Nutrition is very important for the healthy completion of the pregnancy and the physical and mental development of the baby. The rapidly increasing energy needs during pregnancy must be met correctly and the necessary vitamin and mineral support must be provided. Improper nutrition during pregnancy may cause the mother to gain insufficient or excessive weight. Both conditions can lead to poor perinatal outcomes. While the rates of premature birth and low birth weight babies increase in malnourished mothers, the rates of gestational diabetes, pregnancy poisoning, large babies, and cesarean delivery are higher in expectant mothers who gain uncontrolled weight.
The ideal weight gain during pregnancy is between 11-14 kg. should be. In pregnant women with high pre-pregnancy weight, this increase should be limited to 8-10 kg, and in very thin patients it should be up to 14-16.5 kg. Depending on the gestational age, it is generally 1-2 kg in the first 3 months of pregnancy. It should be 2-3 kg in the first week and then 0.3-0.5 kg per week. In order to meet the increasing protein and energy needs, 150-250 kcal more calories should be consumed daily in the first 3 months of pregnancy, and 300 kcal more calories should be consumed daily starting from the second trimester. Obese patients can lose weight by restricting calories for the first 3 months.
In general, it is important to eat frequent and small amounts of snacks. All four food groups: 1- Milk and dairy products, 2- Proteins - meat, chicken, fish, eggs, legumes and oilseeds, 3 -Vegetables and fruits, 4- Bread and cereals should be consumed in a balanced manner. Food amounts to be consumed daily:
Milk, yoghurt 3 cups
Cheese 2 matchboxes
Meat, chicken, fish 3-4 portions
Egg, legumes 1 portion
Fresh vegetables and fruits 5-7 portions
Cereals-bread 4-6 slices
Rice, pasta etc. None/ 1-2 servings
Iron is one of the most important minerals due to increased blood production and 60 mg of elemental iron should be taken per day. It is abundant in red meat, eggs, legumes and nuts. To increase iron absorption, these foods should be consumed with green leafy vegetables rich in vitamin C. You should use iodized salt and drink plenty of fluids – 8-1 cup per day. 0 cups.
Consuming certain foods may pose a risk for pregnancy:
Alcohol can cause many congenital anomalies. This effect may occur in very low amounts and is not safe at any time during pregnancy.
Uncooked meat and meat products carry the risk of toxoplasmosis. In pregnant women who encounter the toxoplasma parasite for the first time during pregnancy, primary infection may occur, which may lead to central nervous system and eye damage in the baby.
Uncooked eggs can seriously threaten the health of the mother by causing salmonella infection.
Cheese made from unpasteurized milk and moldy cheeses such as Roquefort may harbor the Listeria bacteria. Listeriosis may be the cause of miscarriage.
Fish with high mercury content: tuna, swordfish, shark, some salmon species may cause mercury accumulation and should be consumed with caution during pregnancy.
They may pose a risk of liver vitamin accumulation. It should not be consumed too frequently.
High doses of caffeine may be harmful to the baby, the daily amount of coffee should not exceed 2 cups of coffee, and energy drinks should not be consumed due to their high caffeine content.
Vegetables with green leaves should be washed with plenty of water and kept in vinegar water to remove parasite eggs and pesticide residues.
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