A guest blog, written by Ben Bunting BA(Hons), PGCert – Exercise and Nutrition.
Getting pregnant can be a challenge for some couples with so much dependant on your age, weight, ethnicity, family history, medications, you are taking, levels of fitness, and lifestyle choices whereas for some the pregnancy could have been a complete surprise.
The actual process of pregnancy is a long and complicated one from start to finish. There are many processes that happen simultaneously, and they all must work together for a successful pregnancy to occur, whether you were trying for a long time, or it happened quickly.
Pregnancy is a time where women experience both physical and emotional changes. In the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, many women report feeling fatigued, moody, nauseous, or experiencing food cravings.
Additionally, their breasts may become tender or enlarged as the uterus grows larger and starts to secrete hormones that prepare it for sustaining a growing baby inside her.
Although not all pregnant women experience these symptoms, they are an indication of how hormones can affect a woman’s mood during this time from week 12 to week 27 of their pregnancy.
This section will provide information about what to expect during each stage of pregnancy to help you take care of yourself through this exciting time!
Pregnancy is a life-changing event. No one can be prepared for what this new life means without all the information it entails. So, it’s understandable that new parents-to-be are worried about their pregnant partner’s health and how it may affect them in the future. The good news is that there are many positive aspects to pregnancy, along with some potential side effects.
The two most common adverse reactions during pregnancy are morning sickness and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). For many women, these symptoms will disappear after they give birth to their children.
However, there are some women who will experience persistent nausea or even vomiting after giving birth, which can lead to weight loss or low body weight gain in the long run. There also exists the possibility of postpartum depression.
Pregnancy is a time of immense change for both mother and baby. Women experience physical changes, hormonal fluctuations, and mental health changes.
The pregnant body goes through many physical changes during pregnancy. Many women experience some form of morning sickness during the first trimester, which may persist into the second trimester or go away altogether. It is important to eat well-balanced meals with protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin A to keep energy levels high.
Women in their reproductive age group are often worried about the health risks that they might face during pregnancy. They fear for their health and the health of the baby.
For instance, there are many things that people are exposed to every day that can increase the risk of miscarriage.
Some studies have found that there are chemicals in common household items like non-stick cookware, hair dye, paint remover, air fresheners that have been linked to an increased risk of miscarriages.
-Nausea and vomiting typically subsides by the fifth week -Cramps may become less severe as uterus expands
– Risk for premature birth is increased in obese women. Premature births are known to result in more complications, including breathing difficulties, feeding problems, possible brain injury, and death. Obesity also increases the risk for preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, anaemia, blood clots in the legs or lungs (deep vein thrombosis), postpartum blood clotting problems.
The risk factors during pregnancy are high. For example, the mother may have anaemia, diabetes, or chronic hypertension. Some of these issues can be treated but others cannot. These risks are usually diagnosed at the first prenatal visit.
The prenatal care team may order blood tests to determine whether the mother has any of these conditions. If she does, they will work with her to find out what steps she needs to take to reduce this risk for herself and her baby during pregnancy.
Prenatal care is important because it can help improve the health of both the mother and baby during pregnancy while also reducing risks for problems that may occur after delivery.
Pregnancy is a period of increased nutritional awareness. This is due to the woman’s changing needs during pregnancy and the foetus’s changing needs in utero.
During pregnancy, nutrition should be tailored to an individual woman’s physical, and lifestyle needs. A pregnant woman should talk with her health care provider about her diet and any supplements she might need, or if she should make any lifestyle changes.
However, it has been established through numerous studies and research papers that pregnant women require many different nutrients to ensure the health of their babies, including calcium, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin C and vitamin D.
Let’s look at these micronutrients in more detail to understand why they are so important…
The passage of calcium through the placenta is an important factor in determining foetal bone mineralization. The foetus must obtain calcium from the mother.
The umbilical cord transfers vital nutrients, water, and oxygen from the mother’s blood to the foetal blood. The umbilical cord also transfers waste products from the foetal blood to maternal blood.
Calcium is transferred across the placenta unchanged in amount and concentration, which means that if there are not enough calcium stores in the mother’s body, it will be depleted of this important nutrient for both her and her unborn baby.
Calcium is a very important nutrient for pregnant mothers because it helps develop the bones of their unborn babies before they are born. Without enough calcium during pregnancy, babies will have problems with their bones.
Research suggests that the foetus receives up to 330mg of calcium daily with recommendations of the mother to ingest 1.5-2g of elemental calcium each day.
Iron is an essential nutrient during pregnancy. Pregnant women need to take more iron than other people to help their baby grow. Iron helps build the baby’s blood cells and keep them healthy, too.
Women who are pregnant need to follow the recommended daily intake of iron which should be at least 30mg per day after week 12 of gestation and taken between meals preferably with a drink that isn’t tea, coffee or milk.
They should include iron-rich foods in their diet like lean red meat, eggs, fortified bread and cereals, beans and other legumes, nuts and seeds, dried fruits like apricots or raisins. There are two forms of iron: heme and non-heme.
Heme iron is from meats and is the most easily absorbed form, whereas non-heme is from plant sources and is more difficult for your body to absorb.
Therefore, if you are vegetarian or vegan you should be aware of your iron intake and how to maximise it. One way is to accompany any non-heme iron foods with a source rich in vitamin C as it helps absorption, an example could be a glass of orange juice.
Zinc is a mineral that is essential for the growth and development of a foetus. Low levels of zinc can lead to poor foetal growth, premature birth, birth defects and other suboptimal pregnancy outcomes. It’s important to know the foods that contain zinc as well as supplementing with prenatal vitamins.
Zinc plays an important role in helping it develop properly while preventing other possible problems. It’s important for pregnant women to know where they can get these minerals from their diet or through supplements.
Human folate is essential for foetal development and is the precursor for red blood cells. Therefore, it is vital for folic acid to be present in the diet and supplementation during pregnancy.
Research associates a folate deficiency with mother and foetus abnormalities. Further research shows that supplementation of 400iu of folate daily from the 14th gestational week until the end of pregnancy could improve child cognitive performance.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that most pregnant women need to make sure they get enough of. Public Health England (PHE) recommends that vitamin D supplementation is necessary during the winter months.
Alongside calcium, vitamin D is important for bone health and a deficiency is linked to many health complications, and there is evidence that higher rates of vitamin D are associated with a reduced need for caesarean.
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in the growth and functioning of tissues. It helps promote healing, protects against oxidative stress, and reduces inflammation.
It is important for pregnant women because it prevents inflammation-related complications like asthma, allergies, or pre-eclampsia.
Macronutrients are the three basic elements your body needs to stay alive. They are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. All these macronutrients have their own benefits, and it is these nutrients that are important for the growth and development of the baby and the mother.
Proteins are good for muscle growth and recovery, while carbohydrates help with energy production. Fats have many benefits- they help us absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K while also being a source of energy.
Protein is made up of amino acids that are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Proteins also play a big role in the recovery after workouts or intense physical activity or even when you get sick with an illness like the flu. Carbohydrates are the energy your body uses for daily activities like walking or running on a treadmill at the gym. Fats are important too because they support cell growth and produce hormones. You need fat because your body cannot produce essential fatty acids.
Ideally, your calorie intake should compose of the following ratio of essential nutrients:
The body can store some carbs in its muscles and liver in a form called glycogen. Therefore, it is important to have at least moderate amounts of carbs during pregnancy which should be at least 45% of your daily calorie intake but can be up to 60%. Healthy sources of carbs are oats, brown rice, oatmeal, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, quinoa granola bars etc.
Protein helps with foetal brain development helping with structure and neurotransmitters to help give your baby a healthy start in life. It also helps to maintain muscle mass which may decrease during pregnancy since you use more energy than usual due to carrying around extra weight. Protein can be found in lean meats like turkey breast or
It is important to note that fat needs to be consumed in moderation for pregnant women and shouldn’t be more than 35% of your total calorie intake.
High levels of dietary fat intake during pregnancy can lead to health problems for the mother and foetal development.
The nutritional needs for lactation are different for each individual and depend on factors such as pregnancy, birth, and weaning.
A breastfeeding mother should take in at least 2000-2800 calories per day to meet her energy requirements. She should also ensure that her intake of protein, calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients like zinc and folate are maintained.
It is important for a mother to have enough protein in her diet while breastfeeding. Protein is needed to produce milk and other body tissues. They should aim to consume 1.7-1.9g per kilo of body weight daily whilst lactating as per the recommendations published within the Current Developments in Nutrition journal.
The following foods are good sources of protein: eggs, dairy products, meat, fish, soy products, beans, and legumes. It is difficult to get the recommended amount from just one or two of these food groups so it’s important to eat a diverse diet that includes many different proteins.
As we can see there’s a lot to consider during pregnancy, and it doesn’t stop once you’ve given birth.
However, a well-balanced diet with a focus on some of those micronutrients should be satisfactory, there are no secrets to healthy nutrition principles but being slightly more aware of your calorie intake is advised.
If you are concerned that you aren’t getting all of your nutrients from your diet, a supplement can be used, particularly if you follow a vegan diet as some of the plant-based foods don’t offer the high concentrations of certain nutrients or the same rate of bioavailability that is sometimes associated with animal products.