Parenting - Prenatal to preschool/Parenting_PrenatalToPreschool.bin/dp/0040/00405.txt

Text File | 1993-06-14 | 20KB | 360 lines

$Unique_ID{PAR00405}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Pregnancy:  The First Trimester:  For You And Your Baby}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Ellis, Jeffrey W
Ellis, Maria}
$Subject{First Trimester Nutrition Nutritional Healthy Pregnancy health diet
nutritious food foods Eating iron calcium nutrient eat weight gain caloric
intake vitamins minerals nutrients Protein hemoglobin Folic Acid Vitamin C D A
vegetarian Teenage Pregnancy preeclampsia teenager teenagers Multiple
Pregnancies Sugar Chemical additive additives Caffeine Artificial Sweetener
Sweeteners saccharin aspartame herbal teas herb tea Weight Control crash diet
diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol}
$Log{
Daily Food Guide*0040501.tab}

Miracle of Birth


The First Trimester:  For You And Your Baby


Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy


     The attention you give to good nutrition during pregnancy can greatly
influence your baby's health as well as your own.  Your diet during your
pregnancy provides the essential building blocks for your developing baby's
growth.  You will want to consume the most nutritious foods to help build
your baby's heart, lungs, brain, and skeleton.  Eating well during pregnancy
is a gift to your baby for life.  It's also a way of nurturing yourself.
Eating well makes you feel good, and it contributes to a healthy pregnancy.
     Ideally, nutrition for pregnancy begins before conception, as you build
up your stores of iron, calcium, and other nutrients.  But it is never too
late to pay attention to what you eat.  You will feel better and your baby
will benefit from the healthy changes in your diet.
     In years past, nutrition advice to pregnant women differed greatly from
what you will be told today.  Weight gain was severely limited; salt was
eliminated from the diet; and diuretics (drugs to stimulate urine production),
laxatives, and even diet pills were routinely prescribed.  Today, however, we
know the importance of good nutrition and adequate weight gain during
pregnancy for producing a full-term, vigorous infant and for contributing to a
healthy pregnancy.
     So read on, and discover how relatively simple it can be to provide you
and your baby with the nutrients you both need by choosing foods wisely.  And
remember that if you have any questions about your diet or about specific
foods, consult your doctor.

How Much Should I Eat?

     It's often said that a pregnant woman must eat for two.  Unfortunately,
many people believe that means that a pregnant woman must greatly increase the
amount of food she eats.  But that simply isn't true.  While gaining enough
weight is important, you need to realize that the other person you're eating
for is a tiny developing person who doesn't require as much food as an
adult--or even as much as a child.  Indeed, the amount of food consumed by a
pregnant woman is only slightly more than she is accustomed to eating when not
pregnant--about 300 calories more per day.
     The best way to interpret "eating for two" is to remember that when you
feed yourself, you're also feeding your baby.  If you make poor food choices
for yourself, you're making the same ones for your baby.  On the other hand,
if you choose healthy, nutritious foods, you'll be providing your baby with
the nutrients she needs for healthy development.
     The recommended daily caloric intake during pregnancy is 2,100 to 2,400
calories.  Your weight gain is a good guide to how well you are meeting your
caloric requirements (see The Second Month:  Ask the Doctor, for more on
weight gain).
     When fulfilling your daily energy needs, you'll want to choose foods that
provide not only calories but vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.  Your
requirements for certain nutrients increase in pregnancy, so you'll want to
pay special attention to these.

Protein

     Protein is essential for the development and maintenance of your baby's
cells and organs.  You need it, too, not only for normal cell growth and
repair, but also for normal growth of the uterus, placenta, and breasts.
Recommended daily amounts of protein increase dramatically from 46 grams (g) a
day before pregnancy to 76 grams a day during pregnancy.
     Since a deficiency of protein in the mother's diet has been associated
with growth-retarded babies, it is very important that you always include
sufficient amounts of protein in your diet.  Good sources of protein are
meat, poultry, fish, cheese, eggs, grains, nuts, milk, and legumes.  Be sure
to include them in your daily diet.

Iron

     There are three major reasons for getting enough iron during pregnancy.
First, iron is necessary for the formation of the mother's and the baby's
hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of blood.  Since your blood volume
increases considerably during pregnancy, and since your baby is also
manufacturing her own blood cells, your need for iron increases.  Second,
during the last trimester, the baby draws iron from your body to store in her
liver for use after she is born.  Third, your increased blood volume and iron
stores help your body adjust to the blood loss that occurs during childbirth.
     Chances are, your doctor prescribed an iron supplement for you at your
first prenatal visit.  It's estimated that a pregnant woman needs just over 18
milligrams (mg) of iron each day.  You may wonder, therefore, why your
prenatal vitamin contains 30 to 60 milligrams of iron.  This is because your
stomach and intestines cannot totally absorb iron from supplements.  So, you
must ingest about 60 milligrams of iron to ensure that you actually absorb the
required amount.
     Iron supplements are best absorbed when they are taken with foods that
are rich in vitamin C, such as orange juice, grapefruit, and strawberries.
Absorption is slowed down if you take iron supplements with an antacid.
     Some iron supplements may sometimes cause stomach upset, constipation, or
nausea.  If this is the case with you, your doctor may be able to prescribe
another iron supplement that has fewer side effects.
     Even though you may be taking iron supplements, it is still important
that you eat foods rich in iron.  These foods include liver, red meat, egg
yolk, and legumes.

Calcium

     Your calcium needs increase during pregnancy from 800 to 1,200 milligrams
a day.  Calcium is essential for the development and growth of your baby's
skeleton, heart, muscles, and tooth buds.  Inadequate calcium intake results
in your own stores of calcium being depleted.
     Milk and milk products (such as yogurt and cheese) are the best sources
of dietary calcium.  If you are intolerant of milk, as many adults are, your
doctor may prescribe a calcium supplement for you.

Vitamins

     The recommended daily allowances of nearly all vitamins increase in
pregnancy by about 25 to 50 percent.  Though your doctor will usually
prescribe a vitamin supplement, it is still important for you to get adequate
amounts of certain vitamins through your diet.  All vitamins are important for
your health, but the following are especially important in pregnancy.

     Folic Acid

     The recommended daily allowance for folic acid doubles during pregnancy
from 400 micrograms (mcg) to 800 micrograms.  Too little folic acid can cause
a form of anemia in the pregnant woman that is characterized by the formation
of abnormal red blood cells.
     Although a high-quality, varied diet will supply most of the vitamins you
will need for a healthy pregnancy, it may not provide you with enough folic
acid.  Therefore, supplements that provide 200 to 400 micrograms of folic acid
are recommended in order to ensure that you are getting enough of this
vitamin.
     Since adequate folic acid intake is so important, you also need to adopt
a diet that is rich in foods containing this essential vitamin.  Liver, lean
beef, legumes, egg yolks, and leafy, dark-green vegetables are good food
sources of folic acid.

     Vitamin C

     This vitamin is essential for growth and maintenance of body tissues,
resistance to infection, healing, and maintenance of bones and muscle.  It
also plays a key role in the absorption of iron.
     The recommended daily allowance during pregnancy is 60 milligrams; during
lactation, it rises to 80 milligrams.  Sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits,
tomatoes, potatoes, and leafy, green vegetables.

     Vitamin D

     Vitamin D is essential for the proper absorption of calcium and
phosphorus in your body.  It is also vital to the formation of healthy bones
and teeth in your developing baby.
     During pregnancy, a woman needs 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D
daily.  Vitamin D can be acquired either through foods or through exposure to
sunlight (your skin can manufacture vitamin D when you are exposed to the
sun's ultraviolet light).  Good food sources of vitamin D are fortified milk,
margarine, fish, egg yolks, and yeast.

     Vitamin A

     The pregnant woman needs this vitamin for the maintenance of healthy skin
and hair and for the proper functioning of her thyroid gland (the organ in the
neck that secretes hormones that regulate metabolism).  In the baby, vitamin A
is necessary for bone growth and the development of tooth buds.
     Foods containing vitamin A include butter, fortified margarine, cream,
dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables, liver, and yellow noncitrus fruits.

General Guidelines

     Dividing foods into specific food groups and then choosing servings from
each group is a good way to be sure that you are getting the variety and
quantity of nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy.  While you may be
familiar with the "Basic Four" food groups plan, this breakdown may not be
adequate to ensure that you get all the nutrients you need.  Instead, you can
divide foods into the following seven food categories and three nonfood
categories.

  -  Dairy
  -  High-quality protein
  -  Grains and breads
  -  Green and yellow vegetables
  -  Citrus fruits; fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C
  -  Potatoes and other vegetables and fruits
  -  Fats
  -  Fluids
  -  Iodine-containing foods
  -  Foods consisting primarily of nonnutritious calories

     You can use the "Daily Food Guide" chart (accompanying table) to record
your daily diet and assess where changes need to be made.  The chart lists
each food group, tells you why it's important, specifies the number of
servings needed daily, and gives you examples of single servings.  You'll find
a space to record the number of servings you actually get each day.  And, for
the days when you don't get the required number of servings, you'll find a
space to jot down the number of additional servings that you should have
consumed to fulfill your requirements.
     Keep track of your intake for several days, and then use the chart to
analyze your diet.  Are you neglecting certain food groups?  Are you not
getting enough of certain kinds of foods?
     At first glance, the recommended numbers of servings may seem like too
much food.  However, on checking the size of the sample portions, you will
find that the amount of food recommended is not at all excessive.
     Sometimes your capacity or appetite is diminished, especially during late
pregnancy or if you are experiencing heartburn or nausea.  Eating several
small meals during the day instead of three large meals may help to alleviate
this problem.
     Let your weight be your guide for how much food to eat.  Your doctor will
weigh you at each office visit to make sure that you are not gaining too
little or too much.  Any concerns you have about the amount of food you need
should be shared with your doctor.
     Some doctors will prescribe prenatal vitamins, while others may prescribe
only folic acid supplements or iron supplements.  Remember that these
supplements are not a substitute for good food.  They supply only some of the
nutrients needed for health.  The rest you must get from the nutritious food
that you eat.

Vegetarian Diets

     If you are a vegetarian, you may need a little extra help in planning
your diet during pregnancy.  The following general guidelines will help, but
if you have additional questions, be sure to discuss them with a doctor or
dietician.

  -  Weight gain is a good indicator of adequate caloric intake.
  -  If you do not eat dairy products, you may need vitamin B12, vitamin D,
     and calcium supplements.
  -  Pay special attention to getting enough protein by making meals with
     complementary proteins.
  -  Let your doctor know you are vegetarian.

Teenage Pregnancy

     An adolescent mother-to-be needs special guidance during pregnancy
because her diet must supply nutrients and calories to meet her own growth
needs as well as those of her baby.  The increased incidence of preeclampsia
(a serious condition involving very high blood pressure) in pregnant teenagers
may be related to an inadequate diet.  Pregnant teenagers, therefore, need
individualized nutritional counseling that is aimed at meeting their
nutritional requirements.

Multiple Pregnancy

     If you are carrying more than one baby, you will need to consume more
calories and nutrients than you would if you were carrying only one child.  If
you are expecting two babies, for example, your requirement for iron will be
double the requirement for a single pregnancy, so your doctor will need to
increase your iron supplement.  Your doctor will also advise you on how to
appropriately increase your food intake.

Foods to Avoid

     A variety of changes in the digestive system occur during pregnancy as a
result of your changing hormone levels and the pressure of your enlarging
uterus.  For this reason, you may no longer be able to tolerate certain foods
that you enjoyed before pregnancy.  For example, gas pain is a common problem
during pregnancy, since the entire digestive system slows down in response to
the hormone progesterone.  You may therefore need to avoid gas-producing foods
such as cabbage, onions, and corn.
     Sugar contains about 45 calories per tablespoon, but has no protein,
vitamins, or minerals.  These empty calories should have a minimal part in
your diet.  Sugar can be replaced with fresh fruits and unsweetened juice.
     Chemical additives present in processed foods have not all been proven
absolutely safe in pregnancy.  To be safe, eat as many fresh, unprocessed
foods as you can.

Caffeine Consumption

     Caffeine is a substance found naturally in coffee, tea, cola drinks, and
chocolate.  It may also be found in certain medications.
     Caffeine readily finds its way to the fetus, and the concentration of
caffeine in fetal blood will be about the same as the level in the mother's
blood.  Studies have not shown an association between caffeine consumption and
fetal abnormalities, but it is known that caffeine is a powerful stimulant.
Caffeine also increases production of stress hormones.  This increase causes
constriction of uterine blood vessels, which lessens the blood flow to the
uterus and temporarily decreases the amount of oxygen reaching the fetus.
     Consuming large amounts of caffeine cannot be good for you or your baby.
Since this substance has not been proven absolutely safe for the developing
baby, it is wise to eliminate, or at least severely restrict, caffeine
consumption during pregnancy.

Artificial Sweeteners

     Little is known about the long-term safety of nonsugar sweeteners, such
as saccharin and aspartame.  Saccharin has been associated with bladder
cancer, and no one is sure about its long-term effects on the developing baby.
Aspartame has not been proven unsafe, but there are no long-term studies that
show it is safe for the developing baby.  Perhaps the best advice is to
consume these products in moderation or to avoid them altogether during
pregnancy.

Herbal Teas

     Just because herbal teas are considered "natural" does not mean that they
are safe for pregnant women.  Some herbs and herbal teas contain drugs.
Ginseng tea, for example, contains a small amount of estrogen.  Teas made from
juniper berries may cause stomach irritation.  Check with your doctor or
pharmacist about the safety of particular herbs and herbal teas before you
consume them.

Weight Control

     Never begin a diet program to lose weight while you are pregnant, unless
advised to do so by your doctor.  Never crash diet.  If you reduce your food
intake to extremely low levels, you can harm your developing baby.  Remember
that all of the important nutrients that are critical for your baby's growth
must be in your diet.
     If you are overweight or gaining weight quite rapidly, your doctor can
prescribe a healthy, low-calorie diet that is still in keeping with a healthy
pregnancy.  He may also have you discuss your diet with a professional
dietician so that you may plan specific daily menus.
     If you are gaining too little weight during pregnancy, this may also be a
cause for concern.  A total weight gain of less than 15 pounds during the
entire nine months of pregnancy may cause your baby to be abnormally small or
growth-retarded.  These babies often have a variety of serious problems after
birth, such as feeding difficulties and learning disabilities.  Furthermore,
pregnant women who gain too little weight due to an inadequate diet have a
greater chance of developing anemia and preeclampsia.
     If you have been gaining too little weight, your doctor may perform an
ultrasound examination to determine if your lack of weight gain is affecting
the growth of the baby.  This test will measure the size of the baby's head,
chest, and abdomen.  By comparing your baby's measurements with those of other
normal pregnancies, your doctor can determine if your baby is growing
normally.
     If you are gaining too little weight, your doctor may advise you to
decrease your level of exercise.  He will also prescribe a diet that will
increase your caloric intake.
     One of the best ways to control your weight during pregnancy is to eat
according to your appetite.  By eating healthy, well-balanced meals, you will
help ensure good nutrition for you and your baby.  Don't feel that you must
eat more than your appetite dictates just because you are pregnant.  On the
other hand, don't restrict your food intake unless advised to do so by your
doctor.
     Physical activity is as much a part of weight control as is your caloric
intake.  Be sure to engage in some form of exercise every day during pregnancy
(see The Second Trimester:  For You and Your Baby, Safe Exercise and
Activity).  It will make you feel better, it will help you control your
weight, and it will make getting back into shape after pregnancy easier.
     You will find more information on adequate weight gain in The Second
Month:  Ask The Doctor section, How Much Weight Should I Gain.  If you are
concerned about your degree of weight gain, talk to your doctor.

Special Diets

     If you were following any type of special diet--whether to lose weight,
to control an illness like diabetes, or, to prevent or treat a condition like
high blood cholesterol or high blood pressure--be sure to discuss it with your
doctor.  Now that you are pregnant, you may need to modify it so that you and
your baby get enough of the nutrients you both need.