whether you're breast-feeding or not. In the meantime, take pride in your healthy lifestyle and your role as a mother.
CONCLUSION
Your baby is intimately connected to you in all ways emotionally and physically. Not only is the food you eat is transmitted to the baby for nourishment and growth but also all your feelings and emotions as well. It is therefore very important to be happy, peaceful and cheerful.
Do all things which you enjoy as your positive feelings can make the baby feel happy. Special care should be taken to consume a balanced diet .The diet should have enough proteins to support the growth of the foetus. Vegetarian sources of proteins are preferable. Eat dals, sprouts, nuts, soya and milk to get adequate amount of proteins. Each meal should have at least one protein source (e.g: lunch could have either dal or dahi or both). Eat at least 2-3 fruits per day, Eat a good helping of vegetables and salad to get vitamins and minerals.
Along with a healthy diet, regular low impact exercise like yoga or walking is also recommended.