Archive for the ‘pregnant women’ Category
Diet for a Pregnant Women
Pregnant women need milk and milk products for protein and calcium. You need extra calcium for your baby’s growing bones and teeth, as well as your own. Dieting during pregnancy is not recommended as it may result in a smaller and unhealthy baby, and it could also affect your health. Vigorous exercise is also not recommended.
Folate (known as folic acid when added to foods) is a B-group vitamin found in a variety of foods. Some breakfast cereals, breads and juices are fortified with folic acid. This will be listed on the nutrition label of these products.
As well as a healthy diet, it is also recommended that a folic acid supplement be taken prior to conception and for the first three months of pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Folate taken over this period can prevent up to seven out of 10 cases of neural tube defects.
Eat four to six smaller meals a day instead of three bigger ones to help relieve the heartburn and discomfort you feel as your baby grows bigger.
Whether or not you’re pregnant, a healthy diet includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of water. The U.S. government publishes dietary guidelines that can help you determine how many servings of each kind of food to eat every day. Eating a variety of foods in the proportions indicated is a good step toward staying healthy.
This is not the time to cut calories or go on a diet. In fact, it’s just the opposite – you need about 300 extra calories a day, especially later in your pregnancy when your baby grows quickly. If you’re very thin or carrying twins, you’ll need even more. But if you’re overweight, your health care provider may advise that you consume fewer extra calories. Healthy eating is always important, but especially when you’re pregnant. So, it’s important to make sure your calories come from nutritious foods so they can contribute to your baby’s growth and development.
Foods rich in protein such as lean meat and chicken, fish (aim for at least two servings of fish a week, including one of oily fish), eggs and pulses (such as beans and lentils). These foods are also good sources of iron.
Butter, ghee, milk, shrikhand, honey, fennel seeds, sweets made from jaggery rather than white sugar can also be taken in small quantity. Rice, pulao, Khichri, Murmure, Chapati, Bhakari, Paratha, Gujarati thepla are the items made from wheat and rice and are beneficial. Items such as bakery bread, bun, sandwich, pizza, handva, dhokla, khaman, idli, dosa, tomato, tamarind, curd, kadhi they increase the swellings and acidity. If such problems do not exist, you can take in small quantity. If you are allergic, do not take even if they are tasty.
During pregnancy, a woman’s body needs more iron than usual to produce all the blood needed to supply nutrition to the placenta. Good sources of iron are green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, strawberries, muesli and whole meal bread.
Iron is more easily absorbed if it is taken in conjunction with vitamin C – either as a supplement or in citrus fruit or juice. Tea and coffee can interfere with the body’s absorption of iron.
Why are There Tests for Pregnant Women?
In most cases, women experience certain signs and symptoms that alert them of their altered physiological state. Morning sickness is one of the most common telltale signs of pregnancy. Missing a period is another common sign. Some women also experience tiredness, tenderness of the breast, frequent urination and constipation as their pregnancy develops. That said, there are many cases where all common symptoms of pregnancy are absent and the mother to be is totally in the dark about her pregnancy. In some cases, women who are pregnant are probably the last to know of their pregnancy. This lack of awareness may put the mother and baby at risk.
Doctors highly recommend tests for pregnant women because it is advisable to be aware of your pregnancy. A pregnant woman has to start taking folic acid tablets, iron supplements, other vitamins and minerals and soon and her pregnancy is detected. This ensures the healthy growth and development of her fetus. Any delay in starting the intake of some of these vital prenatal supplements may affect the growth and development of the baby.
Another reason why tests for pregnant women are advised is because of the extra care the mother-to-be has to take of herself and her growing fetus, particularly in the first trimester. At this stage, it is easy for a woman to lose her baby if she is not careful. This is more so in case of complicated or first pregnancies. Becoming aware of your pregnancy helps you limit your physical activities and control your food habits so you can ensure the maximum security of your child.
Tests for pregnant women are quite effective in the results because most of them look for a particular hormone released in the urine or blood of pregnant women. The body begins production of this hormone only after the fertilization of the egg. The amount of hormone produced by the body increases dramatically with each passing day. So these tests for pregnant women are very accurate.
Many of the tests for pregnant women are generally quite easy to take, and do not require you to go to a hospital or a physician. Strips that test the urine for the presence of this hormone are available in pregnancy kits. These kits are private, convenient and easy to use. Many drug stores sell them over the counter. You simply have to hold the strip to a stream of urine and wait for the prescribed period of time. If a mark appears on the strip, however faint it is, the results are positive. However, to be doubly sure, it is important to repeat the test in two weeks’ time. A negative test immediately after missing a period does not necessarily mean that you are not pregnant.
As you can see, tests for pregnant women are quite convenient and easy. They can also save you a lot of heartache and trouble. They make it possible for you to expect the arrival of your baby and tune in to the changes in your body from the very first week of conception.
Pregnant Women: What Should You Do or Avoid for a Healthy Baby
In the lifetime of a woman, the best moments are when she becomes a mother. It’s a feeling that only a mother can explain. When women conceive and are due to deliver in 9 months there are a number of worries and anticipations along with excitement and delight cropping in one’s mind and heart. Every pregnant woman would want to have a healthy baby first and then would desire for either of the sex, colour, or appearance. Health comes first and should be the most primary concern of any expecting mother. Taking care of yourself and for your expected child during pregnancy is the most important focus during that period.
Pregnant women must follow a certain diet and lifestyle and avoid a few things to have a healthy baby. She must first and foremost stay healthy by eating the right food items. She must not only eat for herself but should eat for her baby as well. A good nutritious diet consisting of bread, vegetables, fruits, milk and milk products, meat and protein food should be consumed on a daily basis. Pregnant women must also drink lots of water and have lots of calcium content food items. Some of the good sources of calcium are almonds, dried beans; vegetable those are dark green in colour, like spinach and broccoli, milk and milk products, sardines, peas and brussel sprouts.
Around 30 mg’s of iron is required for pregnant women to build up their haemoglobin level. Iron can be found in food products of red meat, eggs, dry fruits, salmon, dried beans and peas among others. Pregnant women should have a healthy diet and along with this must also have a healthy lifestyle to have a safe delivery and a healthy baby. They must sleep well, be in good spirits, should be surrounded with bliss and a stress free environment. They should further exercise regularly, and have a daily routine walk to flex their muscles and bones. This helps pregnant women have a smooth and easy delivery.
Pregnant women must also avoid a few things in order to have a health baby. They must first let go of all their bad habits, if any, of abuse, namely, alcohol or drug abuse. They should avoid taking any stress upon themselves mentally or physically. OTC or over the counter medicines must also be avoided. Consuming a lot of hot or spicy food items, tea, caffeine, and vitamin a supplements, effect the proper development of the foetus.
Women who are pregnant tend to feel over heated because of hormonal changes and thus must avoid any additional heating from outside. By this we mean Jacuzzi’s, Sauna or sun bathing must be avoided, as it has been found that women with over heated bodes tend to deliver baby’s with neural defects.
Thus all the above points must be kept in mind by a pregnant woman. Things that need to be avoided must be taken seriously as they have a direct or indirect effect at the normal growth and development of the baby in the womb.
To Your Health!
