Guest Post: Top 5 Nutrition Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy ? Midwife ...

Hello and welcome to all new and returning readers! I am happy to share a post written by another mama blogger who understands how important pregnancy nutrition is. I have posted about it recently and taken a class. There cannot be enough emphasis on this subject. See below for Katie?s contact information. Please note she is not a medical professional and any nutrition and pregnancy questions should be saved for your provider. Someday, that will be me! Until then, enjoy.

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Top 5 Nutrition Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

An otherwise enjoyable pregnancy is often complicated by a number of symptoms and serious disorders. Whether it?s your first or fifth pregnancy, there is always more to learn about the best nutrition practices. The following tactics will help immensely with your pregnancy diet and beyond. Use what you learn to build a healthier you for decades to come!

1. Adopt a Research-Based Diet
If you?ve neglected eating healthy in the past, it?s time to make a change for the better. Fortunately, you?ve got plenty of help in the process. The?American Dietetic Association reports?that caloric needs during pregnancy range from 2,500 to 2,700 calories. This is only a 300-calorie increase that should happen in the and the more efficient absorption of nutrients reduces the supplement requirements.

2. Eat Your Micro-Nutrients
Prenatal vitamins are commonly prescribed by the doctor as standard practice. However, food sources of those essential micro-nutrients are just as good and in some cases better. Absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, for instance, is made easier in meals with fat calories.?Take a look?at some of the essential micro-nutrients and their food sources.

Folate Acid
The folic acid found in supplements and fortified foods is a synthetic analogue of folate. This vitamin plays an essential role in preventing birth defects and carrying the pregnancy to term. About 800 micrograms are needed daily. Get this amount primarily with peanuts, spinach, beans, asparagus, and oranges. Supplement the rest with fortified grains.

Calcium
Lack of this mineral is implicated in pre-eclampsia and general fatigue. You need 1,000 mg each day for prevention. Dairy products, spinach, salmon, and meat stocks are excellent sources.

Vitamin D
This vitamin plays a role in calcium uptake and the synthesis of many compounds in the body. You need about 600 IU daily, all of which can be obtained from food and exposure to sunlight. Fish is an excellent source. Milk, asparagus, and eggs also have appreciable quantities.

3. Healthy Eating Habits
Many medical professionals believe that how we eat is just as important as what we eat. Some of the more common advice during pregnancy addresses prevention of nausea and other digestive upset. Eat in an upright position. Have smaller meals with frequent snacking in between. Save beverages until after the meal. The best piece of advice I ever received was to thoroughly chew every bite before swallowing. Your teeth are the first step to proper digestion!

4. Invest in the Right Appliances
Busy or fatigued, the right appliances will help mom get the best nutrition without cooking all day. I found a digital, programmable rice and vegetable steamer to be absolutely essential. It still gets a lot of use today!

5. Include Your Health Care Team
Your doctor and other providers are great sources for more information. They will also have more specific suggestions for tips based on your specific needs. They can make other healthy suggestions when it comes to delivery?information about pain management, cord blood banking, and immunizations. You should also share changes in your diet or any problems experienced with your friends and other students in pregnancy classes. They may know solutions or resources that haven?t cross your mind.

With these simple steps and the support of your loved ones around you, you will soon experience the joys of motherhood and experience an easier recovery with this healthy outlook.

Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.

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Source: http://midwife101.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/guest-post-top-5-nutrition-tips-for-a-healthy-pregnancy/

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