Hello!
Today I am going to teach you a thing
about nutrition during pregnancy. Why? Because my married friend Libbie
asked:
"I have this friend who is
pregnant. What should she do to make sure her baby does not come out a
mutant?"
I'm so glad you asked Libbie! Mutant
nutrition is one of my favorite topics! There is also a lot of information, so
I am going to split it up into 3 different posts titled:
-
So You’re Thinking About Putting a Bun In The Oven? (You’re reading this one right now!)
- So You’ve Got a Bun in the Oven
-
So the Bun Is Out of the Oven, What Now?
For my first post I am going to talk
about… PREconception nutrition! That’s right, you’re not even pregnant yet. You
might ask “But Molly? Isn’t that just your normal diet?” and I would say “No you
don’t know what you are talking about, I’m right and you’re wrong. That will be
a $50 co-pay and I don’t accept your insurance. “
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Okay, so you might be kind of right…
preconception nutrition is very similar to your general healthy diet, but there are a few things that you should know
about…
1. Folate (AKA folic acid in supplement form).
Folate is a water-soluble B
vitamin that aids in metabolism and cell production. Why is folate important in
pregnancy? Because it helps prevent neural tube
defects. These defects can develop within 21 days after conception!
Many people don't even know they are pregnant yet! That is why I can’t
emphasize enough the importance of having good folate status before pregnancy.
In fact, any woman of childbearing age should make sure they are getting enough
folate (accidents do happen).
Have you heard the good news? The
United States fortifies its grains with folate so you might be getting enough
without even knowing it! The recommended amount is 400-800 micrograms a day. If
you don't think you can get this much through food, then you should take a USP
verified supplement. I think
it is also important to note that excess supplemental folate can increase your
risk for cancer so don’t go overboard, okay?
Good sources of folate (and other information) found here!
2. Alcohol.
Don't do it. You may have heard that
alcohol is okay in moderation during pregnancy. It's not. The amount of
alcohol you have doesn't really matter as much as when you have the alcohol. If you have a drink during a critical
development period then this could interfere with development and cause fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
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| Maybe she doesn't know she is pregnant? |
3. Iron
Iron deficiency anemia is a common
problem for pregnant women. It can cause fatigue and weakness for the mother
but it also increases the risk of early delivery and developmental problems for
the child. The baby is also more likely to suffer from iron deficiency, too.
This is why it is super important that the mother has good iron stores before
she gets knocked up. The recommended amount for non-prego ladies is 18mg a day
but pregnant women should get about 27 mg a day. This can be difficult to get
through the diet so a supplement may be necessary.
4. Calcium
Calcium is always a concern for women
because of osteoporosis, but when you get pregnant you especially want to make
sure you are meeting the 1000mg/day requirement because your baby needs it for
science reasons. Okay, they need it for bone, teeth, muscle, and heart
development. If you don't have an adequate store of calcium then your baby will
start taking it from your own bones. I know, Selfish, right? If you hate milk
and yogurt like I do, then it can be difficult to get enough calcium. So,
again, a supplement may be necessary.
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| Steve Nash Drinks milk, you should too! |
5. Maternal health
Lastly, it's important for the
mother to be in good health. One of the best things a mother can do for her
baby is to take care of herself. I'm sure you all know what "taking care
of yourself" means, but I will summarize because I like to hear myself type.
- Eat a healthy balanced diet. This means getting plenty of fruits and vegetables and limiting processed foods. Choose whole grains and lean proteins. Eat your fiber!
- Get regular exercise! It doesn't have to be strenuous. It could simply be going on a walk, riding your bike to the store, or taking the stairs. Anything counts! It's recommended that you get 150 minutes of exercise a week but if that's not possible then do as much as you can. Studies have shown that only 10 minutes of exercise a day can improve your health.
- Stay on top of any health concerns. If you suffer from any health conditions like hypertension or diabetes, make sure they are under control because it may affect the baby. Of course, some things are out of our control, but being aware of the problem and constant monitoring may help prevent any future problems. Even if you don't have any health conditions it would be a good idea to get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked to have a reference value for the future.
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| Here, let me check that for you. |
Okay, so that is it for today. I know I this information isn’t very helpful to your “friend” Libbie but she can look forward to my next posts.
If you are so excited about pregnancy
and nutrition and you just can’t wait for my next post, then I suggest you do
your own research (and maybe appreciate me a little more) and check out these
websites:
