Maternal and Fetal Nutrition - Essay Example

"Maternal and Fetal Nutrition" is a well-written example of a paper on pregnancy.
Every woman needs to ensure that her body has the nutrients required to increase the chances of getting pregnant. This will be achieved by regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, and avoiding overeating or under-eating.

Pre-pregnancy diet

Before pregnancy, the woman should take lots of fruits and vegetables to provide the body with vitamins and fiber. She should ensure that she takes fresh foods always. At this time, the body requires a lot of energy and the woman should take carbohydrates that give slow-release energy; Good examples of this are rice wholegrain bread, and pasta. Prenatal vitamins, as well as folic, are beneficial in nullifying the risk of neural tube defects. Proteins are of many benefits at this stage but intake of red meat should be avoided. It is recommended that she take chicken, pulses, and eggs. Fish is also good but she should ensure that she does not take more than two portions of fish a week. During this period, a woman’s body is required to produce hormones; essential fatty acids are essential in hormone production. Water intake is also paramount and it is recommended that she take 1-2 liters a day.

Pregnancy diet

After conceiving, the body goes through many physiological and physical changes. How well the woman nourishes her health during this period affects both her health and the health of the expected baby. In order to produce a healthy newborn, the body requires blood, amniotic fluid, extra water, and extra fluids. The body also requires more macro and micronutrients. It should be noted that calories are only required in the second and third semesters of the pregnancy. The woman requires an addition of 60mg proteins, 1200mg calcium, 30mg iron, and 15mg folic acids in her body during pregnancy.

Maintaining appropriate height to weight balance provides the body with the necessary building blocks of baby development in the womb. However, being overweight or underweight affects the baby's development. An equation that predicts the expected weight gain during pregnancy has been developed and approved by Tessmer (2005);  She provides the following table that summarizes the expected weight gain for a healthy pregnancy. The body mass index is calculated by the formula :( weight in kgs/height in meters)

Weight  range

Body mass index

Expected weight gain

Underweight

Below 19.8

28-40 pounds

Normal weight

19.8-26

25-35pounds

Overweight

26-29

15-25 pounds

Obese

Above 29

0-15 pounds

Risk of Maternal Nutritional Depletion

The woman’s supply of nutrients to the body largely affects the pregnancy outcome. Lack of the required nutrients leads to the high occurrence of preterm births and retarded growth of the fetus. The woman is also faced with a high risk of mortality as well as morbidity (Chesley, 1978). In cases where the maternal supply of nutrients is inadequate, there exists a biological competition between the mother and the fetus which in most cases leads to the death of the fetus. Low calcium levels can lead to complications during birth as well as an unhealthy newborn.

 Nutrients needed during lactation and the benefits the baby

Women are faced with soar appetite after birth but they should try to eat since their bodies are at hard work preparing milk supply. Doctors recommend that there be a lot of vegetable intakes such as cauliflower bell peppers and beans. She is also required to take fruits to boost her vitamin levels in the body. Complex carbohydrates and calcium provide essential nutrients during lactation. A balanced meal not only benefits the mother but also the child  (Tessmer 2005). Mother’s milk contains secretory immunoglobulin lgA that protects the young one from diseases and developing allergies. Scholars have proved that breastfeeding boosts the Childs intelligence. It also lowers the kid's risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) breastfeeding not only benefits the young one but also the mother. Breastfeeding reduces the woman’s level of postpartum depression and the risk of various cancers