Good Nutrition During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, food is paramount: the needs are greater and it is essential to avoid deficiencies.

The choice of foods during pregnancy is essential. The needs of the mother are varied, both for a smooth pregnancy and a development without baby problem. The currency which should accompany you during pregnancy is: do not eat for two, but better to eat twice! 

Some habits to take… 

The first habit to take is to adopt a very regular rhythm food: the ideal is to make three meals each day equal on the energy plan, plus two snacks light. It is also important to always respect the balance by insisting on food intakes of carbohydrates, iron and calcium. Take regular nutritional supplements that you are prescribed (vitamin D, iron…) but do not take any polyvitamines without consulting your doctor.

From energy first! 

The "energy cost" of a pregnancy is an additional 150 kcal per day during the 1st quarter and 350 kcal at 2 and 3rd quarters. Of course, it depends on your body, your level of activity during pregnancy and other individual factors. Beware, if your ration energy is less than 1500 kcal per day during the second half of pregnancy, there can affect fetal growth

From meat to produce muscle! 

The recommended intakes of protein are 70 grams per day for a pregnant women. The dietary intake exceed widely, except in women belonging to groups “at risk”.

Want sweet? 

The metabolism of carbohydrates is profoundly altered during pregnancy, and glucose is very important for fetal tissue. We must focus on slow sugars (carbohydrates, for example) and spread carbohydrate meals during the day. The breakfast in particular should include slow carbohydrates: the risks of hypoglycemia are very important after fasting night. A breakfast carbohydrate must provide 40 to 50 grams of slow carbohydrates, which is the equivalent of 80 grams of bread or crackers 6 or 60 grams of cereal. 

The lipids for nerves… 

Lipids are important: they contribute to energy inputs. Care must be taken to their content of essential fatty acids, which are essential for newborns in general and a healthy development of nerve tissue in particular. 

Calcium: also good for Mom 

The needs for calcium are approximately 1000 mg per day. In addition to the bone mineralization in the child, the consumption of calcium protects pregnant woman's from the risk of hypertension and its serious complications and seizures of eclampsia. It enhances calcium in the milk to come. It would have a role in preventing the risk of postpartum depression. 

Vitamins are essential 

The needs of vitamins are all increased during pregnancy. The needs for vitamins A, C and B are easily covered by a food sufficiently diversified. However, the coverage needs folic acid (vitamin B9) is a problem, many women showing a low rate in early pregnancy. The folic acid deficiency increases the risk of prematurity and retarded fetal growth. It can cause serious birth defects affecting the nervous system in some women prone. It advises all women to increase food intake in folic acid, and take food supplements from the draft pregnancy (at least two months before conception) and throughout the first quarter. 

Vitamin D, often in late pregnancy, promotes hypocalcaemia newborn. That is why France on recommends vitamin D supplement systematically pregnant women, at least during the 3 rd quarter. 

Iron for your baby

The iron needs are increased especially in the last 6 months of pregnancy, and seek input from 30 to 50 mg per day minimum (the iron needs during pregnancy are so high that it is usually necessary to take supplements). A consequence of iron deficiency increases the risk of prematurity and fetal hypotrophie. Given low reserves before pregnancy, many women have anemia and must receive iron supplements. The women most at risk are adolescents, women with pregnancies or multiple quarters, vegetarian. 

The needs of other micronutrients (magnesium, zinc, iodine) are well covered by food. There is no evidence that fluoride supplements have an effect on future dental fetus. 

Finally, salt can be consumed normally during pregnancy is 10 to 12 grams per day, except against-medical indication.

Late Pregnancy Risks

Late pregnancy from 38 years according to medical terminology must be very well monitored. Doctors are particularly vigilant to certain diseases that can complicate your pregnancy or have an impact on your future baby.

I will try to show you the most common risk that is associated with late pregnancy

• The more you are older, the more you are exposed to hypertension and its complications, such as pre-eclampsia (syndrome involving high blood pressure, edema and presence of protein in the urine) or a detachment of the placenta. A hypertension is the cause of your baby having a low weight.

• The gestational diabetes (which occurs during pregnancy and then disappears) is characterized by an excess of sugar in the blood. Its frequency increases after 40 years and giving rise too high weight of the baby. If necessary, a diet is then advised (calorie reduction with sugars).

• The risk of prematurity is higher (multiplied by 1.7 compared to the general population) because the uterus has a poorer ability to endure pregnancy. The solution: the rest.

• At this age too, uterine fibroids are more numerous. But in most cases, they do not disturb the course of the pregnancy.

• The risk of trisomy 21 increases. At 25 years, it is 1 per 1250 births, 40 years from 1 to 110, and 45 years of 1 to 30. Amniocentesis, which can be achieved from the 15th week, will remove doubt.

• There are two times more cesarean sections at this age because the uterus is less contractile and the collar and less flexible. They are perfectly controlled by the surgical team.

Rib Pain During Pregnancy

I got a message from a reader named Tania and she's asking a question about pain during pregnancy. Please feel free to add your comment for helpful information.

Question: 

Hi, 

I want to know if you can give me some information because I should give birth on August 18 and I have great difficulty in my pond on the left side. I am pregnant with my second baby and for the first, I did not have this problem. 

Tania 

Answer: 

Hello Tania, 

Remember, first, that each pregnancy is unique and each baby as well. It is normal that you feel different symptoms during your successive pregnancies. Perhaps your second baby is positioned in such way, so that it makes you feel uncomfortable! However, if this feeling is getting worse, do not hesitate to talk to your gynaecologist.. 

Sara

Menstrual Cycle

The period of fertility is quite long for a woman: with puberty, which begins on average at 13 years and menopause, which occurs around 51 years, it still represents 38 years and nearly 500 rounds of 28 days!

Starting the first day of your period and ending the first day of the next menstrual period, a cycle lasts an average of 28 days, but there are wide variations from one woman to another and for the same woman.

Regular cycles have a dependence of the good functioning ovarian, itself controlled by two small glands of the brain (the hypothalamus and pituitary), it takes little to disrupt the mechanism precision: most of the conditions endocrine, being anorexic, or obese and to a lesser extent, stress can affect the smooth running of the menstrual cycle. This explains why it happens to all women or almost, to have shorter cycles and other longer during their lives. At the time of puberty and before menopause, this irregularity is almost inevitable.

Late Pregnancy Side Effect

The problem of infertility is common for old women who are less fertile than younger women, which is forcing them sometimes to go through the techniques of in vitro fertilization, but as long as the woman is menstruating and have sexual activity, she may be pregnant until her menopause.

The late pregnancy is a risky which means:

• Risk for mother, because she has more chance of having twins, so more difficult pregnancy and the risk of bleeding during childbirth, also with the age a woman has high probability of having diseases such as hypertension, diabetes…

• Risk for baby who means a premature birth, miscarriage, the risk of prenatal mortality or born with deformities, birth defects or mental retardation.

Don't never leaves important things in your life, as a last thing to do :)