Pregnancy is an important part in woman’s life. The entire period of pregnancy should be passed with extreme cautions. A pregnant lady should be kept with care and she should be provided with good nutrition. A balanced diet is the key to pregnancy nutrition. One should strictly follow the diet chart given by a doctor.

Nutrition in pregnancy should cover the requirement of both the living beings; mother and her fetus. That is why; a pregnant lady needs some extra calories and nutrition. The food should be healthy, fresh and new. Junk food, canned or packed food, too spicy food is to be avoided.

Here are some of the nutrients that are required by a pregnant woman during entire period of her pregnancy.

Calcium

A pregnant woman and her baby need calcium for strong bones and teeth. Calcium will also help in their circulatory, muscular and nervous system to run normally. If the diet is lacking of calcium, the calcium that the baby needs, will be taken from pregnant woman’s bones.

Generally, a pregnant woman requires 1 gm of calcium a day. Calcium can be obtained from dairy products. They are very rich in calcium. Many fruit juices and breakfast of cereals are fortified for calcium. Foods like yogurt, milk, cheese, salmon, spinach, cereal are good as source of calcium.

Folate and folic acid

This is another important nutrient that a pregnant woman desperately needs. Folate is a B vitamin, which helps to prevent neural tube defects; it also prevents abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. If the folate is not supplied properly, it may also increase the risk of preterm delivery. The baby may born as LBW – low birth weight and there may be poor fetal growth.

The synthetic form of folate can be supplied through pills and fortified foods are good source of folate and folic acids.

A pregnant woman needs 1 mg of folate or folic acid a day during the pregnancy. Good sources for folic acid include fortified cereals. For folate, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, dried beans and peas produce natural folate. Foods like meat, spinach, beans, asparagus etc. are rich sources of folate and folic acid.

Iron

The body uses iron for making hemoglobin, a protein in the red blood cells that carries the lifegas ‘oxygen’ to the cells of the body. During pregnancy, when the blood volume expands to accommodate changes in pregnant woman’s body and the baby. The baby and mother both require iron and therefore, during pregnancy the requirement of iron almost doubles as compare to the routine bodily requirement.

If a woman does not get enough iron, she may feel fatigue and she is then more likely to get infected. The risk of preterm delivery and LBW may also go high.

A pregnant woman requires nearly about 27 mg of iron a day. Good sources for iron include meat, poultry and fish. Iron-fortified breakfast cereals, dried fruits and nuts are also good as iron supplements. Beans, spinach, brinjals, beets, dates can provide iron in good quantity.

Proteins

Proteins are very crucial nutrients for pregnant woman and her baby. Proteins are extremely important especially in second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Proteins build the body structure and also help in repairing the cells as your body changes.

A pregnant woman needs approximately 70 gm proteins a day. Good sources include lean meat, fish, eggs and poultry. Dried beans, peanuts, tofu, peas, bean, and peanut butters are rich source of proteins. Cottage cheese, wheat, rice and cereals are good supplements for protein and carbohydrates.

Overall

Pregnancy is the period in which, a pregnant woman should consume good, fresh and nutrient rich foods. The gynecologist may prescribe some nutrient supplements such as vitamin capsules, iron syrup, calcium tablets and some useful herbs that can provide adequate amount of the nutrients what she requires during entire period of pregnancy.

These extra supplements will meet the body requirement and that is why, they are important even though a pregnant woman is taking healthy food. Looking at the importance of the extra health supplements, many local governments are now supplying these supplements at free of costs to the pregnant women especially poor class people. There programs are generally followed by post-natal care programs and vaccination programs for the newborns that includes either free vaccination or the vaccination at lowest price.