Nutrition during pregnancy

Good nutrition during pregnancy plays an important role to help ensure the health of mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and after childbirth. For the fetus, the mother's full supply of nutrients will ensure that the fetus develops well and prevents some disabilities.

Changes in pregnant women are related to nutrition

During pregnancy, the woman's body changes in most organs: the need for energy and nutrients increases, intestinal absorption increases, changes in basic metabolism, and there is a number of manifestations due to changes in hormones in the body such as: bored of eating one or more dishes, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, fertilization. These changes will more or less affect pregnancy weight gain.

Assess the nutritional status of pregnant women

Evaluate weight gain

Handle weight gain less during pregnancy

Increase energy intake by: eating a lot of meals, eating high energy foods such as oil, fat, fried foods, stir-fries, sweet foods.Proactively avoid foods that have unpleasant odors that can trigger vomiting, prepare favorite foods, and eat easily.

Use supplements: milk for pregnant mothers.

Nutritional supplements: The additional drugs produced for pregnant women often have nutritional components that are below or equal to 100% of the daily recommended needs for pregnant women, the addition of 1 tablet daily does not cause poisoning.

The recommended increase in weight during pregnancy is 10-12kg in Vietnam, of which:
- First 3 months: no weight gain or little increase (1kg).
- Middle 3: 4-5kg.
- Last 3 months: 5-6kg.
In the last 6 months, each month increases by less than or equal to 1kg, gaining little weight.

Sufficient weight gain is a factor in determining a healthy pregnancy. Weight gain is less common in pathological or poor nutrition.

Low weight gain pregnancy : low weight gain during pregnancy is often associated with intrauterine growth retardation and high perinatal mortality.

Pregnancy weight gain : excessive weight gain during pregnancy will lead to maternal postpartum obesity and high birth weight (> 4,000g), leading to difficulties in childbirth such as : prolonged labor, difficult to give birth due to shoulder, caesarean section, birth injury, asphyxia, when the mother is gaining too much weight along with the weight of the newborn is too large, it is also necessary to check for gestational diabetes.

Evaluation of diet : pregnant women must first follow the '10 reasonable nutrition tips ' of the National Institute of Nutrition (2006-2010). Also see if the diet is increased compared to when not pregnant? Do you take iron and folic acid supplements at the right time?

Nutritional needs of pregnant women

Energy : The total additional energy for the entire pregnancy is 55,000 Kcal, which serves to form an infant weighing 3-3.4 kg, accumulating 0.9 kg of protein, 3.8 kg of fat and clothing. The case for the metabolism of the pregnant woman, specifically, every day pregnant women need to be provided with 350Kcal more than when not pregnant.

Protein : essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine) must be provided in the diet, as they cannot be synthesized in the body. The fetus needs a large amount of protein to grow and accumulate new proteins. The additional protein recommended by the National Institute of Nutrition is 15g per day. Good protein sources for pregnant women are found in most everyday foods: meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, cereals, beans .

Increasing the amount of protein is necessary to maintain a successful pregnancy.

Iron : iron deficiency anemia is a common condition in pregnant women (30-50%). Consequences of iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy are: poor pregnancy results (not reaching a square child), low birth weight, high incidence of infections in mothers and children. Manifestations of anemia include: blue skin, pale mucous membranes, muscle sloughs, fatigue and sleepiness.

Iron is the only micronutrient recommended by the World Health Organization for pregnant women. The daily supplement dose is 30-60mg, the additional time lasts from the time of pregnancy to 1 month after birth. Iron tablets should be taken between meals with non-dairy drinks, tea and coffee.

Foods rich in iron include: meat, blood, eggs, liver, heart, dark green leafy vegetables. Iron in animal foods is easier to absorb than iron in plant foods.

Folic acid (vitamin B9): plays an important role in the division of cells, so in addition to participating in the production of red blood cells, folic acid also plays a decisive role in perfecting the tube. The fetal period. Consequences of folic acid deficiency are neural tube defects that cause unborn babies, brain hernias - meninges, spina bifida, double spinal spines. The fetal neural tube is formed during the first 4 weeks of pregnancy. period, folic acid supplementation should be done right from the start of pregnancy until the end of the first 3 months of pregnancy. The recommended supplementary dose is 0.4 0.8 mg / day. Foods high in folic acid: beef, liver, raw prices, green vegetables, radish, broccoli, soybeans . But it should be noted that folic acid is easily destroyed by temperature and sunlight.

Address common problems in pregnancy

Nausea, vomiting: eat small meals, do not eat too much, avoid odors and foods that stimulate vomiting, keep the mind at ease.

Heartburn (hot behind the sternum): eat small meals, avoid curving movements, not horizontal, low head.

Constipation: maintain the habit of punctuality, eat lots of vegetables, fruits, drink plenty of water (over 2 liters per day).

Anorexia: eat lots of meals, create conditions for pregnant women to eat their favorite foods.

Edema: limit standing much, sit a lot, reduce salty, lie down, especially lying on the side to help reduce edema.

Hemorrhoids: avoid constipation, avoid standing a lot, so lie on your side with your feet high when lying down.

Pregnancy has risk factors

Pregnant women with risk factors are more likely to develop adverse effects on their mothers and babies, so direct guidance and care from a doctor is needed. Risk factors include: age under 18, height less than 145cm, birth over or equal to 4 times; the previous pregnancy had abnormal movements such as hemorrhage, eclampsia, difficult birth, caesarean section, first week postpartum death .; having a disease (heart, lung, kidney), the current pregnancy has 'abnormal' manifestations of gestational age, maternal weight, uterine height, fetal position, vaginal bleeding .