Diet guide for pregnant women

Pregnancy is a stage very important for women. The diet of the mother is very important because whatever the mother will have that helps in the growth of the baby. If the mother eats well and healthy, the baby also keeps healthy.

Pregnancy is a stage which changes a life of a women, a women feels a new life developing inside her. Pregnancy can be different from woman to woman, and even for the same mother from one pregnancy to the next. Some symptoms of pregnancy last for several weeks or months, while other discomforts are temporary or don't affect all women.

A normal pregnancy lasts for about 40 weeks. One may face a lot of morning sickness, nausea and vomiting.

The first trimester is very important as the fetus grows inside the body. A woman may feel more tired in the first trimester and may urinate more frequently. As the digestive system gets slower to increase the absorption of beneficial nutrients at the time of first trimester, exercise is very important.

What to eat?

♦ Eating well having fruits and proper intake of water is important.

♦ Mother suffering from morning sickness can have rusk or a biscuit in the morning.

♦ Having carbohydrates in the morning can help to cure morning sickness.

♦ Eating everything and eating on time is important. 300-500 extra calories to be needed in the second and third trimester.

♦ Adding more protein and calcium in diet is important and good for digestion.

♦ Legume helps to increase the intake of foliate.

♦ Lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans, soybean and peanut.

♦ Eggs are also very important which is rich in choline which is important for a healthy brain.

♦ Berries are also very healthy it helps to absorb iron.

♦ Dry fruits are rich in fiber, potassium and vitamin K which are healthy for mother and child both.

♦ Avoiding junk food and having home cooked food is important.

♦ Wholegrain foods, such as whole wheat bread, wild rice, wholegrain pasta, pulses like beans and lentils, fruit, and vegetables are rich in fiber.

♦ It is important to have a healthy calcium daily intake of calcium. Dairy foods, such as cheese, milk, and yogurt are rich in calcium. If the mother is vegan, she should consider the following calcium-rich foods; calcium-fortified soymilk and other plant milks and juices, calcium-set tofu, soybeans, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, okra, mustard greens, beans and soynuts.

♦ zinc is also a very important element to be consumed. It plays a major role in normal growth and development of the baby. Zinc is important for the development of the fetus. The best sources of zinc are chicken, ham, fish, dairy products, beans, peanut butter, nuts, sunflower seeds, ginger, onions, bran, rice, pasta, cereals, eggs, lentils, and tofu.