Proper Nutrition Is The Key To Healthy Pregnancy

December 14th, 2008 by Leslie T. Savinsky

by Leslie T. Savinsky

We all know that most people feel much better and work better when they are eating a well balanced diet. Planning and following a good diet before pregnancy ensures that your developing fetus receives good nutrition during the first few weeks or months of your pregnancy.

Typically a woman will good care of herself once she finds out she is pregnant. By planning ahead, she will just about guarantee that her baby has a healthy environment for the entire nine months of her pregnancy and not only the six or seven months she discovers her pregnancy. When she makes her nutrition plan, she is preparing the environment in which the baby will be conceived and will develop and grow.

Before attempting to get pregnant, you should really pay attention to your weight. Try not to be too overweight or too underweight. Either of these conditions can make pregnancy more difficult for you.

Do not diet when you are pregnant or when you are even trying to get pregnant. And simply do not take diet pills, unless you are using some really effective contraception. Consult your doctor if you are thinking about a special diet for weight reduction or weight gain before you even attempt to get pregnant. Dieting may cause temporary deficiencies in vitamins and minerals that both you and your developing baby need.

Do not self medicate with big doses of wild combinations of vitamins, minerals, or herbs. Believe it or not, you can actually overdo these. Certain vitamins, such as vitamin A, can cause birth defects if used in large amounts. As a general rule, cease all extra supplementation at least 3 months before pregnancy. Eat a well-balanced diet and take one multivitamin or one prenatal vitamin a day. Most doctors are thrilled to prescribe prenatal vitamins if you are planning a pregnancy.

Folic acid is a B vitamin that will assist you in having a healthy pregnancy. If a prospective mother consumes 0.4mg of folic acid each day, starting three or four months before the pregnancy begins, it may protect her developing baby against various birth defects of the spine and brain, called neural-tube defects.

One of these defects, spina bifida, afflicts nearly 4000 babies born in the United States every year. It develops in the first few weeks of pregnancy. Studies have shown that about 75% of all cases can be prevented if a mother to be takes folic acid. As you plan your pregnancy, ask your physician about supplementation.

Never forget that the trick to proper nutrition is balance. Stick to eating a balanced diet. Going to wild extremes with vitamins or fad diets can be very harmful to you and your developing baby. It could also make you feel weak and run down during pregnancy.

About the Author:

Hey all you new mothers, are you looking for maternity clothing on sale? Or maybe some stylish maternity clothes? Come give us a visit.