Diet in pregnancy (Nutrition in Pregnancy )

The diet in pregnancy should be adequate. It should provide maintenance of maternal health. Healthy diet is need of growing fetus. Patient suggest proper diet for strength and vitality required during labor.

After pregnancy or after birth to child diet should be proper for successful lactation. In pregnancy requirement of calories is increased due to increased growth of maternal tissues ,fetus, placenta and increased basal metabolic rate. The increased demand of calorie is to be compensated by exogenous supply of diet or drugs specially when majority of women remain active during pregnancy .

In pregnancy diet should be light, nutritious, easily digestible and rich in protein, mineral and vitamin. In diet green vegetables, egg, fruits are necessary for growth of fetus. The amount of salt should be sufficient to make food tasty more salt taken should be dangerous in pregnancy .In pregnancy dietetic iron is not enough to meet daily requirement ,so supplementary iron therapy is needed for all pregnant women.

Some times supplementary vitamin tablet is to be given such as ascorbic acid, folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinic acid.

During the lactation nutritional requirements of mother remain higher for producing adequate breast milk for infant; providing sufficient nutrients for growing infant and also for fulfilling the daily need of mother’s health. For these mother also require substances such as energy, protein, water, vitamin, calcium, and iron.

1. After delivery total energy  required is 550 kcal for the initial five months during these five months 440k are necessary for the lactating mother. This energy getting produced from milk products, whole grain cereals, pulses and milk in the dairy diet segment.
    
2. Protein is required for mother during lactation for producing more milk. As per medical sciences, the supplementary daily eating of 25gm of protein is needed for the starting  six months and also  by 18gm per day during the next six months for  completing twelve months of lactation. Proteins obtained from foods like eggs, milk, nuts, fish, milk products, pulses, poultry and cereals.
    
3. During pregnancy and also for lactation Calcium is essential mineral. During pregnancy it is important to develop skeletal of fetal and for producing milk in the mother's body. For first three its requirement is near about 1000mg daily. The calcium rich food  are green leaves, whole grains, fish, soybeans .
    
4. Soy products, nuts, seaweed and kelp products, wheat germ and wheat bran and also dairy product are natural food sources of calcium
    
5. Iron is not  important for baby ,iron not passes on to the breast feed baby but it is important for maintaining mother’s health during the lactation period, so  iron rich food is necessary. Milk is not having iron in it.
    
6. During lactation vitamin requirement  is necessary  like other nutrients, protein and minerals. Vitamin A, C, B1, B2, B12, Niacin and Folic Acid are the vital vitamins required to be supplemented  for lactating mother.
    
7. As  fluid is  important  for producing sufficient milk  so for this Water play the most significant role in diet for the lactating mother .The major part of milk contains water hence at least 11-13 glasses of water is suggested for lactating mother.