Some women are already overweight before pregnancy and other women gain weight very quickly during their pregnancies. either way, Pregnant women should not go on a diet or try to lose weight randomly, as your baby gets all the necessary nutrients from you. Therefore, during pregnancy, you need more food than you needed before, and you also need to be healthy so that your fetus remains healthy and healthy.

Simply, You should focus on eating healthy foods and staying active. Just as it is unhealthy to gain excessive weight during pregnancy, also know that if you do not gain enough weight, you and your baby may face some problems.

But if your food before pregnancy was healthy and organized, In this case, you must increase approximately 340 calories over your previous system.

And if you are overweight and your food is not healthy in the first place, In this case, you must first calculate the calories your body needs according to your weight, height, and rate of movement, and then increase only 340 calories. In this way, you will avoid excessive weight gain, dear.

However, You can make a lot of changes in your diet to get the nutrients you need without gaining too much weight.

What are the most important vitamins and minerals your body needs during pregnancy?

All nutrients are important. But these six elements play a major role in the growth and development of your fetus during pregnancy:

• Folic acid: It is a B vitamin that every cell in your body needs for healthy growth and development. Taking folic acid before and during early pregnancy helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spine in the fetus, and some studies show that it helps prevent heart defects and deformities in the baby’s mouth (cleft lip or cleft palate).

Before pregnancy, we recommend that you take a vitamin supplement containing 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. While pregnant, take a prenatal supplement containing 600 micrograms of folic acid.

You can also get folic acid from natural sources such as citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, and beans. All are excellent sources of folic acid, or a B vitamin. There are other foods rich in it, such as cereals, bread, rice and pasta.

• Iron: Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin. It is a protein that helps carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. You need twice as much iron during pregnancy than you did before pregnancy. Your body needs it to make more blood so it can carry oxygen to your baby and your baby needs iron to make his own blood.

During pregnancy, You need 27 milligrams of iron per day. Most prenatal vitamins contain this amount. You can also get it from food.

Among the foods rich in iron:

Lean meat, poultry and seafood.

Cereals, bread and pasta. It has added iron (check the product label).

Leafy vegetables.

Beans, nuts, raisins and dried fruits.

It is worth noting that foods that contain vitamin C increase the amount of iron your body absorbs. So it is good to eat foods rich in vitamin C such as orange juice, tomatoes and strawberries. On a daily basis

In contrast, calcium (found in dairy products such as milk, And coffee, tea, egg yolks, fiber, soybeans…) plays an opposite role for vitamin C, so try to avoid eating those foods when eating iron-rich foods.

• Calcium: A mineral that aids in the development of your baby’s bones, teeth, heart, muscles and nerves.

During pregnancy, you need approximately 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day. You can get it from several sources such as milk, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, and kale.

• Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and plays a role in supporting the body’s nerves and muscles and strengthening the immune system

As for your child, vitamin D helps the child’s bones and teeth to grow properly.

During pregnancy, you need 600 international units of vitamin D per day, and you get this amount from the following foods:

fatty fish, Milk and cereals with added vitamin D, as well as exposure to sunlight.

• DHA or Omega 3: A type of fat that helps growth and development during pregnancy. You need omega-3 to help your baby’s brain and eyes develop properly and healthily. Your body needs per day is approximately 1200 milligrams. You can gain it from eating low-mercury seafood on a weekly basis, such as herring, salmon, Catfish and shrimp, or you can get it by eating it through pills with a prescription from your doctor.
• iodine: Iodine is a mineral that your body needs to produce thyroid hormones. Which helps your body use and store energy from food. You need iodine during pregnancy to help your baby’s nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves) develop.

During pregnancy, you need 220 mcg of iodine daily. Not all prenatal vitamins contain iodine, so be sure to eat foods that naturally contain it. Good sources of iodine include:

fish, milk, cheese, yogurt, enriched or fortified cereals and bread, iodized salt (iodized salt)

The food that should be avoided during pregnancy:

It is important during pregnancy to avoid certain foods that can cause harm to the fetus. Certain ingredients in food or dietary supplements may cause: As well as infectious agents such as bacteria and their toxins, viruses or parasites, in foodborne illnesses, Also known as food poisoning.

It is best for you and your fetus to avoid or limit the following foods during pregnancy:

• Cheese and raw / unpasteurized milk, Pasteurization is a process in which heat is used to kill potentially harmful bacteria. Therefore, we advise you during pregnancy to stay away from unpasteurized milk and cream. As well as all types of soft cheese with mold or white rind made from unpasteurized (raw) milk, Other types of cheese are safe to eat! You can eat all kinds of soft cheese made from pasteurized milk. Such as feta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella, and spreadable cheese.

Also, all hard cheeses are safe to eat. Even when it’s made from unpasteurized milk, These cheeses contain less water, which makes it less likely for bacteria to survive and grow.

• Raw or undercooked eggs can carry salmonella bacteria, which may cause foodborne illnesses. Salmonella cannot live at high temperatures, so make sure to cook eggs well before eating them and completely avoid foods that contain raw eggs such as homemade mayonnaise and some desserts, but you can eat mayonnaise, sauces and ice cream sold in supermarkets because they are made from pasteurized eggs and therefore are Safe to eat.
• caffeine, It is recommended to limit your caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day, whether you get it from coffee, tea or chocolate. Soft drinks or energy drinks, etc. Although the risks are low, High caffeine intake (more than 300 milligrams per day) during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of low birth weight. So it is best to try to consume as little as possible. And if you drink a lot of coffee, Try to reduce your consumption gradually or replace it with decaffeinated tea.
• Fats: These include oils, margarine, butter and fast food. It is better for you to replace them with healthy fats such as avocados and nuts.
• Simple carbohydrates such as sugar, white rice, white bread and other sweets.

Pregnant women’s sports:

Of course, your body during pregnancy is completely different from before. Due to the presence of a very weak fetus in the womb, Although sport is the foundation of a strong, healthy body, However, many pregnant women are reluctant to exercise at all during pregnancy because they believe that exercise will harm the mother and fetus. However, the scientifically proven fact is that exercise during pregnancy is necessary. Especially to maintain your stamina and your respiratory system.

but, of course, You should be more selective in choosing a suitable and safe sport during your pregnancy. In addition, the choice of exercise time is also important.

So what are the exercises that you can do to maintain your physical fitness during pregnancy?

• walk and relax, One of the most recommended exercises for pregnant women is walking, which is easy for you to do and at the same time is very practical and inexpensive. You can walk at your leisure in the morning or afternoon for no more than one hour. While walking, you can add light stretching exercises with deep breathing. If you can’t do sports with a lot of movement, You can do relaxation exercises such as breathing exercises.
• Swimming is also a good exercise for pregnant women. Dear, you can practice this exercise for no more than an hour, while paying attention to keeping your body warm. Swimming can be done 2-3 times a week.
• finally, The exercise familiar to most pregnant women called pregnancy exercise that you can do after the third trimester. 30-60 minutes of pregnancy exercises are performed under the guidance of a certified trainer. Also, there is another article that may concern pregnant women about pregnant sports.

and remember, During your pregnancy, you are not only responsible for your health, but also for the health of your fetus. Do not neglect your body, but give it all the attention and love.

Written by: Mai Majar

Sources:

prenagen

marchofdimes

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