Maternal and Infant Nutrition

Introduction

Pregnancy and motherhood are such exciting times in a woman's life!   Most women want to do everything they possibly can for their new baby to ensure that he or she is happy and healthy.  Some aspects of a baby's health can be determined just by the mother's diet.  It is so important for a pregnant woman to maintain her health and to eat a nutritious diet for herself and her baby.

What You Will Learn

• The importance of early and continuous prenatal care.
• How much weight you should gain during pregnancy.
• How to decrease the chance of having a low-birth-weight baby.
• A healthy pregnancy diet.
• The danger of smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs to an unborn baby.
• The advantages of breastfeeding.

All of these factors work together to help ensure that a baby will be born healthy, and they guard against many physical, mental, psychological and emotional problems.

Food Guide Pyramid Review

The Food Guide Pyramid is a tool that guides us in selecting what food to eat and how much to eat each day to be healthy. We need to eat a variety of food, especially some from each of the five basic food groups. We need to eat in moderation by eating the recommended serving sizes. The Food Guide Pyramid is a practical guide to choosing healthy, low-fat foods each day

Go For a Healthy Pregnancy!

It is a mother's job to do everything she can to make sure her infant is given a healthy start in life. The mother is one of the most important factors in determining the outcome of her pregnancy. As soon as a woman thinks she may be pregnant, it is very important that she see a doctor. Beginning a regular medical care program as early as possible in a pregnancy is the best way to ensure a healthy baby.

The first few weeks of the pregnancy are especially important. All of the baby's organs are formed by day 58 (week nine). Therefore, it is even important for women who are of childbearing age who aren't pregnant to maintain good health and see a doctor for regular checkups. Several parts of the baby are formed before a woman even knows she is pregnant!

Proper weight gain is vital to a baby's growth and development. Organs such as the brain, heart and lungs can all be affected by maternal weight gain. If a woman is at a healthy weight before pregnancy, she should gain 25 to 35 pounds. An underweight woman should gain at least 28 to 40 pounds. Even an overweight woman should gain at least 15 to 25 pounds. During the first three months of pregnancy, a woman should gain two to five pounds. After that, she should gain about one pound per week throughout her pregnancy.

Eating the right types of foods is necessary so that the mother and baby receive the nutrients they need. To do this, follow a Food Guide Pyramid diet and remember the key words: balance, variety and moderation. A pregnant woman should eat the following servings from the Food Guide Pyramid groups:

• Milk, Yogurt and Cheese - three servings.
• Meat, Fish, Poultry, Dried Beans, Eggs and Nuts - two to three servings.
• Breads, Cereals, Rice and Pasta - nine to 11 servings.
• Vegetables - four to five servings.
• Fruits - three to four servings.
• Other things to consider during pregnancy include breast and bottle feeding, financial assistance and nutrients that should be eaten in moderate amounts or not at all, such as caffeine and sodium. Smoking, alcohol, illegal drugs and some prescription and over-the-counter drugs are also very harmful to babies.

Prenatal Weight Gain

Why Gain Weight?

There are three times in a woman's life when she gains weight faster than at any other time. When you're a baby, you triple your birthweight in one year. During the teen years, you develop from a child to an adult and you gain weight. During pregnancy, you usually gain between 25-35 pounds for your baby and yourself in just nine months. A general guide to weight gain is:

Gain 25-35 pounds if normal weight before pregnancy.

Gain 28-40 pounds if underweight before pregnancy.

Gain 15-25 pounds if overweight before pregnancy.

A slow, steady weight gain is also important. During the first three months, a weight gain of two to five pounds is enough. From the fourth month until the baby is born, it's best to gain about one pound a week. Visiting the doctor regularly during pregnancy can help a woman keep track of her weight gain. The doctor will decide if weight gain is too fast, too slow or right on target.

Gaining the amount of weight recommended by the doctor is important to a baby's health. The healthiest babies usually weigh seven to eight pounds. Babies who weigh five and one-half pounds or less at birth are not as healthy. Low-birth-weight babies have a greater chance of dying before age one. They also have more problems as children and adults. These problems can include behavioral problems, trouble in school, illness and other physical, psychological or emotional problems.

Where Does the Weight Go?

A mother's weight gain of 30 pounds is distributed as follows:

Breast increase: One and one-half to two pounds

Blood increase: Three and one-half to four pounds

Extra tissue: Eight to ten pounds

Body Fluid: Two to three pounds

Uterus increase: Three to four pounds

Placenta: Two to three pounds

Amniotic fluid: Two to three pounds

Baby: Seven to eight pounds

If a woman gains the amount of weight the doctor recommends, she will probably get back to her pre-pregnancy weight about three to six months after the baby is born. Eating the right amount of food and getting enough exercise will help a woman get back to her original weight. If a woman is gaining weight too fast or too slowly, the doctor or nurse will discuss it with her. If weight gain is too fast, this may be caused by fluid.

Eating high-fat foods, such as cakes, candy, cookies, chips and fried foods, may also be the problem. Soft drinks are high in calories and caffeine and should be limited. If weight gain is too slow, eating foods from these food groups will help:

• Milk, Yogurt and Cheese
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Meat, Poultry, Fish and Beans
• Bread, Cereals, Rice and Pasta.

Exercise

Exercise is also important during pregnancy. Exercise improves muscle tone, heart and bones and helps a woman feel better. A pregnant woman should ask her doctor about safe pregnancy exercising, even if she was active before becoming pregnant. If the doctor says it's okay to exercise, a pregnant woman should follow these tips:

• Try mild exercise, like walking, swimming, low-impact aerobics or riding a stationary bike.
• Build up exercise slowly. Don't try to walk a mile the first time, if you haven't been exercising before.
• Exercise regularly (at least three times a week at 20 to 30 minutes per session or for a total of 20 to 30 minutes or 10 or so minutes three different times during the day).
• Warm up before exercise, and cool down after.
• Exercise at the coolest time of the day.
• Wear clothing and shoes that are comfortable and give support.
• Drink plenty of liquids.
• Exercise only to the point where you begin to get tired. You should be able to talk easily while exercising. If you're out of breath, you're working to hard.

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