Pregnancy Nutrition Guidelines For A Healthy Pregnancy (2)

Iron

According to the pregnancy nutrition guidelines, iron is important for production of hemoglobin in the mom-to-be and her fetus. Besides this, in the last trimester, your baby takes iron reserves from your body to keep anemia at bay in the first six months of it's life. Also, you lose a certain amount of blood during delivery. For all these reasons, it's crucial to increase the intake of iron.

Your body needs only 27 mg of iron daily yet you need to take 60 mg because not all ingested iron is absorbed in the body. If you are found to be anemic, it's good to take pregnancy nutrition supplements of iron.

One of the tricks to absorb iron better is to take it with vitamin C enriched foods. Tomato juice, orange, or grapefruit are good options. Avoid taking them with milk, cheese, or other calcium enriched foods, as calcium hampers the absorption of iron.

Vitamins

Pregnancy nutrition guidelines recommend a 25-50 % increase in the intake of vitamins. The requirement of folic acid doubles to 400 micrograms daily at this time. Eating a variety of foods in your pregnancy diet leads to the fulfillment of vitamin requirement.

Even if you think that you are taking a nutritious diet during pregnancy, it's important to have a look at pregnancy nutrition guidelines and read pertinent articles and books.

Pregnancy Nutrition Guidelines For A Healthy Pregnancy (1)

Pregnancy nutrition guidelines are necessary for pregnant women. It's true that during this time, you need just 300 calories extra daily. However, they should not be empty calories. Nutrition is the word here.

Read on to know about the exact nutrition during pregnancy that you need. It's not difficult at all to follow a well balanced vegetarian nutrition diet during pregnancy.

Calcium

As per the pregnancy nutrition guidelines that are prepared by doctors, your calcium intake at this time should range from 1200-1500 mg daily. Calcium is vital for the healthy growth and development of your baby's bones, muscles, heart, and teeth. If you do not take adequate calcium, your baby will use your calcium reserves. This increases the risk of osteoporosis in you.

Your pregnancy nutrition chart should contain milk and its products. For lactose intolerant women, there are lactose-free milk products, buttermilk, soy milk, or cultured yoghurt. If this doesn't work, ask your doctor for calcium supplements.

Protein

During pregnancy, you need about 60 grams of protein daily for the healthy growth of your baby. Besides, it keeps your placenta, uterus, and breasts in a healthy state; it increases the volume of blood, and produces adequate amniotic fluid.

How To Care After Pregnancy

The care given after pregnancy is very important for any new mother. Women are usually advised to stay at home to let their body heal by itself. At home you will have your family and close relatives to take care of your needs. You are advised to stay at home for at least a period of six weeks after child birth. You should give this time to your body to recuperate and bounce back. Working mothers find it difficult to spare this time. So, it is necessary for them to plan their maternal leave keeping this time frame in mind.

Why is care given?

After pregnancy care is given to new mothers to:

# Detect any kind of infection or hemorrhage

# Reduce chances of baby infections or disorders

# Give a better understanding about nutrition, child care, breastfeeding and other necessary guidelines related to care for self and the baby

# Counsel on family planning

Care is also rendered to the umbilical cord. Your baby, when it was in the womb received its nourishment through the umbilical cord. This cord after delivery turns into a purplish blue stub. The stub which is about half or one inch in length takes close to 2-8 weeks to dry and fall off. It is necessary to prevent infection to this stub. The area should always be kept dry and clean. Only sponge bath is given during such time. The stub when it dries will fall off on its own and the place will heal automatically. Do consult your doctor if you suspect any bleeding or pus formation in that area. This could be due to an infection.

New mothers can alleviate such symptoms

Some women after child birth undergo depression. This depressed state makes the women sad and moody. They like to be left alone and find the company of people a nuisance. Some women have a combination of depression, anxiety and a sense of panic. They consider themselves a burden to the family and neglect their work. They show no interest in anything and this can even adversely affect the care for the baby.

Another common post pregnancy symptom is baby blues. This sign can be seen as early as 4-5 days after delivery. These women are irritable and impatient, restless, suffer from insomnia, fatigue, feel low, sad, cry for no reason and have poor concentration on anything around them. Baby blues is said to last for few hours every day and may last from any time between 10 days to several months. If it prolongs for too long, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

# Talking to the people around

# Listening to music

# Doing activities that they enjoy

# Never sitting alone

# Trying to think positively at all times

# Keeping a smiling face

Care given to women after pregnancy will ensure a healthy mother as well as a healthy baby. There will be lot of cheer and happiness in the family. Never delay if you suspect a symptom. Attend to the problem before it aggravates. Keep your mind free from negative thoughts and you will see life in a beautiful way.