Children from urban areas whose mothers suffer from depression during pregnancy are more likely than others to show antisocial behavior, including violent behavior, later in life.
Furthermore, women who are aggressive and disruptive in their own teen years are more likely to become depressed in pregnancy, so that the moms’ history predicts their own children’s antisocial behavior. Read the rest of this entry »
Proper nutrition is always important, but eating right is absolutely vital for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or even just trying to get pregnant.
Eating right prior to a planned pregnancy is essential, since most women will not know their pregnancy status until many weeks after conception. Proper levels of certain vitamins like folic acid can prevent many common birth defects, so the best pregnancy diet is one that starts even before conception.
Eating right during pregnancy means eating more, but it is important to make each of those extra calories count. Women who are currently pregnant should plan on consuming approximately 300 extra calories per day, but it is important that those extra calories come with extra nutrition and not just empty calories.
It is also important for pregnant women to take the prenatal vitamins prescribed by their doctors – these vitamins will provide important extra nutrients for the growing baby.
Pregnant women should be sure to eat a wide variety of foods in order to ensure proper nutrition. Both mother and child will need to consume a variety of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in order to ensure proper nutrition. And since that growing fetus is dependent on mom for nutrition, it is essential for her to eat plenty of nutritionally dense foods.
A good rule of thumb for pregnant women is to consume from 7 to 11 servings of grains and breads, four to five servings of fruits, another four to five servings of vegetables, three or four servings of dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt and three servings of protein, including meats, fish, eggs and poultry. Fats and sweets should both be consumed sparingly, since they can add many additional calories with little nutritional value.
When selecting foods it is a good idea to choose foods that are high in fiber. Not only will this help to improve overall health but it will also help women deal with the constipation that often accompanies pregnancy.
The healthy diet established at the start of a pregnancy should of course continue throughout the entire nine months. It is important for mom to eat right for the entire pregnancy, as this will help the baby grow and develop properly. Many common birth defects can be caused by nutritional deficiencies, and that is why proper nutrition is so important for all stages of pregnancy. By eating a healthy diet and taking the prescribed prenatal vitamins mothers to be can get their babies off to a great start and avoid many problems down the road.
Contrary to the cliche of eating for two, it is not how much you eat (you only need on average 300 more calories a day) but what you eat that matters. Focus your diet on fruit and vegetables.
Raw green vegetables like spinach and lettuces become particularly valuable because they contain folic acid and iron, but remember to wash them well.
There are a few critical nutrients that play particularly important roles in foetal development. Those important nutrients are: Read the rest of this entry »
For more than a year now, I have been discussing the importance of the “sunshine vitamin” and how Vitamin D during pregnancy has effects on such things as rates of caesarean section and the health of the unborn baby’s future teeth.
Now, in the latest bit of research, mothers who were pregnant with babies who were born between June and October had children who, when studied at the age of 9 years, were taller and had wider bones than those born in the darker months. Read the rest of this entry »
Most of us slather on oceans of lotions every day, but we don’t think about what might be passing the skin barrier and being absorbed into our bodies. With a developing baby in your belly, this is a vital concern.
If you plan to breastfeed, adds Johnson, continue following the guidelines noted below until you stop nursing.
Retinoids are one of the skin-care ingredients that experts, including Baumann, recommend that expectant moms stay away from. Read the rest of this entry »
Fish oils contain essential fatty acids, such as EPA and DHA, which are both needed in increased quantity during pregnancy and when breastfeeding. Essential Fatty Acids, or EFAs, are not produced in enough quantity by our bodies, so supplementation is necessary, either from fatty fish such as salmon or via food supplements. EFAs are contained in every cell of the body and are major components of the cell’s membrane.
The essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 are needed in the body to a ratio of 1 to 3. Natural sources of omega-3s are salmon, herring, sardines, and anchovies. Additional fatty acids are found in the plants evening primrose and borage. Read the rest of this entry »
When you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you have special nutritional needs. MyPyramid.gov is designed just for you. It has advice you need to help you and your baby stay healthy.
First — visit your health care provider if you haven’t already. Every pregnant woman needs to visit a health care provider regularly. He or she can make
sure both you and your baby are healthy. Your provider can also prescribe a safe vitamin and mineral supplement, and anything else you may need. Read the rest of this entry »