Pregnancy is an important but also crucial period in a woman’s life. During this period, she must watch her weight and her diet in order to ensure the desired outcome both for herself and for the health of the baby.
During the 40 weeks of pregnancy, the woman’s weight gradually increases. Assuming she is of normal weight, she is likely to gain about 9 to 12 kilograms. If, however, she is overweight when her pregnancy begins then there may be potential risks and she will have to be very careful with any extra weight that she puts on. On the other hand, when the mother-to-be is of less than normal weight, there is a chance that the baby will also weigh less than normal.
If the woman gains less weight than normally expected during her pregnancy, there is a high risk of delayed endometrial development and also an increased chance of prenatal mortality. On the contrary, if the increase in weight is greater than expected, this might cause prolonged labor, dystocia, caesarean sections, injuries and perinatal asphyxia.
Nowadays more and more attention is given to proper diet during pregnancy.
It has become clear by now that pregnant women need to follow a diet that will fully cover their needs. Their diet plan must primarily satisfy both the development and the metabolic requirements of the fetus. A proper diet is also vital for the development of the placenta. It must provide all the nutrients required by the mother and the fetus in order for these procedures to take place.
The pregnant woman’s diet ceased to be what many believed
More specifically, the mother-to-be no longer follows a free diet of “forbidden” foods rich in fats, delicacies and calories.
On the contrary, with a well-balanced and correctly planned diet, the woman can avoid complications and unpleasant symptoms during her pregnancy. While she is pregnant the recommended portions of nutrients that have to be consumed, increase by 15-30% (except for special ingredients like iron, folic acid, calcium, phosphates and magnesium that are all required in even greater amounts in combination with a special diet).
These increases are based on the calculation of the total calory and nutrient cost of the whole pregnancy process.
It has been calculated that the total calory cost of a pregnancy is about 80.000 calories. That translates to the following recommendations:
150 extra calories per day for the first trimester,
350 extra calories per day for the second trimester,
350 extra calories per day for the third trimester.
A pregnant woman’s diet is very important for the natural outcome of the pregnancy as well as for the health of both the mother and the newborn. If body weight is left unchecked, that could vastly increase the chances of weight related conditions like gestational diabetes and high blood pressure (preeclampsia).
For more info about how our way of life can affect our fertility, please read this very useful article.
Practical tipsconcerning diet and hygiene during pregnancy:
- Wash your hands thoroughly before touching food.
- Wash fruits and vegetables very well.
- Make sure that meat, poultry and frozen foods, are all cooked really well.
- Wash your hands very carefully when handling raw meat. Also, make sure that raw foods are separated from cooked ones, otherwise there is serious danger of contamination.
Source: Preparing a couple for parenthood, Simou Christina & Tsomi Efthymia
Dimitris Papadopoulos, Clinical Embryologist, Rea Maternity Hospital
