Pre -Pregnancy Nutrition

  Ask Our Nutritionist

A lot of times the importance of consuming a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet before pregnancy is underestimated by well-educated women in high-paying jobs and not-so-educated women alike. Most women do not pay much attention to what they eat. This is mainly due to the ignorance of the importance and the benefits of consuming a well balanced diet before pregnancy.

Pregnancy places huge demands on a woman - physically, emotionally and nutritionally. Conceiving and carrying a baby to term requires a lot of nutritional resources. A well-balanced pre-pregnancy nutrition prepares the woman’s body to meet the nutritional demands of pregnancy. It prepares and strengthens the woman’s body and makes it suitable to carry the baby full term, encourages the synthesis of all the hormones that are needed for the formation and development of the baby, accumulates the necessary nutrients to aid in the baby’s physical and mental growth, and builds enough immunity to fight off any illnesses and infections during the course of pregnancy, so that the baby can be healthy and safe.

Do you know that consuming a well balanced diet before and during pregnancy can actually increase the rate of having normal healthy babies without any physical and mental deformities?  There is, of course, the rare possibility of inheriting some genetically inherited disorders, but generally having normal healthy babies depends a lot on what the mother eats before and during pregnancy. Considering all the above benefits, it is certainly worthwhile to pay more attention to what we eat and be careful to avoid all those that might not be healthy for the baby.

Nutrients

Your diet should provide adequate amounts of all the nutrients – carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals – as in a balanced diet.  But there are some nutrients to pay more attention to.

These are: 

1. Folic acid: Folic acid is very important especially in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when the baby’s nervous system starts forming.  A deficiency of this vitamin can cause neural tube defects like spina bifida, a malformation of the neural tube.  As this is usually needed the most in the first few weeks of pregnancy when a lot of women are not aware of the fact they are pregnant, it is good to consume a lot of fresh foods rich in this vitamin before actually conceiving the baby. It is also advised to start taking folic acid supplements a few months before planning to have a baby. 

This vitamin is abundantly present in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, and other dark green leaves.

2. Vitamin B 12:  Vitamin B 12 ensures you are in a sound physical and mental health before you plan to have a baby. Consuming foods rich in this vitamin helps you to avoid easily avoidable symptoms like anemia, fatigue, nervousness, depression, etc, to name a few.

This is present in sufficient amounts only in animal products like eggs, milk and milk products, fish and meat. But if you are a raw vegan, then it is advised to take a supplement.

3. Good fats: Consume good fats like mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids.  Fats are needed to produce the sex hormones necessary for the preparation of the woman’s body for pregnancy, preparation of the uterus for the implantation of the fetus, and formation and development of the baby.
These are present in nuts, oil seeds, olives, avocados, and vegetable oil.

4. Magnesium and zinc: These minerals are needed as cofactors for the proper functioning of a lot of hormones. 

These are present in fresh fruits, vegetables, greens, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and lentils.

Pay Attention to your Weight

Before you plan on having a baby, make sure you have a healthy weight. You should not be underweight or overweight.

Underweight: If you are underweight, your body may not be able to cope with the demands of having a baby or be able to hold the baby full term. Also, it can increase the chance of having a baby with a low birth weight, which is may increase the risk of ill health in the early years of the baby. So, if you are underweight, try to achieve a healthy weight by proper diet and exercise.

Overweight: If you are overweight, it might again become difficult to conceive. It also increases the risk of high blood pressure and gestational diabetes during pregnancy. So, if you are overweight, it is good to lose some weight before you plan on having a baby.

Foods to Include in your Diet

Carbohydrate-rich foods: Include a variety of whole grains, cereals and seeds in your diet.

Protein-rich foods: Include lots of lean protein like beans, legumes, lentils, and nuts (eggs, milk and milk products, lean meat and fish if you are a non-vegetarian).

Good fats: Consume good amounts of mono and polyunsaturated fats in the form of nuts, oil seeds, olives, avocados, and vegetable oils. Limit the consumption of saturated fats.

Vitamins and minerals: Include a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and greens in your diet best way to consume these would be by green smoothies. Greens are rich in folic acid, magnesium, calcium, and dietary fiber.

Things to Remember

1. Start with a healthy body weight.

2. Eat freshly prepared healthy meals.  Avoid junk foods, pre-prepared meals, take-away meals and trans fats.

3. Snack on healthy foods.

4. Take these in moderate amounts – caffeine, soft drinks, fried foods and sweets.

5. Avoid these completely – Smoking and alcohol.

6. Stay relaxed and calm.

7. Exercise regularly.

Plan your pregnancy, consume a healthy balanced diet, prepare yourself physically and mentally to meet the demands of having a baby, be happy, stay relaxed and calm and exercise regularly. These will help you prepare physically, mentally and emotionally to have a healthy baby and stay healthy after having a baby.

Eat healthy and live happy,

Ruth.

TTS Nutritionist