Perhaps you have made one of the best decisions of your life and you will take a step to have children and expand your family...
As with every important step, you should think about the most important things you can give to your future, that is, your baby, the new member of your family. For the gift, you need to follow a healthy and nutritious nutrition program before and during pregnancy. Because any positive behavior you take will reduce your baby's risk of birth anomalies. For this reason, even when you start thinking about getting pregnant, the changes you make in your diet can make big differences and help you provide the most suitable environment for your baby while carrying him.
As soon as you decide to have a baby, review your diet and see which nutrients you consume adequately. You should determine whether your body's stores will be sufficient for 9 months and make changes in your lifestyle according to these factors.
Remember that your nutritional stores;
- Long-lasting If you have had an illness,
- If you have an eating disorder,
- If you have given birth at close intervals before,
- If you do not have a balanced and adequate diet,
- If you have inadequate If you are taking calcium,
- If you have been on an extreme diet,
it may not be enough to meet the nutrients you need during pregnancy.
While your new family member is preparing for your 'baby'...
First of all, you should start taking folic acid in the amount recommended by your doctor before pregnancy. If you start taking folic acid before pregnancy, you have the chance to reduce the risk of being born with congenital disorders such as spina bifida. Studies show that folic acid intake reduces the risk of giving birth with neural tube defects by 70 percent. Since this rate is too high to be ignored, folic acid is called the 'pregnancy vitamin'.
You can also have a diet rich in folic acid, or folate, by consuming some foods. Legumes, grain products, fruits and dark green leafy foods are foods rich in folic acid. Take supplements even if you consume foods rich in folic acid. It is important that you know; because your body may not absorb nutrients as effectively as supplements. At this point, you should discuss with your doctor and dietitian what the appropriate supplement will be.
Cooking method is a factor that should always be considered for the most appropriate and high intake of nutrients. The cooking method you use may reduce the nutritional value of the food, so you may benefit from less nutrients than you expected. Cooking methods such as frying and roasting reduce nutrients. You should definitely stay away from these methods, especially when you use the boiling method, you should be careful not to spill the boiling water and cook the foods by boiling in a little water.
Things You Should Avoid Before Pregnancy
Although it is important to use multi-vitamins during pregnancy. You should avoid taking it when you are thinking of getting pregnant. Some nutritional supplements and herbal mixtures may harm your baby in the long or short term. For example, taking more than 10,000 IU of vitamin A daily may cause birth defects in the baby. Some herbal mixtures also have toxic effects and may cause contractions in the uterus. Some herbs such as fenugreek and parsley can be counted among those that will create this effect. Even though some herbal mixtures are thought to help increase milk secretion after pregnancy, their consumption should still be avoided during pregnancy.
If you are concerned about which foods are suitable for you and your baby, you should not hesitate to talk to your doctor and dietician.
Other substances you should avoid during pregnancy:
- Excessive caffeine consumption
- Cigarettes
- Alcohol
- Drugs.
A Well-Balanced Diet
Eating a healthy diet is essential to the health of you and your developing baby. Good nutrition not only helps your baby to be born healthy, but also helps you get through the pregnancy process comfortably, maintain your body's resistance after pregnancy, and provide breast milk rich in nutrients.
From the moment you find out you are pregnant or when you start thinking about getting pregnant. You should make sure you get 1200 mg of calcium every day. You can meet this amount by consuming at least 3 servings of calcium-containing foods daily. Among the foods containing calcium, we can count green leafy vegetables, especially milk and dairy products. Dried legumes such as broccoli, cauliflower, beans, chickpeas, lentils, dried fruits, hazelnuts and molasses are foods with high calcium content.
Iron intake, like calcium, is also important during pregnancy. It will benefit you to replenish your iron stores before getting pregnant. There are many natural, good-quality sources of iron that can make iron intake easier in your diet.
- Red meat
- Chicken and other poultry
- Fish >
- Green leafy vegetables (they contain non-heme iron)
- Iron-enriched grains and grain products
are among these nutrients.
Do not forget. Any changes made in your lifestyle before pregnancy will affect the future health and quality of life of you and your baby. If you do not have a balanced and adequate eating habit, you should definitely adopt a nutrition program consisting of five food groups (meat, milk, grains, vegetables and fruits).
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