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When planning a diet for a pregnant or lactating woman, you should take into account age, body weight, height, physical and professional activity and other elements that affect the determination of the individual calorific value. We must also remember that we eat for two, not for two, says Wanda Baltaza, Ph.D. about health, a clinical dietitian, lecturer at the Medical University of Warsaw and UITM.
- The Mediterranean diet is considered to be the healthiest – also for pregnant and lactating women; possibly the DASH diet, which is a modification of the Mediterranean diet
- Meals should be individually tailored to the needs of the woman
- They must be calorific and rich in nutrients and regulators
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Eat for two – what does it mean?
During the first trimester of pregnancy, there is no need to increase the caloric value of the diet. Only in the second trimester, the caloric content of meals should increase – by about 360 kcal per day. In the third trimester, you should consume 475 kcal more per day compared to the biological norm before pregnancy. In turn, during breastfeeding, the caloric content of the diet should be higher by at least 505 kcal.
When composing meals, you must remember that the most important component of the diet should be vegetables and fruits. There should be about 500 g of vegetables in the diet every day – this is roughly the weight of three larger tomatoes. To maintain satiety, protein and carbohydrates must be present in the diet. Depending on the eating style, we focus on animal or plant proteins. When choosing cereal products, care should be taken that they are of high quality and whole grains, because such products have a positive effect on the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, which is of great importance for pregnant and postpartum women and breastfeeding women. Another very important element is the inclusion of healthy fats in the diet – containing large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
The rest of the text is below the video.
Fish, mushrooms, cheese – sometimes censored
Fish is a rich source of healthy fats, but you should avoid eating the species that are at the top of the food chain. And do not exceed the consumption of 100 g of sea fish about twice a week, because these species may contain heavy metals or dioxins that have a very negative effect on the body of a pregnant woman, a nursing woman, and a child. We also avoid raw products, forest mushrooms (because they may contain heavy metals) and unpasteurized dairy products, such as blue cheese, because there is a risk of contracting the bacteria. Listeria monocytogenes. The expectant mother and breastfeeding women should drink a lot of low-mineralized water, and less high-mineralized water.
Supplementation during pregnancy and breastfeeding – a necessity, not a whim
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, diet alone may not be enough, and therefore some nutrients should be supplemented. The Polish Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (PTGiP) recommends the supplementation of iodine, folic acid, vitamin D, iron (in certain cases) and DHA – one of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Without DHA, there is no chance for the proper development of a child’s brain, nervous system and eyesight. Research confirms that DHA is extremely important for a child’s development from the first hours after conception, throughout pregnancy and during breastfeeding. This acid is also important to the mother as it supports the woman’s body during pregnancy. As indicated by PTGiP, based on scientific evidence, DHA also affects the appropriate length of pregnancy and the date of delivery. It is recommended to supplement with at least 200 mg DHA daily in pregnant women. It is recommended to increase this amount in women who eat small amounts of fish during pregnancy and before conception.
DHA – from fish and supplements
The most important source of DHA is fish; it is also found in small amounts in algae and eggs. However, due to the increased demand for this ingredient during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as the above-mentioned need to limit the consumption of marine fish, there is a high probability of insufficient DHA in the body of pregnant and lactating women. Therefore, DHA supplementation is very important in these groups of women.
In dietary supplements, DHA is purified and contains no harmful ingredients, such as heavy metals. The characteristic fishy smell and aftertaste are also limited. Ideally, DHA in the dietary supplement should be in the form of triglycerides, as it is a naturally occurring form of fat in the human body. It is also important in which technology the DHA was obtained. The most valuable is obtained by the cold method, because the chains of this fatty acid are not damaged here, thanks to which it retains its bioproperties.
The article comes from the educational campaign “Conscious motherhood” prepared by Warsaw Press. All materials can be found on http://www.warsawpress.com/
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