Pregnancy-Nutrition for a Healthy Mom and Baby

It seems that during pregnancy many will approach you with their horror stories. I can count on both hands the amount of frightening stories I heard during pregnancy. Stories about pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), preeclampsia, toxemia, HELLP syndrome and the frightening drugs they used to reduce blood pressure or to stop preterm labor. Then there are those stories about women delivering premature babies, stillbirths, or small for gestational age babies (preemies).

Pregnancy is terrifying these days, specifically when we are persistently told that there is no recognized cause and no known remedy to any of these common complications. Is this the truth however or is there information we are not being told? Information that is as simple as having proper pregnancy nutrition.

Farther back than a century to the present, medical research has shown that there is actually a way to avoid these problems, by getting excellent nutrition during pregnancy. When carrying a baby in your womb, what you eat develops into the nourishment your child receives.

Knowledge is power

Knowing the right pregnancy nutrition to eat in order to nurture your baby can help ensure a healthy pregnancy.

Your blossoming baby gets, from your blood stream, every nutrient needed for development of their brain to every nerve in their body. If you don't eat the correct foods, the baby is unable to absorb nutrients out of your body, because you're not providing them.

How it works

If your baby fails in getting enough nourishment, the placenta can grow in size in an attempt to obtain more nutrients. The placenta accepts blood from your body, to seize nutrients and transport them to your baby, according to "Nutrition in the Womb".

Eat Right Strategy's

· Don't be shy when it comes to eating and drinking your dairy. Four servings or 1000-1300 mg of calcium in your daily diet during pregnancy. You need 4000 IU's of Vit. D3 daily.

· Iron, 27mg a day, is extremely important throughout pregnancy. You can bump up your iron by taking Energizing Iron liquid liver capsules.

· Pregnant women need 70 mg of vitamin C a day. Vitamin C helps you stay healthy and fight off infection. Some good sources of vitamin C are, oranges, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes, and dark leafy greens.

· Despite the huge cravings, decrease your fat intake to 30% or less of your total daily calories. Read labels.

· Omega 3's for your baby's brain and vision.

· Don't overdue it on the cheese or mayo. Limit your cholesterol to 300 mg a day.

· If the smell of meat is making you sick, remember that protein is responsible for developing every cell of your baby's body. Eat 80-100 grams protein daily. Try a whey protein shake, daily, to boost your intake.

Results

Being pregnant is no easy task and eating healthy can sometimes be challenging. Some days you will feel outstanding and on others, you may only want to eat ice cream. And, of course, you can expect to gain weight. If starting pregnancy at a healthy weight, your goal to gain will be roughly 25-35 pounds. Underweight women should gain 28-40 pounds, and overweight women only 15-25.

When your diet is lacking in any sole nutrient, then your pregnancy nutrition is not up to par and is putting you at higher risk of having your own horror pregnancy story to tell.

So you breakfast skippers and chip lunch eaters, now is the perfect time to redeem yourself. Master your pregnancy nutrition for your little one and yourself!

For your free "Healthy Birth Booklet-6 Steps to a Safer Birth" filled with six simple steps that support and guide your decisions before and during labor to have a safer and healthier birth-for both you and your baby, visit the link below.
http://www.birthclassathome.com

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader should contact a licensed medical professional regarding their own condition.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liza_D_Janda