Nutrition for pregnancy

Pre-conception nutrients.

Eating a variety of fresh, organic food whilst you are trying to conceive will help to maximise the nutrients available to you and your baby and will minimise your intake of additives and toxins. Even if you have an excellent diet, all women who are trying to conceive are advised to supplement their diet with 400 mcg folic acid (folate), to protect against neural tube defects and Vitamin D, to ensure that your baby has strong bones and developing teeth.

Zinc, Vitamin B6 and essential fatty acids are important to make sex hormones. Zinc, found in oysters, lamb, nuts, seeds, eggs and oats, is also vital for the development of healthy sperm and eggs.

However, if you think you might be pregnant, avoid peanuts (if there is any family history of allergy), shellfish, raw or lightly cooked eggs. Vitamin B6, found in green leafy vegetables, whole grains, cauliflower, bananas and broccoli, is also important for ovulation.

All B vitamins work together so it is useful to take a supplement containing the whole B complex. Oily fish is a good source of omega 3 fats and can be eaten twice a week, but avoid swordfish, marlin and shark and limit tuna to 4 cans or 2 fresh steaks a week to minimise mercury toxicity.

To supplement this the Food-Grown way, you might want to try  Omega 3. Raw nuts, seeds and cold pressed oils are rich in omega 6 fats and can be eaten every day.

 

Nutrients in pregnancy  

When thinking about maternity vitamins, calcium works with vitamin D and Magnesium to prevent muscle cramps during pregnancy and to provide energy.  Cheese, nuts, green vegetables and wheat germ provide calcium and magnesium. Vitamin D is made in the skin from sunlight and small amounts are available from oily fish and eggs. Avoid unpasteurised cheese as this may contain listeria that can harm your baby.

Dangerous free radicals that occur naturally in the body can be disarmed with antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E, selenium, zinc and phytonutrients, found in vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.

When considering how to choose pregnancy supplements, think about safe pregnancy supplements i.e vitamin A must be in the form of beta-carotene as retinol can be toxic to your baby. For this reason, avoid eating liver that can be high in retinol. Zinc, B vitamins, iodine and essential fatty acids remain important throughout pregnancy.

Many women find they have to take iron supplements throughout their pregnancy, however it's common for many women to struggle with constipation in pregnancy and  supplementing with iron can cause further stomach upsets,  so it is a good idea to boost iron stores with naturally rich in iron food such as:

• Dried fruit
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Lean red meat

These help to prevent your increased blood volume from causing you to develop anaemia.
 

Post Birth (The Fourth Trimester)

Your body will have been depleted by pregnancy and labour, yet needs to be in peak physical condition for the challenge of nurturing an infant. Eating the placenta really does make sense, but if you can’t manage that then support the body with a wide range of nutrients.

Extra antioxidants will nourish stretched skin and help damaged tissues to recover from any tearing or from a caesarean. Iron can replenish stores after blood loss and calcium and magnesium will replace that used up during muscle contractions. B vitamins help you to stay calm and relaxed; they may be depleted from the high energy expenditure of birth and from any stress. Zinc, vitamin D and essential fatty acids are all protective against postnatal depression.

Breast milk contains essential fatty acids, so it is important to replenish these in your diet if you are breastfeeding your baby. They are needed for healthy hormone balance and to protect against fatigue, allergies and the memory loss and confusion that is often attributed to tiredness after a birth. Breast milk will provide your baby with friendly gut bacteria that will make vitamin K once they have fully populated his digestive system.

Formula fed babies may benefit from infant probiotics and essential fats to protect their digestive systems from infection and to strengthen the immune system.

By the time that many couples conceive, their bodies are low in many of the nutrients that are vital to make and grow a healthy baby. Fortunately, we know which nutrients are particularly important for conception, pregnancy and for after birth, so parents can choose foods that are rich in these vitamins and minerals.

It is also good to take a quality supplement, preferably in a Food-Grown form to be sure that they are getting enough for their health and for their baby’s optimum development.

Blogs you may like: Guides to the  first trimester, second trimester, and third trimester.

 

References:

• Holford, P and Lawson, S (2009) ‘Optimum nutrition before, during and after pregnancy’ Piatkus London 
• Webb, G (2002) ‘Nutrition: A health promotion approach’ 2^nd ed Arnold London 
• Glenville, M (2001) ‘The nutritional health handbook for women’ Piatkus London 
• Glenville, M (2000) ‘Natural solutions to infertility’ Piatkus London 
• Sadler, M (1994) ‘Nutrition in Pregnancy’ British Nutrition Foundation’ London 
• Morgan, J (1988) ‘Nutrition for and during pregnancy’ In Dickerson, J and Lee, H ‘Nutrition in the clinical management of disease’ 2^nd ed Arnold London 
• De Kretser, D (1996) ‘Declining sperm counts’ BMJ 312 pp457-458 
• Barrington, J et al (1996) ‘Selenium deficiency and miscarriage: a possible link?’ British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 103 pp130-132 
• Laurence, K et al (1981) ‘Double-blind randomised controlled trial of folate treatment before conception to prevent recurrence of neural tube defects’ British Medical Journal 282 pp1509-1551 
• Rice, R (1996) ‘Fish and Healthy Pregnancy: more than just a red herring’ Professional Care of Mother and Baby 6(6) pp171-173 
• Sahakian, V et al (1991) ‘Vitamin B6 is effective therapy for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled study’ Obstetrics and Gynaecology 78(1) pp33-36 
• Poston, L et al (1999) ‘Effect of antioxidants on the occurrence of pre-eclampsia in women at increased risk: a randomised trial’ Lancet 354 pp810-819 
• Tamura, T et al (1992) ‘Maternal serum folate and zinc concentrations and their relationships to pregnancy outcome’ American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 56(2) pp365-370 
• Doyle, W et al (1989) ‘Maternal nutrient intake and birth weight’ Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 2 pp415-422 
• Goonewardene, M and Shehata, M (2011) ‘Anaemia in Pregnancy’ Best Practise Research in Clinical Obstetric Gynaecology Dec 2^nd (Epub ahead of print) @ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22138002 
• Noakes, P et al (2012) ‘Increased intake of oily fish in pregnancy: effects on neonatal immune responses and on clinical outcomes in infants at 6 mo. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Jan 4^th (Epub ahead of print) @ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22218160