Maternal nutrition in pregnancy

For some time, specialists have recognized the positive and beneficial effect of proper nutrition during pregnancy, about the health of the baby, from which the mother also benefits. Maternal nutrition, and possibly paternal nutrition, before conception, affect the health of the newborn.

The nutritional status of pregnant women affects the outcome of pregnancy, especially regarding the weight of the child at birth, since there is a relationship between maternal weight gain and fetal development and growth. To a greater malnutrition of the mother, lower birth weight of the baby, higher percentage of miscarriages, malformations and neonatal deaths.

The safest way to have a healthy baby is to choose a healthy lifestyle that includes periodic check-ups with the doctor, a balanced pregnancy diet, physical exercise whenever the doctor advises, avoid x-rays, eliminate the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes and limit caffeine.

The influence of the state of health of the mother in pregnancy

During pregnancy it is very important to follow an intelligent diet to ensure that all the nutritional needs of the mother and baby are met, this being a determining factor in fetal growth and the weight of your newborn. In the first trimester of pregnancy the caloric needs of women do not increase, but in the second and third trimesters we must increase around 300 calories a day to cover the nutritional needs of both.

If your weight is within normal before pregnancy, you should earn between 8 to 15 kg. At the end of pregnancy, otherwise everything you eat for excess will go directly to your weight and not your baby's. Similarly, maternal malnutrition and a low weight gain, during these nine months, are risk factors for having low birth weight babies.

In another sense, you should also avoid being in contact with toxic chemicals, such as insecticides, some cleaning products, paint thinners, lead, and mercury. Most of the products for the home have warnings about pregnancy on their labels, so it is advisable to read them and when in doubt consult with the gynecologist.

The importance of a balanced diet in pregnancy

At any stage of life, we must try to have a balanced diet, but if you are of childbearing age or pregnant it is vital not to neglect your diet, since the health of a new child will depend on it. Thus, your meal plan should include foods from all the basic groups: dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, cereals and derivatives, pulses and tubers, fruits, vegetables, and oils. A fetus is nourished by what a mother eats, and may suffer if the mother eats badly. On the other hand, you will distribute your food in several takes: breakfast, lunch, lunch, snack and dinner.

Tips to take care of your health and nutrition in pregnancy

- Take care of your health and nutrition. In the first trimester all the organs and main systems of the fetus are formed. In the remaining six, your child will grow up. In this time your weight will multiply more than seven times.

- Physical exercise also helps the optimal development of the fetus. The recommended thing is about 30 minutes a day. If you do not practice any sport, try to do some exercise for 10 minutes, at least on alternate days.

- Avoid smoking. Smokers have smaller babies than nonsmokers. Also try not to be in environments where smoking is the same or worse than harmful.

- If your son weighed little at birth, take it to the ophthalmologist around 9 months because, according to recent research, 15% to 20% of children born with a Low Weight are myopic.

Marina Berrio