Pregnancy nutrition is important for pregnant women. On average, 300 extra calories per day are necessary for them to function adequately. But these calories shouldn’t be empty. Even with everything a woman’s body has to go through during the course of a pregnancy, it’s important that she still receives the nutrients she needs so that her energy levels don’t plummet or leave her lacking any other essential vitamins and minerals.
To know more about the nutrition required during pregnancy please read on. There are a number of tips given on how you can have a very healthy vegetarian pregnancy diet.
Doctors recommend you take 1200mg to 1500mg of calcium per day during pregnancy. Calcium is vital for the healthy growth and development of your baby’s bones, muscles, heart, and teeth. If your body does not get enough calcium, it will use up your store of it for itself. This could increase your risk of osteoporosis as an adult.
Sometimes pregnancy nutrition charts say to drink milk and its products, but if you have a case of lactose intolerance your doctor may suggest different alternatives because it’s possible to still lactose intolerant even though you’re not pregnant. Alternatively, you can ask your doctor for vitamin supplements.
Protein
During pregnancy, 60 grams of protein should be part of your daily diet. It is vital for the healthy growth of your baby as well as other parts like the placenta and uterus. Also, it helps with keeping these parts healthy as well, so do not hesitate to add this help to your list!
Iron
Taken from the Maternal and Child Nutrition review, it is vital to meet the recommended value of daily iron intake. Iron is needed to produce hemoglobin in the mom to be and her fetus. Additionally, during your third trimester, getting plenty of blood-building nutrients such as this one will help stave off anemia later in life for your baby.
Iron is an important nutrient; nevertheless, not all of the iron that a person consumes will actually be absorbed by the body. Furthermore, if you’re found to have anemia, then it’s good to take pregnancy nutrition supplements to help increase your iron intake.
If you want to absorb more iron into your body, it’s a good idea to add plenty of vitamin C-rich food in your diet. Orange juice, tomato juice, or grapefruit can all be good choices as they provide vitamin C without adding too much calcium which might impair the process of taking up more iron which is why milk or other calcium-rich foods should be avoided.
Vitamins
Pregnant women are recommended to follow a diet that increases their vitamin intake by at least 25 percent more than usual. During pregnancy, the body requires twice as much folic acid, so it is important that pregnant women are staying on top of their nutrition and eating the right high-vitamin foods.
Even if you think that you are getting everything right in terms of nutrition during pregnancy, it is always good to learn more and ask for advice from a practitioner leading to growth of your baby.
