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Diet In Pregnancy Iron
By maintaining a healthy diet, one can go a long way to
avoiding some problems associated with pregnancy. A
lot of dietary advice to do with pregnancy is the same as
when not pregnant, and bodes well for a healthy lifestyle
without being boring.
The best evidence shows that if you eat a variety of foods your baby is more likely to thrive, and so will you.You don’t need to eat special foods or more food than usual just because you are pregnant, as your body will work super-efficiently; you certainly don’t need to eat for two.
Fruit and vegetables, whether fresh, chilled, frozen, canned or dried, are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. A piece of fruit, aportion of vegetables not including potatoes, a glass of fruit or vegetable juice, and even a ‘smoothie’, will all count towards one of your 5-a day goal. However,it is important that you keep the 5 items varied, so five of the same thing does not count!
Starchy foods including bread,rice,pasta and potatoes are carbohydrates and are satisfying, making you feel fuller for longer and providing you with energy. However, if you eat too many of these you may put on excess weight during your pregnancy. Wholegrain versions are especially nutritious and the fibre helps to prevent constipation.
Protein based foods are an important part of your daily diet.Lean meat,fish (twice a week,including oily fish once), eggs, cheese, beans and pulses give you protein and important minerals like iron and zinc.
Dairy foods like milk, yoghurt and cheese contain calcium but can be high in fat, so it is worth considering lower-fat varieties if you are concerned about excess weight gain as they are just as nourishing.
Sugary and fatty foods are more likely to add excess weight because they are high in calories and have very little nutritional value,but they will add pleasure and choice to your diet as long as they are eaten in sensible amounts.
Your baby should have the best of starts if you are not over or under weight when you get pregnant. Cutting down the calories that you eat while you are pregnant in order to control your weight should only be done under the guidance of a general practitioner (GP) or dietician, as unsupervised dieting will not help your baby. If you think you are overweight or underweight, mention it to your midwife.
What is certain is that dieting,often going hungry or eating mostly junk food will not help your baby and might even be harmful. Pregnant women who diet excessively or who live through famines tend to have difficult pregnancies, problems in labour and small babies.Even women who are overweight or who put on a lot of weight early in pregnancy don’t benefit from dieting and nor do their babies.
You may find that your GP or midwife no longer take regular recordings of your weight during pregnancy,as the evidence about this suggests that this may not be helpful.
You can check whether your weight is appropriate for your height;this is called the body mass index (BMI).
You can use the formula below to work this out for yourself or you can ask your midwife to do it for you.This will tell you whether you are within a healthy BMI range,which is between 20 and 25.Your weight in kilosYour height in metres
Folic acid
Folic acid is a B vitamin and it is thought that you need more of this than usual in early pregnancy.
Folic acid protects your baby against birth defects at the time that the brain and nervous system are
developing (eg.neural tube defects such as spinabifida).
It is difficult to get enough folic acid from your daily intake of food,
so it is recommended that you take a tablet of folic acid every day
(each tablet should contain 400 micrograms or 0.4 milligrams).
Start taking folic acid when you know you want to be pregnant.
If you get pregnant first,don’t worry. Just start as soon as possible
and continue until you are sure you have passed the 12th week.
Folic acid can be found in green leafy vegetables, potatoes, baked
beans, yeast extract (vegemite), fortified breakfast cereals and bread
with the F symbol.
Try to include these foods in your daily diet. If you or anyone in
your family has ever had a pregnancy affected by spina bifida or
another neural tube defect, you need a much larger dose of
4-5 milligrams of folic acid and your GP will prescribe this for you.
Iron
Your body needs iron to make haemoglobin – this is found in your
body’s red blood cells and transports oxygen around the body. It is
normal for haemoglobin levels to fall during pregnancy,partly because the fluid that carries your blood cells increases this is called haemodilution and may even help in reducing the effects of blood loss during and after birth. Mild iron deficiency (anaemia) will not harm your baby, but if the amount of haemoglobin falls significantly, you may start to feel tired and breathless on exercise.
Studies show that in this case you would be advised to take iron tablets, you may choose to take a complimentry supplement such as Floradix ( a liquid herbal iron available readily through some supermarkets and health food shops). You may be able to avoid becoming anaemic by a regular in take of iron-rich foods.These would include:
- fortified breakfast cereals,
Eating foods that are rich in vitamin C at the same meal as the iron rich foods helps your body to absorb the iron more effectively. Drinking large amounts of tea and coffee can reduce the ability of your body to absorb iron effectively and milk can also bind with iron to inhibate your bodies uptake.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency is not common in Australia. You need vitamin D from sunlight or your food to absorb calcium effectively. Some women may not have enough exposure to sunlight either because of their natural skin colouring or because their culture or religion requires them to keep their skin covered. If you are a vegetarian you may also have a low intake of the foods that contain a lot of vitamin D, such as eggs, margarine or enriched spreads and oily fish like salmon. In this case,you can choose to eat more of the foods that are vitamin D rich, ensure you have some exposure to sunlight or you can take vitamin D as a supplement. If you feel you are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, discuss this with your midwife.
Teenager and Youthful Pregnancy
As a teenager your own body may not have stopped growing, so what you eat matters even more.If you are pregnant before you are 16, and probably up to 19 years old, your weight may be unstable, you are more likely to be underweight and you may have a limited amount of money to live on. This means that it might be harder to eat regular meals and healthy foods. Please explore all concerns and get support, variations on diet and supplements can help you help yourself and your baby.
Calcium
Trials show that calcium supplements can help to reduce your blood pressure; however, you should not start taking these yourself. If you need calcium supplements, your midwife or GP should discuss this with you. Extra calcium has been shown to help women most who are not getting enough of this from their regular diet. Calcium rich foods are dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt or high-calcium non-dairy foods like spinach and tofu.
Foods to Avoid when Pregnant or Breastfeeding
Liver and vitamin A supplements
Very high intakes of one form of vitamin A (retinol, found in liver, liver pate and sausage, fish liver oils and some supplements) have been linked with the baby being born with birth defects. The other form of vitamin A is called ‘beta carotene’and this is safe to take in pregnancy, but always check with your doctor or midwife before taking any vitamin A supplements.
Nut allergy
It is suggested that you may choose not to eat peanuts or peanut products while you are pregnant, especially if you or your baby’s father or any brothers or sisters have a history of allergies.Studies suggest that a baby can develop peanut allergy before birth or while breastfeeding, but the evidence is uncertain.
Fish
A survey by the Food Standards Agency UK has found high levels of mercury in some fish. As mercury can affect the developing nervous system of the unborn baby,it is advised to limit the amount of tuna you eat to two medium cans or a single fresh steak a week and to completely avoid swordfish, marlin and shark.This applies when you are planning a pregnancy, actuallypregnant or breastfeeding
Listeria
Listeria is a bacteria that grows in some specific foods and can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or serious illness in the newborn baby. Other bacteria such as salmonella can also cause serious illness to you and your baby. While hard cheeses are mostly safe to eat in pregnancy,it is advised to avoid soft mould-ripened cheeses like Camembert, Brie and all blue-veined cheeses.You should also avoid eating all types of paté and oven-ready meals that are uncooked or undercooked as well as raw or part-cooked eggs
Caffeine
Studies show that high levels of caffeine are linked with miscarriage and stillbirth. It is better to choose decaffeinated drinks or keep to no more than 300mg of caffeine a day.That is three cups of brewed coffee or four cups/three mugs of instant coffee.
Remember if you have concerns discuss this with your dietician, midwife,g.p. or obstetrician.
