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Woman’s
Alimentation During Pregnancy and Nursing
Author: Cristi ion
The pregnancy and nursing
period is characterized by a series of
fundamental structural and functional
changes of the maternal body: uterus
enlargement, placenta formation, mammary
glands increase, endocrine gland
modification, blood volume increase,
metabolism intensification etc.
All these changes impose the decisions
taking about how to help the maternal body
to go through this period without health
damages for the mother or child. The
alimentation plays an important role in the
structure of these measures.
Research concerning a pregnant woman’s
metabolism showed that the nutritive needs
increase in comparison to the needs of an
adult woman who is not pregnant, especially
during the second period of the pregnancy
and during nursing.
The caloric needs increase in the first
period of pregnancy with 5-10% and in the
second part the caloric needs are up to
15-20% higher. During nursing, the increase
may be of 30% or of 1000 calories more than
at a non-pregnant adult-woman.
The proteins need of the pregnant woman is
of 1,5- 2 g/kg/day or 100g/day during the
first part of pregnancy, increasing to 120g
in the last pregnancy trimester and 125 g
during nursing. That is why 2/3 or at least
half of them will have a high biological
value, first of all out of milk, dairies
above all, eggs, meat and fish.
A poor proteins quota can lead to pregnancy
complications: anemia, eclampsia, edemas or
some fetus deficiencies, premature birth,
malformations as well as different deficient
states of the fetus, a greater receptivity
to diseases after birth and diminished
callousness. Latter on, it can also
influence the quality and the quantity of
the milky secretion.
Vegetal proteins from the dry vegetables (bean,
pea and lentil) should be avoided as they
usually contain a high degree of cellulose
which renders their digestion difficult and
possible postprandial distention, endured
with difficulty by the pregnant woman.
The quantity of the lipids should be low as
they overtax the liver’s functions and favor
the acidity. That is why a small quantity,
of 90 g/day, should be consumed in the first
period of the pregnancy and 110g/day during
nursing. Half of them will be consumed by
eating vegetables, the rest through animal
fats, including the fats contained by the
aliments.
The quantity of glucose should be of 5—6
g/kg/day or 350—420 g/day and can increase
to 500 g a day during nursing, without
excesses since they can lead to obesity and
diabetes. One should eat more vegetables and
fruits which bring vitamins and minerals or
cereals and aliments from cereals, without
exaggerating the pastries consumption.
During the pregnancy and nursing, the need
of mineral salts, calcium, phosphor and iron,
in particular, increases and since it cannot
be satisfied by the usual alimentation, one
should consume aliments which contain them
such as: milk, dairies, eggs, meat, liver,
spinach, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.
The calcium and phosphor need is of 1.5 g/day
in comparison to de 0,8 g/day, for the adult,
non-pregnant woman, during nursing can grow
up to la 2 g/day. The iron need grows from
15—16 mg/day, the necessary for the adult
non-pregnant woman, to 20 mg/day during
pregnancy and to 25 mg/day during nursing.
As for the sodium quantity, it should be
diminished, especially in the last period of
pregnancy, as it favors the edemas which may
provoke complications at birth.
The need of some vitamins is higher for the
pregnant woman. Thus, the thiamin need
increases to 2mg/ day during pregnancy
instead of 1,5 mg/day in normal conditions
and to 2,3—2,5 mg/day during nursing. The
riboflavin need is of 2,5 mg/day during the
pregnancy instead of 2 mg/day in normal
conditions, and goes up to 3—3,2 mg/during
nursing. The pyridoxine need is of 5 mg/day,
the PP vitamin need grows from 14- 15mg/day
to 18- 20mg/ day to the pregnant woman and
to 24—25 mg/day to the nursing woman.
Vitamin K need is of 0,5—1 mg/day for the
pregnant woman, growing especially in the
last period of the pregnancy, taking into
account the blood loss during the birth
process. The vitamin A need is of 6 000 U.I.
for the pregnant woman and of 8 000 U.I. for
the nursing woman, in comparison to 5 000
U.I. for the normal woman. The necessary
quantity of vitamin D is of 400 U.I. for the
pregnant woman and of 500—600 U.I. for the
nursing woman. This can be provided by
aliments (dairies) but also by sun exposure
during summer. Vitamin E, necessary
especially during pregnancy, as it favors
the normal growth of the embryo, is
necessary in quantities of 10—12 mg/day,
being provided by the consumption of vegetal
oil, eggs, meat, germinative cereals.
Vitamin C, whose necessary quantity grows
from 50—55 mg/day, the quantity for normal
women, to 100 mg/ day for the pregnant woman
and to 130 —150 mg/day for the nursing woman,
will be provided through the consumption of
fresh aliments of vegetal origin (fruits and
green vegetables). Vitamins from the group B
will be provided especially by bread, meat,
milk, eggs, green vegetables, and the
vitamin A by dairies, eggs, fish as well as
some fresh vegetables which bring it as
carotene, which will convert in organism in
active vitamin.
All nutritive needs of the pregnant or
nursing woman will be ensured by the
consumption of the aliments from the main
groups.
The quantity of meat and meat products
consumed daily will be of 200—250 g/day, the
milk quantity is 600- 1000ml/ day, the
cheeses quantity should be around 50g/ day,
and at least one egg everyday. The
alimentary fats will be provided through:
20g butter a day, 20-25 g oil a day. Out of
the aliments of vegetal origin, rye bread
will be preferred (brings more vitamins and
minerals and doesn’t provoke constipation)
250—350 g/day, 30- 40g/day pastries or other
cereal products, 400—500 g/day vegetables
and 250—300 g/day potatoes. The quantity of
fruits can be of 350—400 g/day, fresh or
stewed, cooked, and sugar daily quantity
should be around 40—50 g/day.
Alimentation should be sufficient
qualitative and quantitative, no excesses,
it should vary and the aliments as fresh as
possible. It is advisable to have frequent
and reduced meals, especially in the first
period of the pregnancy when the dyspeptic
disorders (nausea, vomiting) can affect
nourishment. Avoid fatty, spicy, salty
aliments, smoked meat, fish or meat
preserves, alcohol and coffee. They usually
irritate the digestive mucosa with
hypersecretion of gastric juice. If endured,
occasionally, are allowed small quantities
of wine with soda or coffee, without making
any excess or converting it into a rule.
Aliments with fried sauces or fried in fats,
are not recommended for the pregnant or
nursing woman.
The weight gain will be closely followed. It
should be almost inexistent in the first
months of pregnancy, than it will increase
with 1.5 kg/month in the last 6 months,
taking care that the weight gain won’t
exceed 10 kg during the entire pregnancy.
During travail all kinds of aliments are
forbidden. After birth should be consumed
fortifying easily digestible and stimulant
aliments: natural coffee, coffee with milk,
vegetable sauce, meat sauce, eggs, fruit
juices, etc. Starting with the third day
after birth, the diet recommended for the
nursing woman will start.
The nursing woman, beside the mentioned
elements, should be aware that some of the
substances can reach the milk, giving a bad
taste or provoking digestive disorders to
the baby, which is why they should be
avoided. These are: onion, garlic, alcohol,
which can also provoke nervosity, agitation,
insomnia, explained by the excitability
growth of the nervous system of the infant.
The pregnant woman as well as the nursing
woman should respect a set of rules
regarding the alimentation hygiene,
absolutely necessary such as: respect the
meals hours, a good repartition of calories
for each meal… With respect to this aspect,
we already mentioned that it is preferable
to have more meals and less consistent, in
order to be better assimilated by the body.
Mastication will be lent and long. Avoid any
kind of emotions during meals and take a
postprandial pause.
Try, if possible, not to change the pregnant
woman’s alimentary customs, if they aren’t
too different from the rational alimentation
limits. One won’t impose useless
interdictions or excesses which can damage
the nutritive factors contribution, such as
salt diet or minerals and vitamins intake in
excess.
Keep the optimal proportion between the
nutritive factors as it has a positive
influence over the absorption and their
utilization.
If the pregnant woman presents nutritional
disequilibrium, they will be taken into
account, trying to correct them.
When the pregnant woman has a job which
solicit her physically and psychically, the
nutritive contribution will be adjust
according to her need which surpass the
usual values for a sedentary pregnant woman
or for one who makes little effort.
It is also very important if the pregnant
woman is an adolescent. Because of the
growing needs from this period, the pregnant
adolescent’s ratio will be increased in
calories and nutritive factors, in order to
cover the needs of the adolescent’s growing
body.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/womans-alimentation-during-pregnancy-and-nursing-106502.html
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