180 Nutrition: When it comes to the upkeep and procurement of good health of a pregnant woman and her child, nutrition plays a key part. A lot of expecting mothers who took part in a study of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, roughly 8.9% out of 40,500, experienced getting gestational diabetes – something that is avoidable with proper nutrition and medical guidance. So what can an expecting mother do to sufficiently keep an eye on her nutrition?
Get a Trusted Medical Expert
A woman’s pregnancy is a highly critical point in her life. Depending on her pre-existing state of health, there will be certain types of medication to take or even medical examinations that need to be carried out. It would be to the benefit of both mother and child to obtain the skills of a trusted and competent physician that specialises in the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. It is also possible to go with an experienced midwife or anyone that can help with the birthing plan. When an expecting mother has a medical expert that she trusts, this lays down a smoother path for her to digest crucial information pertaining to her health and recommendations about her nutrition. They may even give her a reliable list of supplement that can safely and efficiently boost her health.
Be Accountable
For a lot of expecting mothers, it can be very easy to let the “eating for two” sort of mentality sweep them away and imbibe more than is necessary. A pregnant woman’s mood can be a driving force in determining what sort of diet she keeps. As her diet will have a direct impact on the health and even the behavioural development of her child, it is crucial to be accountable for everything. If she finds this to be difficult, enlisting the aid of her partner or even friends and other family relatives can do the trick. Holding herself accountable for what she eats and imbibes is a good step in the right direction.
Eat the Right Sort of Food
Depending on the expecting mother’s age, height, weight, and other pertinent medical information, the sort of food that she needs can vary. It is generally agreed that a developing foetus needs specific nutrients like iron, folate, Vitamin D, and many others to grow appropriately. The mother, of course, has her own preferences in the sort of diet she has like being vegetarian or vegan. It is entirely possible to obtain the right sort of nutrients even with a vegan diet. All that she needs to do is to find proper alternatives. For example, a regular diet would get Iron from meat and poultry. For vegans, iron can be obtained from green vegetables, beans, and even lentils. There are a lot of different options that can help unlock the right sort of nutrition for expecting mums – all she needs is to find them.
Suitable pregnancy nutrition helps to secure not only the well-being of the child but of the mother as well. Being in a better state of physical health can help her weather through any particular pregnancy complications and even childbirth. Whenever in doubt about pregnancy nutrition, it always pays to ask the experts.
This article was written by Jane Munro a health enthusiast and freelance writer.
