A Healthy Start; The Importance of Nutrition Before, During, and After Pregnancy
- whatever the baby(fetus) needs will be pulled from maternal stores despite the eating habits of the mother (the parasite theory).
- whatever the fetus needs the mother will instinctively crave (the maternal theory).
Given today's status of women, most of us are extremely malnourished (lacking sufficient nutrients within the body).
How can this be true!?!
- our soil quality is not what it use to be, the over growing and over chemically fertilizing has left a lot of our foods with half the vitamins and minerals it used to have.
- the use of chemical pesticides has dramatically changed how our body utilizes the nutrients it does take in.
- we're able to over consume food that is not nutritionally dense (i.e sugary foods, processed foods, fast foods, etc.).
Each year new advances are showing the positive advantages of adequate nutrition during pregnancy.
- The mother's preconception weight and nutritional status
- Weight gain and nutritional status during pregnancy
- nutrition
- lifestyle factors
- environmental factors
- genetics
Many of these factors can be controlled by the pregnant woman.
Scientific Studies have concluded
- Fetal origins hypothesis supports the notion that nutrition during gestation or lack there of sets the stage for chronic disease in adulthood.
- The development of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, gestational diabetes, among other diseases have been shown in the offspring of animals for which maternal dietary intake of macro and micro nutrients have been manipulated as well as in human epidemiologic studies of the relationship between infant anthropometric measurements and adult disease incidence.
- The infants body size, shape, and weight measurement served as indication of maternal nutrition.
- Nutritional insults that occur during critical stages of embryonic and fetal development are most harmful, leading to future disease risk.
- Evidence has shown and continues to show that maternal nutrition is critically important for both mother and newborn
- Nutrition is a huge piece in the fundamental foundation for the successful outcome of pregnancy (a healthy mother and infant).
Factors increasing nutrient needs
- age plays a huge role in the healthy grow of fetus; in teeanage girls her own growth and maturation is compromised by the growing needs of a fetus
- the number of pregnancies and the number of viable offspring
- the time interval between pregnancies greatly influences a woman's nutrient reserves, her increased nutrient needs and outcome of pregnancy.
- the woman
- the fetus
- the placenta
Weight gain during pregnancy
- normal BMI 20-25 (1lb per week starting in the 2nd and 3rd trimester)
- underweight BMI <19.8 (1.5lb per week in the 2nd and 3rd trimester)
- Overweight BMI 26-29 (.66lbs per week in the 2nd and 3rd trimester)
- Low BMI <19.8 a total of 28-40lbs
- Normal BMI 19.8-26.0 a total of 25-35lbs
- High BMI 26-29 a total of 15-25lbs
- Twins 35-45lbs
- check measurement or recording errors
- difference in clothing or time of day
- accumulation of fluids
But who really knows how a person's nutrient stores add up?
Dietary Intake and Nutrient Supplements
- Consider food as the optimal source for providing quality nutrients
- protein
- folate
- iron
- zinc
- calcium
- others that may exert toxic effects if taken in large doses
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Folate
- Iron
- Zinc
- Calcium
- Magnesium
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