Bad from supplementary nutrition for pregnant women. Loss of Appetite During Pregnancy – Should You Be Worried? What is proper nutrition

There is a parable: a woman comes to a wise man and asks for advice on how to raise her newborn child. The elder answers her: “You are 9 months late.” It is not for nothing that in a number of countries the age of a person begins to be counted from the moment of his conception. What the expectant mother eats has a huge impact on the development of the baby.

Overeating is harmful

Many girls, when they find out that they are expecting a baby, start eating for two. “But how? After all, pregnant women are supposed to do this!” Indeed, the need for energy in a pregnant woman increases, but not twice. During the first trimester, the expectant mother needs to consume only 200 more calories per day than usual, and during the II-III trimesters - 300. For clarity, this is 200 grams of low-fat cottage cheese.

Overeating will not only affect your figure, which will be quite difficult to correct after childbirth, but, most importantly, being overweight can provoke many diseases. This applies to both the health of the mother and the baby.

Development of varicose veins;

pregnancy diabetes;

Hypertension;

Late toxicosis and the threat of late miscarriage;

Delay in fetal development;

Too big child

Difficulties during childbirth and, as a result, an emergency caesarean section;

Heart disease in a child;

Difficult recovery after childbirth;

And this is not the whole list of problems that may arise due to overweight in a pregnant woman.

Pregnancy is not the time to diet!

From diet future mother depends on the health of the baby. Each type of nutrient has a specific function. Proteins are the main material for building cells, carbohydrates are a source of energy for both a woman and her child, fats are necessary for both energy and tissue construction. Minerals and vitamins regulate metabolism.

Listing all the types of vitamins that the expectant mother needs will take up a lot of space. After all, these biologically active substances are involved in all biochemical and physiological processes occurring in the body of both the woman herself and the little man developing inside her.

Let us dwell in more detail only on omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. They have a huge impact on the development of the baby's brain. Numerous studies have shown that omega-3 deficiency in the diet of a pregnant, nursing mother and in the diet of a child in the first years of life significantly affects the development of his learning ability.

And one more scientific discovery: if a pregnant woman was on a diet, her child will be prone to obesity in the future. Scientists have proven that if the expectant mother experienced a lack of nutrition, then her baby “turns on” a special gene that is responsible for the maximum absorption of nutrients from a limited number of foods (you need to supply the child with nutrients, since the mother did not take care of it).

So, this gene will work not only during the intrauterine development of the baby, but also when the child becomes an adult. That is, if a person finds himself in conditions of a sufficient amount of food, he may develop obesity. (The same thing seems to happen when girls who are on strict diets start to get fat even because of cucumbers.)

In general, the main thing to remember is that nutrition should be moderate and balanced. Fewer empty calories, more vitamins. And eat for health (yours and your baby)!

(about the scientific and educational activities of Dr. Tom Brewer)

V.A. Maslova

On December 30, 2002, the following article was published in the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper .

Consequences of inadequate nutrition

The issue of nutrition during pregnancy is vital, thoroughly studied, and at the same time remains for most doctors, and especially expectant mothers, beyond the scope of those problems that should be seriously worried about. In fact, most pregnant women only hear from their doctor about nutrition for the first time when they become overweight or when their blood glucose levels are high. By interviewing your acquaintances, you can easily be convinced that even very conscientious and attentive doctors do not worry if a woman weighs little or does not add enough. Meanwhile, with improper and inadequate nutrition, the following formidable complications can occur.

For the expectant mother:
1. Late toxicosis of pregnancy (preeclampsia) - a painful condition in which fluid retention in the body (dropsy of pregnancy), loss of protein in the urine, and increased blood pressure develop sequentially. Ultimately, if left untreated, severe brain complications develop, up to convulsions (the so-called eclampsia) and coma, hemorrhages in vital organs, the mother and child may die. In modern official medicine, it is argued that the cause of this condition is unknown. IT IS NOT TRUE . It will be shown below that it is known and, with rare exceptions, easily preventable.
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2. Miscarriage (premature birth and miscarriage) - because. due to malnutrition, the placenta cannot develop normally.
3. Premature placental abruption - in terms close to childbirth, the placenta begins to separate from the wall of the uterus, the child may die (probability of 50%), the mother has bleeding. This occurs, among other things, due to a tendency to thicken the blood and form blood clots in the vessels of the uterus and placenta.
4. Anemia (anemia) - due to insufficient intake or absorption of proteins, iron, and vitamins.
5. Infectious complications, including from the lungs, liver and kidneys.
6. Weak labor activity, protracted childbirth, exhaustion of the expectant mother in childbirth.
7. Postpartum bleeding and decreased blood clotting.
8. Slow wound healing perineum, the uterus is slowly contracting after childbirth.

The child has:
1. Retardation of intrauterine development and possible intrauterine death.
2. Low birth weight, as well asprematurity, low viability.
3. Encephalopathy, mental decline.
4. Hyperexcitability and hyperactivity.
5. Reduced resistance to infections in utero, during and after childbirth; susceptibility to various diseases.

Convincing yourself to take care of proper nutrition is not easy, but the result is worth it.

What does it mean to eat unhealthy

The error may be different kind:
1. disadvantage (a situation that occurs much more often than it is commonly thought)
2. wrong ratio of necessary components (often)
3. bad quality products (often)
4. excess (much rarer than the three above)

To necessary components in nutrition include:
- squirrels
- carbohydrates
- fats
- vitamins
- minerals(These include table salt, iron, magnesium, etc.)
- water .
This is common knowledge, however, read on and you'll be surprised how little you actually know about it.

If to speak about quality, then all these constituent elements must beof the most natural origin, environmentally friendly and prepared with as little cooking as possible(for example, better steamed and baked than fried). By the way, the famous Canadian midwife Gloria LeMay gives a wonderful advice from one sensible doctor to an expectant mother who is afraid to get better:"You don't have to worry about weight gain as long as you eat food . By food I mean what is grown on earth by Mother Nature. Everything you put in your mouth should be as close to natural as possible. If this is a potato, then baked "in uniform". If cereals - then dishes prepared by you personally from whole grains. If the vegetables are organic and raw. If sweets, then let it be a fresh peach, a piece of melon or half a banana. . The more refined the product, the more processed it is, the more it should be avoided (say, the difference between french fries fried in refined oil and potatoes baked in their skins is obvious).
Gloria also recommends eating coarse gray sea salt bought in good store. It is more useful than purified iodized fine salt, as it is of natural origin and contains many essential trace elements in trace amounts.

Now you need to find out all the most important things about each of the above nutritional components.

Attention: squirrels!

We will start with proteins, because it is with protein metabolism disorders, with protein deficiency, that the main number of those complications that were mentioned at the beginning are associated. Below you will see why.

Here is what proteins provide during pregnancy:
- growth and development of the child, placenta, uterus and mammary glands of the mother ( construction role), as well as supplies to be used during breastfeeding
- transport of nutrients, vitamins, microelements (including iron), calcium ( transport role)
- immune defense, since antibodies against bacteria and viruses are proteins ( protective role)
- optimal functioning of the coagulation and anticoagulation systems (noneitherbleeding or clots ) (from 4-5 months of pregnancy, the content of fibrinogen, prothrombin, blood coagulation factors V, VII, VIII, X increases - all these are proteins)
- maintaining the osmotic pressure of the plasma ; this is a property that does not allow the liquid part of the blood to leave the vascular bed, thereby preventing the occurrence of edema and blood thickening; with normal plasma osmotic pressure, the volume of blood is sufficient to provide nutrition and respiration for both the mother and the child, and the fluidity of the blood ensures the best blood supply; for that essential quality albumin proteins and sodium chloride, that is, table salt, are responsible.

It is easy to understand what protein metabolism in the body depends on:
1. from incomeproteins with food
2. from digestion and absorption them in gastrointestinal tract(mainly in the stomach and small intestine)
3. from liver function (it is she who produces the main necessary proteins -
construction, protective, necessary for folding)
4. on the intensity of decay and loss of proteins (this applies to increased physical
stress and some kidney diseases).

Here is how protein deficiency manifests itself during pregnancy:

1. earliest signs – insufficient weight gain and an increase in hemoglobin (HGB) and hematocrit (Ht); note - high hemoglobin (above 120 g/l) in the second and third trimester - this is a reason not to be happy, but to be wary, since it usually indicates a thickening of the blood as a result of a lack of protein and a decrease in the volume of circulating blood
2. intrauterine growth retardation (according to measurements of the height of the fundus of the uterus and the circumference of the abdomen, as well as ultrasound), its hypotrophy
3. the appearance of edema (due to a drop in the osmotic pressure of the plasma, the liquid part of the blood leaves the vessels into the tissues)
4. increased blood pressure (this is a “reaction of despair” - due to a decrease in the volume of circulating blood, the body is forced to reduce the lumen of the vessels and increase the pressure in them so that the remaining blood circulates more intensively)
5. increase in liver enzymes , indicating the suffering of the liver due to protein starvation
6. preeclampsia and eclampsia (expressed in headache, increased reflexes, blurred vision and, finally, convulsions) - the most formidable complications of preeclampsia, requiring urgent hospitalization

(For reference: the normal total protein of blood serum: 65-85 g/l, its decrease to 60 g/l already indicates severe preeclampsia; serum albumin is normally 35-55 g/l, with its decrease to 30 g/l l develop edema; normal hematocrit is 0.36 - 0.42 l / l; weight gain of 2.3 - 4.5 kg for the period from 24 to 28 weeks is normal and indicates an adequate increase in circulating blood volume).

Protein deficiency in a modern prosperous society?

You can shrug your shoulders in bewilderment: excuse me, what kind of protein deficiency can we talk about in a developed American (Dr. Brewer belongs to him), European and even Russian society? Does this apply to more or less wealthy people? Unfortunately yes. Here are some of the most common reasons:

1. Dietary protein intake may not be enough

· due to lack of appetite (including due to depression, unwanted pregnancy, poor living conditions and family relationships)

· due to the fact that the food contains few proteins or they are of poor quality ("starvation in abundance")

· due to the fact that they are not used to eating right and generally attaching any importance to the way of eating

· due to the fact that there is no time to eat and no time to cook (a typical situation for working women and mothers of large families)

· because of the low standard of living and the unwillingness to "overeat the family"

· because of the unwillingness to get better and spoil the figure (a woman came to the author of these lines, who set herself the goal of not gaining weight during pregnancy AT ALL)

· due to the fact that a woman knows from doctors, friends and from literature: a large increase in body weight is dangerous

2. Dietary protein intake may be relatively insufficient:

· when a woman has few carbohydrates in her diet (then proteins are burned instead of fuel, and they are not enough for construction)

· when a woman is pregnant with two or more children

· when the expectant mother has a lot of physical activity or is in a situation of stress

3. intake, digestion and absorption of proteins can be hindered various painful conditions of the stomach and intestines , of which the most common are:
- lack of appetite
- nausea
- vomit
- heartburn

4. Liver Disease Can Prevent It From Making Essential Proteins

5. kidney disease can lead to protein loss

It is clear that the first two categories are more common, need to correct the diet and change attitudes towards such an important issue as nutrition. The rest need the help of a good doctor.

Looking ahead, let’s say that in the West, a traditional midwife during the first consultation talks seriously and a lot with a woman about nutrition, asks to keep a simple diary, constantly checks and discusses with the expectant mother what and how she eats. Inexcusable frivolity would be the neglect of the diet.The gross mistake is drug treatment consequences of malnutrition without correcting the latter.

Example.In his article Nutritional Nonchalence in Modern Obstetrics: Case Report by T. Brewer, Dr. Brewer cites the case of 27-year-old NICU nurse Karen R.

Issues of nutrition and basic physiology continue to be invariably ignored in clinical obstetrics in the United States. There is still absolutely no understanding of the role of nutrition during pregnancy, and especially the role of protein-calorie deficiency in the etiology and pathogenesis of toxicosis in the second half of pregnancy.

During her first pregnancy, Karen R. (not her real name) worked as a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Staten Island Hospital. Her pregnancy ended in surgery caesarean section, produced on February 3, 1979 for a period of 35 weeks due to "severe preeclampsia." Her daughter, who was born weighing 2250g, developed neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. The girl was treated in the same department where her mother worked, and the child survived.

Karen attended Lamazov's prenatal training with her husband, her dream was a natural, non-drug birth, where her husband would participate. She wanted to be with the child, communicate with him from the first days, breastfeed immediately after birth. Instead, she had an emergency caesarean section, her husband was not present at the operation, and she saw the child only 52 hours after the birth. She tried breastfeeding but it didn't work.

On March 2, 1979, Karen called us on " hotline late morning sickness,” she wanted to know what had happened to her and her baby. After studying the history of this case, it became quite clear that Karen suffered from a protein-calorie malnutrition, severe enough to develop late pregnancy toxemia (preeclampsia). On March 5, 1979, she sent a letter in which, in response to my request to tell about her pregnancy and the diet she followed, she wrote the following:

« Throughout my pregnancy, my focus was on childbirth and breast-feeding, so most of the books that I read dealt with precisely these issues. Maybe all this would become a reality if I paid more attention to the issues of diet, nutrition during pregnancy and childbirth. Instead, it all ended in an operative delivery, the birth of an immature child, and a huge disappointment.

From July to November 1978 I worked night shifts. For the first 15 weeks of my pregnancy, I was almost constantly nauseous, vomited very often, and had ABSOLUTELY NO appetite. I ate once a day, the regime was usually like this:

Finished work at 8 am
came home and went to bed
got up at 15-16, ate toast, sometimes muesli
dined at 18.30 - 19.30 - milk, potatoes or pasta; I didn't crave meat, but I usually ate a little: half a hamburger; rarely - dessert
in the evening - coffee
work from 23 to 24h, coffee; at 3 a.m. coffee, soda and some kind of snack, usually cookies; at 6.30 - 7 a.m. there is usually some juice
at 8 o'clock - home to bed

(Her height is 163 cm, before pregnancy she weighed 55.8 kg. During the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, she did not gain weight at all, and by November, by the 24th week of pregnancy, she added only 2700 g to 58.5 kg).

From November 26 to January 25, I worked in the day shift as an instructor of practical classes:
wake up at 6 am
at 7.15 to work
at 8.30 breakfast, usually muesli with skim milk, coffee, sometimes Orange juice or fruit
at 12-13: usually soup with crackers, skimmed milk or diet soda, salad with tuna or chicken meat (not a sandwich, i.e. without bread), fruit salad
4 p.m. - Return home from work, usually drink diet soda or skim milk
18.30-19h - lunch: a lot of pasta or similar food, sometimes with vegetables. Milk or sparkling water. No dessert. No snacks.
at 22h - in bed

(There were no eggs, the meat was in very poor in large numbers less than a liter of milk per day).

In January I had gastroenteritis. I know I was emaciated and dehydrated then.”

She told me over the phone that for several days she had ketone bodies in her urine (a sign of starvation. - V.M.), and this worried her, but her obstetrician-gynecologist, who was so kind as to call her at home, He said it didn't matter and there was nothing to worry about.

On January 2, 1979, Karen had her first arterial pressure up to 140/80 and there were traces of protein in the urine. Her OB/GYN ordered bed rest, lying on her left side, limiting salt, drinking plenty (mainly water) and coming back 3 days later. On January 5, her BP was again 110/70, she lost 1.5 kg, from 63.9 to 62.5 kg, there were traces of protein in her urine. Karen is back at work. On January 19, BP was 120/70, weight 64.125 kg, again traces of protein in the urine.

On February 2, slight swelling appeared in the ankles, the weight was 65 kg, headache, BP increased to 160/90, still traces of protein in the urine. On the same day she was hospitalized. The next day, due to the appearance of increased reflexes, involuntary tremor of the arms and legs, she was urgently performed a caesarean section.

Neither at the medical school, nor at the Lamazov prenatal training courses, nor during the visits to the obstetrician-gynecologist (who, as she believed, managed the pregnancy very well), no one ever told her that protein-calorie deficiency could lead to preeclampsia and the birth of a low birth weight. child. She took prenatal vitamins daily, avoided salt very carefully, and tried not to gain too much weight (hence soda, skim milk, no bread, etc.)

Her weight immediately before delivery was 64.8 kg, while the initial weight was 55.8 kg with a total increase of 9 kg; however, most of this weight was water, because on the 4th day after birth, after the birth of a child weighing 2250g, her weight was back to 55.8 kg!
This is an obvious evidence of protein-calorie deficiency.

During the pregnancy, the obstetrician-gynecologist never gave her specific nutritional advice, with the exception of salt restriction. He never planted in her mind the thought that her health and the health of the developing baby directly depended on her nutrition. He never once asked her the forbidden question: What did you eat?”, even when a diagnosis of mild preeclampsia was made on January 2, 1979, and even after surgery for severe preeclampsia on February 3, 1979.

Fact - in Karen's home hospital, no one, no one alive soul does not know why she developed preeclampsia. They can only complain: “Karen, why did you have such severe preeclampsia, which we have not seen for many months?” And it ended up that the child, suffering from respiratory failure, became a patient of his mother's neonatal intensive care unit!

What must happen to bring light into the darkness of contemporary American clinical obstetrics? The role of protein-calorie deficiency in the etiology of late toxicosis of pregnant women was clearly shown by researchers Ross from Duke and Strauss from Harvard as early as 1935. However, American obstetrician-gynecologists and nutritionists stubbornly reject this, preferring to assert that NOTHING IS KNOWN.

We must let people know!

(Those of our readers who are confused by the 25-year-old history of the described history can again turn to the beginning of this article).

The role of protein deficiency in the development of pregnancy complications: background

About what is the cause of preeclampsia, which claims the lives of thousands of women and children every year and about what are the ways to prevent this disaster, medical science has been known for more than 120 years. Judge for yourself.

French obstetrician-gynecologist Adolphe Pinard in his work "Advances in clinical obstetrics during the 19th century" (Progres Realises En Obstetrique Pendant Le XIXe Siecle., Extrait des Ann. De Gynecologia et d "Obstetrique, Dec. Paris (10- 13), 1900 p. 13) wrote:
“Since 1873, when for the first time this prophylactic treatment was prescribed to all pregnant women in an obstetric clinic, the results have remained unchanged. Those observations from my own practice, which were described by me on the example of thousands of women with albuminuria (albuminuria - the presence of protein in the urine, one of the signs of preeclampsia. - Approx. Trans.), were similar to those that I observed in 1873, being Stefan Tarnier's intern.<…>Clinical results show thatAn All-Milk Diet Is Really Prevention Of Eclampsia Seizures».

The American researcher M. Strauss (1935) measured the osmotic pressure of plasma in 65 pregnant women for a period of 7 months and showed that it is directly related to the amount of protein in the diet.. Plasma osmotic pressure, plasma albumin and protein intake were highest in 35 women without signs of late toxicosis, followed by 20 women with toxicosis without convulsive phenomena. And finally, these indicators were the lowest in 10 women with eclampsia. At the 8th month of pregnancy, 15 women of the second group were prescribed a diet with a daily amount of protein 260g and vitamin injections. The remaining five were placed on an isocaloric diet with 20g of protein per day. After three weeks on a high-protein diet, the symptoms of late toxicosis (including high blood pressure) in women from the first subgroup disappeared. There were no cases of intrauterine fetal death. In women from the second subgroup, plasma osmotic pressure dropped by 9%, and only two out of five had a decrease in blood pressure.

R. Ross in 1935 discovered thatthe incidence of eclampsia is extremely high in areas where beriberi, pellagra and other malnutrition are common. "We were shocked how many malnourished women had eclampsia."

In 1938, researchers E. Dodge and T. Frost radicallyprevent eclampsia by prescribing a high-protein diet. The condition of women with late toxicosis, who were on a diet of 6 eggs, 1-1.5 liters of milk, meat and legumes daily, improved before our eyes. According to these authors, the average plasma albumin level among women with late toxicosis was 21% lower than among women who were on a diet with a high protein content and did not have toxicosis.

Researcher V. Tompkins (1941) also managed to reduce the incidence of late toxicosis by correcting the diet. He concludes that "the so-called toxicosis of pregnant women is actually a state of malnutrition».

T. Brewer in 1966 and M. Bletka in 1970 showed that the appearance of signs of late toxicosis is preceded by a decrease in circulating blood volume and a decrease in plasma albumin. Alsosymptoms of toxicosis are preceded by impaired liver function, which, due to protein deficiency, cannot synthesize albuminsthat act as a toxin binder.
The full bibliography of these and other works (over 70 in number) can be found in the original on Dr. Brewer's website:

Here it is impossible not to mention Agnes Higgins (1911-1985), not just a researcher, but an ascetic. After learning from the writings of her teacher, Bertha Burke of Harvard, about the role of nutrition (and especially protein) during pregnancy, and seeing this first hand, she set to work. Being a specialist in diet food, she secured the opening of the Charity Pregnancy Diet Canteen in Montreal and became its director. It was the 50s of the XX century. Then in Montreal lived many families of the poor class, for the most part large families. Often children were born prematurely, poor learning abilities were common. In the dining room of Agnes Higgins, each pregnant woman was given a liter of whole milk, two eggs and an orange daily. The woman had to eat all this in the dining room, not taking it home, where she could give food to the children. As a result, many of these women gave birth for the first time to a full-term, healthy baby weighing more than 3 kg.

With the onset of pregnancy, especially if she is the first, every woman asks herself the question - what is now possible, and what is better to refuse? And this is quite logical, because from now on a completely new, and sometimes unpredictable life begins.

In matters of food consumption, as in many other matters, there are two extremes. It used to be that a woman in a position is obliged to eat for two. Now, on the contrary, this topic has spread so widely that, in fear of gaining extra pounds, women began to eat less than normal. Both approaches are fundamentally wrong.

From now on, it is necessary to monitor not so much the quantity of food taken, but its quality! Adequate nutrition is essential during pregnancy.

Improper diet during pregnancy

To begin with, let's understand the very concept - what is not proper nutrition. So there are four points here:

1. Lack of food intake.
2. Excess food intake.
3. Poor quality of food used for cooking.
4. Incorrect ratio of food components necessary for the normal course of pregnancy.

The consequences of malnutrition can be really severe:

1. Preeclampsia (toxicosis in the later stages). In its acute form, the fluid begins to linger in the body, the necessary protein is washed out with urine, and blood pressure rises.
2. Premature birth or even miscarriage can occur if the placenta does not receive the vitamins and minerals necessary for its normal development.
3. Placental abruption before the onset of labor is also possible. There is only a 50/50 chance that the baby will survive.
4. Anemia or anemia can develop in a future mother due to a lack or improper absorption of iron, proteins and vitamins.
5. Retardation in the development of the baby.
6. Insufficient or overweight child. In the first case, this can be complicated by the early birth of a premature baby and its low viability. In the second case, too much large fruit complicate labor activity with its dimensions. If we are talking about natural childbirth, it is even possible to appoint a caesarean section or an emergency incision in the perineum so that he can safely come out.
7. Malnutrition can significantly weaken labor activity and delay the process.
8. Bleeding after childbirth, poor blood clotting, prolonged healing of the perineum, slow contraction of the uterus.
9. Complications on the liver, lungs and kidneys.
10. Excessive activity and excitability of the baby.
11. Low immunity in a child, a tendency to various unwanted diseases.
12. Brain damage, encephalopathy.

Diet during pregnancy

So, we figured out the consequences of malnutrition for mom and baby. Now let's think about how to eat right for both.

First of all, calorie counting is important. If a woman of average height (170 cm) weighs about 60 kg, then she needs about 2000 calories per day. Provided that she does not sit on the couch, but leads a moderately active lifestyle. Calories are essentially energy. Their need with the onset of pregnancy increases by about a quarter. For the woman in our example, this would be approximately 2,500 calories. A more accurate calculation is best done by a nutritionist. Everything that will be eaten in excess of the norm will go to the overweight of the mother and child.

Initially, you should know which components are important and in what quantity.

Protein during pregnancy

Very important for growth and timely development baby. This is the so-called construction material" for a child. 20-25% of the total food eaten per day should be protein. And half of the proteins eaten should be animal proteins.

Convinced vegetarians should temporarily give up their beliefs during pregnancy and even breastfeeding. There are not even close analogues of protein, which are contained, for example, in meat! It is for this reason that pregnant women are allowed to consume meat even during Lent.

Foods rich in protein - any meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, cheeses and so on.

Fats during pregnancy

20-30% of the total diet is fat, which is about 85 g. Up to 30 g should be vegetable fats.

Fats contain special substances that have a beneficial effect on the activity of the cardiovascular system. Adipose tissue plays a role mechanical protection fetus from bumps and falls. She possesses thermal insulation properties keeping warm in the area of ​​the uterus. Therefore, the consumption of fats is essential for both the mother and her unborn baby, the main thing is to observe the measure!

Vegetable fats include olive and corn oil, for example. For animals - butter, ghee. It is better to exclude all substitutes butter(margarine, lard ...).

carbohydrates during pregnancy

Carbohydrates are the so-called "fuel" for the body, the source of its energy. Their correct use is directly related to the normal development of the fetus in the womb. 40-45% of the diet or 350 g of carbohydrates should be present in a woman's diet per day. In the second half of pregnancy, you can increase to 400 g. You should pay attention to the quality of carbohydrates and give preference to long, regular carbohydrates.

The right carbohydrates include cereals, rye bread coarse grinding, fruits and vegetables. Wrong or short carbohydrates are all kinds of sweets, flour products, cakes and so on. They are undesirable in the diet of a pregnant woman, since they do not carry any benefit for them - only empty calories.

vitamins during pregnancy

For the normal and timely development of the baby in the tummy, a number of vitamins are needed. Even with proper nutrition, they can be lacking, and doctors often prescribe an additional multivitamin throughout pregnancy. You should start taking vitamins even at the planning stage, finish as directed by a doctor - usually until the moment a woman is breastfeeding.

Vitamin A is necessary for the normal development and functioning of the placenta, which takes on the functions of protecting the baby from all kinds of infections. The daily dose of the vitamin should be about 2.5 mg. Found in red, orange and yellow vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, pumpkins, tomatoes, melons, mountain ash, sea buckthorn. Parsley, as well as colored, Brussels sprouts contain adequate amounts of vitamin A.

B vitamins are necessary for strengthening muscle fibers, as well as for the normal functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Contained in brown rice, peas. The liver, kidneys and heart are also rich in this vitamin.

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is necessary to strengthen the immunity of the mother and her unborn baby, as well as to maintain it at the proper level. Contained in all kinds of citrus fruits (lemon, orange, grapefruit), kiwi, rose hips.

Vitamin D is necessary for the normal development of the skeleton in a child, it is important for the prevention of rickets. Many newborns are diagnosed with this and are prescribed an additional vitamin supplement. Found in egg yolk and fish oil.

Vitamin E regulates the work of the reproductive system of the expectant mother, in addition, the full and proper development fetus in the womb. 15-20 mg per day of the vitamin is needed. Found in eggs, cereals, nuts.

Folic acid is especially important at the stage of pregnancy planning. Necessary for the full development and functioning nervous system baby. Contained in any kind of greens.

Minerals and trace elements during pregnancy

Especially important are calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and iron. Also play important role in the formation and development of the baby, are part of multivitamin complexes for pregnant women.

Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are necessary for the formation and strengthening of the child's skeleton. Calcium is found in large quantities in dairy products, cheese, nuts. Phosphorus - in fish, eggs, meat, and magnesium - in cereals, nuts, vegetables.

Calcium and sodium regulate the water-salt balance in the body. Sodium is found in table salt. However, you should not lean on it, because salt retains fluid in the body, and this, in turn, provokes edema, to which pregnant women are already prone to.

The intake of iron is directly related to the level of hemoglobin in the blood. With its deficiency, there is oxygen starvation both in mother and child, which can lead to the development of fetal hypoxia. Contained in the liver, greens, buckwheat and fruits.

fluid during pregnancy

The best and correct liquid during pregnancy is water. About eight glasses a day, in addition to all other liquids, it should be drunk evenly throughout the day, avoiding drinking at night.

You should forget about sweet sparkling water and packaged juices. They are not natural, they high percent sugar content. Tea and coffee are allowed - in moderation and if possible weak. Sugar is also used to a minimum!

Freshly squeezed juices are allowed, but you should not abuse them. Remember that it takes about 2-3 fruits to make a standard glass of juice.

Proper nutrition during pregnancy

Nutrition during pregnancy by trimester

The division into trimesters is made depending on what processes occur in the body of a pregnant woman. So, in the first trimester (1-12 weeks) there is conception, active growth and development of the embryo. The calorie needs of the expectant mother are about the same as in normal times. Therefore, during this period, you should not lean on food, the baby now does not need so much energy, and therefore everything eaten will not be in favor, but will be deposited in the form of fat folds.

Particular attention should be paid to the intake of folic acid, if you did not think about it during the planning period of pregnancy.

For many pregnant women, the first trimester is accompanied by such an unpleasant phenomenon as toxicosis. To minimize it, it is worth eating small portions every 3-4 hours, without overloading the stomach. Since nausea is especially common in the morning, it is recommended to stock up on a glass of plain water or a handful of crackers in the evening and consume one or the other in the morning, without even getting out of bed.

In the second trimester (13-28 weeks), all the organs and systems of the baby are already formed, there is an emphasis on their active development, enhanced growth and improvement. Starting from the 13th week, the need for calories increases by 20-25%. The need for calcium and iron increases. Anemia is a fairly common diagnosis these days. Therefore, it is worth enriching your diet with fermented milk products, buckwheat, beef liver.

Constipation is quite common in pregnant women in the second trimester. Vegetables and fruits, fiber-rich foods should be present in the daily menu to alleviate this problem. Compotes from prunes, dried apricots, and ordinary water in sufficient quantities will also relieve unpleasant symptoms.

Due to the fact that every week the uterus rises higher and higher, heartburn may begin. Refusal of fatty and salty foods, and, again, eating in small portions, will help to alleviate it.

The third trimester is the most dangerous in terms of weight gain. During this period, the growth of the baby is no longer as intense as before, there is mainly an increase in the fat layer. Now, as a rule, physical activity is reduced, so the expectant mother should slightly reduce the calorie content of the food she eats.

From time to time, you can arrange fasting days for yourself, leaving only cottage cheese on the menu, green apples, kefir. At the slightest sign of feeling unwell, you should gradually introduce your usual diet - it means fasting days are not for you, you should not arrange it to the detriment of your health.

Nutrition during pregnancy by week

You can consider the diet of a pregnant woman in more detail - weekly.

Again, nutrition directly depends on what exactly is happening in her tummy at the moment.

It is better to take care of the intake of vitamins and minerals already at the stage of pregnancy planning. If this does not happen, there is nothing terrible. So we need to start as early as possible!

1-2 weeks. The egg is fertilized and makes its way into the uterine area to attach to its wall for further development. At this stage, you should follow the general advice on proper nutrition, without making special emphasis. Of course, now you need to forget about bad habits!

3 weeks. All vital systems of a small organism are laid. Bone, muscle and nerve tissues are formed. Therefore, the diet should focus on calcium intake (dairy products, green vegetables).

4-6 weeks. The limbs of the baby, his heart and head are formed. During this period, foods rich in fiber, zinc, iron and folic acid(berries, cereals, beef liver).

7 week. Usually at this time, a woman may begin toxicosis. Since the embryo opens its eyes at the seventh week, you need to pay attention to foods containing vitamin A. For example, pumpkin or carrots. Meat is desirable in the diet, in case of intolerance, it can be replaced with yogurt or hard cheeses.

8-12 weeks. The baby is preparing for active growth and development. We must again give Special attention foods with fiber (cereals).

From the 29th week, a woman enters the third trimester. From now on, you need to carefully monitor the calorie content of the dishes consumed, slightly reducing it. A variety of dishes should be mandatory, right now the child needs the most complete set of trace elements. This is necessary so that he calmly goes through the stage of labor and is maximally prepared for life outside the mother's womb. At the eighth month, the formation of the brain of the unborn baby ends, therefore it is necessary to ensure the intake of phosphorus and fatty acids into the body. They are found in sufficient quantities in fish and nuts.

Nutrition during pregnancy: a sample menu

We have analyzed in detail which foods should be eaten during pregnancy, and which, on the contrary, should not be abused. It is quite difficult to count proteins, fats, carbohydrates daily, and therefore we will summarize the advice on maternal nutrition during pregnancy:

1. In the first and third trimester, the calorie content of meals is 20-25% lower than in the second.
2. Throughout pregnancy, you should eliminate or minimize the consumption of simple carbohydrates - cakes, cakes, pastries (sweet and starchy foods). The same goes for fried and smoked.
3. If it is impossible to completely exclude, then in the first and second trimester harmful products It is better to use before lunch, so that during the day they have time to burn. In the third trimester, it is better to exclude it.
4. Fruits and vegetables are allowed and even necessary during pregnancy. But still, it is better to eat fruits in the morning, and you should not lean on bananas at all.
5. Instead of fast foods, untested cafes, prepared food in the store, you should eat well-prepared homemade food.
6. Pregnancy is not the time to experiment. Do not try something exotic that you have not eaten before. The reaction of an ordinary person can be unpredictable, and even more so in a pregnant woman.
7. Don't overeat 1-2 times a day. Healthy eating during pregnancy - in small portions 5-6 times a day.
8. Drinking regimen must be observed necessarily, drinking about eight glasses a day. However, in order to avoid the appearance of edema, fluid intake should be limited at night. If edema still appears, then the amount of water will have to be reduced.

Based on this, the menu during pregnancy should be something like this:

1. A glass of water on an empty stomach.
2. Breakfast. 7-00. Choice of: any porridge, cereal, muesli, yogurt. cottage cheese, eggs. Tea or coffee, sweet but not strong.
3. First snack. 10-00. Any fruit other than a banana, or yogurt, or vegetable salad with olive oil.
4. Dinner. 13-00. Light soup for the first, boiled / baked / steamed any meat or meatballs, buckwheat, rice, potatoes (in moderation), or vegetables can be garnished. Vegetable salad with olive oil.
5. Second snack. 16-00. Vegetable salad, or any fresh vegetable, or yogurt or cottage cheese.
6. Dinner 19-00. Chicken breast boiled without skin, or any other lean meat, cooked in the oven or boiled, buckwheat or vegetables for garnish.
7. The third snack (if a strong feeling of hunger) is a glass of yogurt with a minimum fat content before bedtime.

It is clear that the menu is quite approximate. Now you know the basics healthy eating during pregnancy, and, therefore, will be able to invent a variety of dishes.

Nutrition during pregnancy: gain weight

Underweight threatens the birth of a premature and too small child with possible brain damage, because this condition is very dangerous.

For high-quality weight gain, you should start keeping a food diary and write down everything you eat there, even if it was a small piece of the pie on the go. Next, we count calories, and compare them with your individual norm. In our example given at the beginning of the article, a pregnant woman in the second half of her pregnancy should consume about 2500 calories per day. If you're not gaining enough weight, chances are you're not getting enough calories, which means you need to reevaluate your diet. You may need to change the number of meals, the amount of food in one meal, or its quality. Do not lean on buns and sweets! This is unhealthy food, the weight from it will certainly increase, but with absolutely zero benefit.

More meat, dairy products - both tasty and healthy!

Summing up

Contrary to common misconceptions, proper nutrition is fast, inexpensive, varied and easy! In the depths of the Internet, you can find thousands of recipes for dishes from ingredients familiar to us, but with original way cooking. Almost all kitchens are equipped with modern appliances, such as electronic ovens and multicookers, for example. This allows the hostess to cook several dishes at the same time with little or no straining.

Therefore, it is possible and necessary to eat right during pregnancy! It is necessary not only for you, but also for your future baby! Getting all the necessary nutrients while still in the womb, he is much more likely to be born completely healthy and with good immunity! And what could be more important than the health of your own child?

Video "Nutrition during pregnancy"

During the wonderful state of pregnancy, a woman lives “for two”, therefore, in the minds of many older people, the erroneous opinion has taken root that the expectant mother should eat twice as much. Of course it isn't. The nutrition of a pregnant woman should be of high quality, balanced and sufficient, but not excessively plentiful.

Quantity and quality of food for pregnant women.

1) Overeating, food "for two" is absolutely not necessary for a pregnant woman, but her body consumes more calories during this period.

2) The standard norm for women is 2000 kcal per day. During pregnancy, the norm is 2500 kcal, and at the end of the term it can reach 2800 kcal.

3) Malnutrition is very harmful, by the way, it occurs more often than is commonly thought. Young women deliberately undernourish, thinking more about the preservation of the figure, and not about the health of the child.

4) Need balanced nutrition. The correct and reasonable combination of nutrients, that is, proteins, fats and carbohydrates with the obligatory use of vitamins and microelements, is a guarantee of the normal development of the fetus and the preservation of the health of the mother.

5) Of course, the quality of the products is important. Fresh, natural food without harmful additives is absolutely necessary for pregnant women.

Nutrition issues are important, as violations in this area can lead to serious health problems for the expectant mother and baby.

What is the danger of malnutrition of the expectant mother?

1) Improper nutrition provokes the occurrence of preeclampsia, that is, late toxicosis of pregnancy. In severe forms of this disease state, fluid is retained in the body of a pregnant woman, protein is excreted in the urine, and blood pressure rises sharply.

2) Malnutrition leads to underdevelopment of the placenta, therefore, miscarriages and miscarriages can get in the way of happy motherhood.

3) The risk of premature abruption of the placenta can also occur as a result of malnutrition. As a result of placental abruption, the mother begins to bleed, and the risk to the life of the child reaches 50%.

4) Anemia or anemia is caused by insufficient intake or absorption of proteins, iron and vitamins.

5) A malnourished mother is more likely to be powerless in childbirth. And weak generic activity inevitably affects the child.

6) An organism that does not receive nutrients is not able to resist infections of various kinds, its immunity is sharply reduced, therefore, the risk of infection for both the mother and the child increases.

7) Poor blood clotting leads to postpartum hemorrhage, weak uterine contractions, and slow wound healing.

Malnutrition during pregnancy also affects the future development of the child, that is, it causes the onset of weakness and soreness of the baby.

1) Fetal growth retardation caused by malnutrition leads to underweight newborns, premature births, and poor neonatal viability.

2) The birth of children with encephalopathy, hyperexcitability and hyperactivity.

3) Reduced immunity in children, a tendency to various diseases.

Naturally, every responsible woman who is expecting the birth of a baby should reasonably consider the issues of proper nutrition, because this is one of the most important factors that ensure the health of the unborn child.

What is proper nutrition?

From school curriculum biology, we know that all the variety of food, tasty and beautiful food on our table is absorbed by the body only in the form of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Squirrels- this is the main and only building material for living organisms on our planet. The entire human body is built from protein "bricks", so protein is vital for a growing organism. Even if a woman is a convinced vegetarian, during pregnancy she should eat foods rich in protein. Milk, eggs, meat and fish are indispensable in our climate and in our living conditions. As they say, nuts alone (by the way, an excellent source of vegetable protein) will not fill you up. 100-120 grams of protein food per day should be included in the diet of a pregnant woman. Lean poultry meat, fish and dairy products contain not only easily digestible proteins, but also amino acids in the most optimal proportions for the body.

Carbohydrates- this is fast energy, a kind of fuel for the body, without which no, even the strongest body will work. 350 - 400 grams of carbohydrates per day is enough for the normal functioning of the future mother's body. At the end of pregnancy, the amount of carbohydrates consumed should be slightly reduced, as energy costs are reduced at this time. It is better to replace “fast” carbohydrates in sugar, sweets, white bread with “long” ones, which are abundant in bread, cereals, fruits and vegetables.

Fats- energy depot. It is fats that can be stored by the body "in reserve", for a rainy day. By the way, the wonderful roundness of the female body is just obtained because the wise nature prepares reserves for the unborn child in advance. For normal life, a pregnant woman needs 80 grams of fat per day. It is better to choose sunflower, corn or olive and quality butter and ghee.

Vitamins and trace elements- Found in food. And with a lack of these substances in food, they can be prescribed by a doctor additionally in the form of vitamin complexes.

Pregnant women should avoid excesses in nutrition, bringing food as close as possible to its natural and natural appearance. That is, meat is best eaten boiled or baked, rather than fried or smoked. It is better to bake potatoes "in their skins" rather than buy French fries or, even worse, chips.

By the way, you need to drink water in sufficient quantities, but clean and non-carbonated. It is good to use freshly squeezed juices, better prepared on your own. But lemonades and ready-made juices are best removed from your diet. They have too many harmful additives and sugar.