The miracle of life: what is important for expectant moms’ health and the smooth pregnancy

Pregnancy is a miraculous period in a woman’s life and her body systems because it undergoes fantastic changes, adapting on its own terms. During pregnancy, the female body works for both, for the mommy and the baby. All mommy’s resources are put to use to cater to all the ongoing needs. If a woman does not pay special attention to her nutrition, if she does not “deliver building materials” on time, the consequences will affect both. Sufficiency, usefulness, and variety — these are the three pillars to building the diet of the expectant mother on. On no account should any of these be neglected.

What changes?

Well, if you ask yourself this question, most likely the first that pops into your mind is the size of portions. As for the calorie intake, it turns out not to be growing that dramatically. Scientists who published the results of their study “Energy Requirements, Energy Intake, and Associated Weight Gain during Pregnancy“ came to a conclusion that the need for calories should increase by about 15% (the average “increase” in the daily diet is 300-350 calories). However, when it comes to nutrients, vitamins and minerals, the need for some of them more than doubles.

 The study “Protein and Amino Acid Requirements during Pregnancy“ has revealed that protein acquires extreme importance for the expectant mothers, meaning that the recommended intake should be increased by 25 grams!

The first and most obvious pick to consider here is, probably, calcium. Milk and other dairy products contain calcium which is incredibly important during pregnancy. Speaking of calcium, we should take into account the hormonal roller-coaster that turns everything into a fun mess.

The higher levels of progesterone and estrogen in the mother’s body help the baby grow but these hormones also weaken the bones and ligaments that anchor the teeth. Furthermore, these hormonal changes increase acid levels in the mother’s mouth, which can lead to cavities and tooth decay.

 If you do not have lactose intolerance, and before pregnancy, you have been regularly consuming dairy products, do not cut them out from your diet. The key tip here is, do not choose low-fat dairy products – fat is necessary for the absorption of calcium, without it this essential element cannot be properly processed by the body. If, for any reason, you do not consume dairy products, it is worth monitoring the level of calcium by tests in order to start taking it additionally in time.

In the past, pregnant women were advised to limit salt intake, as it was believed to increase the risk of toxemia, a potentially life-threatening condition. However, there is no scientific evidence that that would back it up. On the contrary, a woman’s need for sodium during pregnancy does increase. Yet, the authors of the research  “High and Low Salt Intake during Pregnancy: Impact on Cardiac and Renal Structure in Newborns“ see no further scientific evidence that would necessitate the increase of salt intake. But, of course, every case is individual, so always listen to your doctor.

One more common belief deals with the restriction on caffeine during pregnancy. Some of the studies, such as  “Caffeine Intake During Pregnancy and Neonatal Anthropometric Parameters”, show a certain correlation between regular consumption of more than 150 mg of caffeine per day by pregnant women and an increased risk of spontaneous miscarriage and low birth weight. The same time, other studies did not confirm this correlation. Nevertheless, the American Dietetic Association study “Adherence to the Caffeine Intake Guideline during Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes: A Prospective Cohort Study”, recommends to cut down on daily caffeine to 200 mg.

What a female body needs

Fortunately, today, most women have a responsible approach to planning and carrying through with the pregnancy, they reconsider their attitude to nutrition, they educate themselves and change their usual “all-in” and “hurry-up” meal plans towards healthier, thought-through alternatives. The smoother your transition, the better, which means, one should not make some dramatic cuts the day they found themselves pregnant because otherwise, it would involve too much stress.

The smart way to approach it is to switch to “maternal” nutrition six months before the expected pregnancy. But it is especially important to follow these recommendations while carrying a baby.

Folic acid

The UK National Health Agency recommendations “Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy” points out the necessity to consume no less than 400 mg folic acid daily.

It is especially important to take supplements containing folic acid if you have been taking birth control pills for a while since usually, women who have used this method of pregnancy control have low acid levels. Folic acid is vital for preventing birth defects in the fetus, especially those affecting the brain and spinal cord.

One of the modern researches,  “Folic Acid Supplementation and Pregnancy: More Than Just Neural Tube Defect Prevention”, recommends all women of childbearing age to take 0.4-0.8 mg of folic acid per day, even before pregnancy. 

Calcium

As was mentioned above, calcium is the strengthening material for our bones and teeth. A woman’s body will do whatever it needs to take care of her baby, deploying all her resources, already available and those she consumes every day. It is natural for a woman’s body to actually take calcium from her own bones or teeth to give it to the little one. So if you want your bones and teeth to stay strong, you need to get extra calcium while your baby’s growing inside you. If not provide sufficient “supply” of calcium during pregnancy, then the bone density of a woman can be critically reduced, which confirms the study “Calcium and bone disorders in pregnancy”. So, prior to or during the early term of pregnancy it is definitely a good idea to check your blood for calcium and all the microelements in it and, and consult your doctor in case it is advisable to take some supplements.

Iron

During the pregnancy period, woman’s organism experiences a need in iron boosting two times, from 18 to 27 milligram daily, as concluded by “Importance of Iron During Pregnancy“.

Iron deficiency is common among pregnant women in industrialized countries, as shown by numerous studies.

During pregnancy, more iron is needed primarily to supply the growing fetus and placenta and to increase the maternal red cell mass. A pregnant woman has her blood volume double. Besides, iron is actively accumulated in the fetus, so that it is enough for the first few years of the baby’s life. Moreover, it is iron that helps our body produce red blood cells, which deliver the oxygen necessary for development to the baby. Be sure to monitor your iron level, and if it plunges below normal, ask your doctor to prescribe you an appropriate supplement.

B vitamins

Research by specialists from Drexel University, Stockholm, called “Antenatal nutritional supplementation and autism spectrum disorders in the Stockholm youth cohort: population-based cohort study”, confirmed that women who took B vitamins during pregnancy managed to reduce the risk of having a baby with ASD or mental retardation by almost 30%. Researchers used medical data from 273,107 mothers and their children living in Sweden.

Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids are pivotal for the health of the expectant mother: they help maintain vessels in the top condition and play an important role in cardiovascular health. Also, Omega-3 acids help support the immunity of the expectant mother: Omega-3 acids are involved in the formation of eicosanoids – compounds that affect the protective function of the body.

Omega-3 are also important for the baby!

During the period of intrauterine development, DHA and EPA acids are incorporated into the membrane structures of all body tissues and ensure their correct formation.  DHA is more important for proper cell membrane function and is vital to the development of the fetal brain and retina.

A sufficient amount of Omega-3 in the body of the expectant mother is especially important for the normal formation of the child’s nervous system: a healthy nerve cell is rich in docosahexaenoic acid, thanks to which cells can quickly transmit nerve impulses. It affects your baby’s brain function!

Staying healthy when breastfeeding?

The woman’s body is a fantastic, flawless survival tool designed smartly to give life, nurture it, protect it. Breast milk is undeniably the most powerful health building material for the new baby, therefore, there are no special needs for other options if mommy is healthy and there are no medical restrictions to breastfeeding.

It is incredibly important, nonetheless, to make sure mom consumes sufficient amount of proper fatty acids: at least half of the total mommy’s “supply” will be transferred to the child to help build the baby’s body in a healthy way, to form visual perception, improve brain function and concentration, and strengthen the immune system.

In the past, it was commonly recommended for pregnant women to consume more fatty fish. Yet, in the modern world,  things have become so much more sophisticated, since many more factors have to be taken into account: there is a high risk of allergic reactions, physiological aversion to the smell of fish (especially during the period of toxicosis), and the risk of acquiring low-quality or improperly stored fish, which is simply dangerous. Therefore, the easiest and practical solution is to take Omega-3 as a food supplement. Despite the pregnancy process being absolutely natural and beautiful, it is a pretty serious challenge for the female body. The nine months during which a new person will grow in the mother’s body is a difficult and very important period. Therefore, it is of crucial importance for the expectant mother to do everything to improve her condition and strengthen her body and prepare for the pregnancy, take care of the body’s resources to make sure there is enough for both the unborn baby and herself. After all, the birth of a whole new person, a whole new world, is an amazing miracle, and why not use all the possibilities to make this miracle perfect?