All Your Pregnancy Nutritional Needs

Even before conception you need to be preparing your body for pregnancy by eating healthily. Pregnancy is the most important time in your life to be getting all the nutrients you need so that your womb is healthy and you can support your developing baby.  You are forming your child’s health right from conception. This article is about all the nutrients you will need during each phase of your pregnancy to maintain yours and your baby’s good health. To begin with before you even get pregnant ensure you are consuming a balanced diet of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains. You need essential nutrients now more than ever and these include folic acid, iron, vitamin D and calcium so eat lots of fresh, leafy green vegetables and fruits. Vitamins B6 and B12 are essential to you. You can get them from animal products but you would need to eat them in huge amounts so you can take supplements. You can also get these vitamins in high doses from taking spirulina and chlorella. These will really help you combat morning sickness and also play a crucial part in the development of your baby’s brain and nervous system. Do not drink alcohol or caffeine as this reduces your chance of conceiving. Make sure you are at your healthy and appropriate weight; keep in shape by exercising as this stands you in good stead for your pregnancy. Exercise before conception and in a gentler form whilst you are pregnant will help with your moods and also prepare your body for labour and birth. Once you are pregnant continue eating a healthy and balanced diet. If during your first trimester you are suffering with the dreaded morning sickness try and snack on small amounts of food regularly. Do not become hungry and avoid too much motion like sitting on a bus, train or car. Healthy snacks to eat can be carrots, celery, oranges, apples and nuts. Drinking ginger ale can calm your nausea too. During your second trimester you are likely to be the most contented and comfortable according to a lot of pregnant ladies. Your morning sickness has dissipated so your energy levels have increased. You will feel your growing fetus move from around the eighteenth week which fills you with elation and builds the bond between you and your baby. Foods that you should be avoiding during pregnancy are alcohol, raw eggs, greasy fried foods, very spicy foods, raw meats, fish with mercury, bitter melon, cured meats and saffron. Whilst in your second trimester you may suffer from ailments such as heartburn, constipation, shortness of breath, leg cramps, irritated skin, swollen gums or nasal congestion. When you reach your third trimester you begin to plan for labour and birth. Your baby is growing quickly now and requires more nutrients than ever. Continue to ensure your unborn baby is receiving all the vitamins and minerals he needs like calcium, protein and iron for examples. You have done well by this point and built a strong foundation for your baby’s long term health. Well done you! Being safe in the knowledge that you have done all you can in ensuring your baby is healthy will make your aching back and swollen ankles seem less of an annoyance! By Eirian Hallinan