Nutrition Requirement During Pregnancy

Since the beginning of time, the birth of a baby was a sign of a new life, and within today’s society, many of those lives start within a hospital with the assistance of different medical staff. Now, every family and parent is different in regards to the upbringing of their future child well before their birth, and in order to protect and support this idea; different programs were established within Canada. The Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program which was established in 1995 can be considered one, as they work to provide support to the health and wellbeing of pregnant women within different communities. Within their program some prominent goals mentioned are: to improve maternal-infant health, increase birth weight rate, and promote breastfeeding

Receiving good prenatal care is extremely important for an expecting mother. The prenatal period has a great impact on the newborn's health. Low birth weight is a problem among a certain population of newborns. It is crucial to understand the conditions in poverty and its

Aim: to be able to create a meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) for a pregnant women that incorporates the 5 vital nutrients, folic acid, protein, calcium, iron, carbohydrates that support the healthy growth and development of a foetus in pregnancy.

Patients should be given information regarding the importance of prenatal care and availability of prenatal care for future pregnancies.

Reducing the risk of fetal mortality, infant mortality, and stillbirth, is the goal of Healthy People 2020. Recommending the following to have a healthy pregnancy such as having a healthy weight, not to use illegal drugs, getting vaccinated, taking prenatal and or during pregnancy vitamins, managing any chronic conditions prior of having a baby, having recommended screening test and controlling diabetes.

Nutrition- Nutrition is a course which mainly puts emphasizes on basic nutritional concepts and principles, their application to personal health and relationship between food and its use by the human body for regulation, energy, structure, and good health. Discussion of problems in nutrition during different stages of the life cycle and specific chronic diseases will be addressed.

Within this assignment I am going to look at the main nutritional needs for pregnant women and adolescents and discuss the similarities and differences between their nutritional requirements.

Did you know that diet plays a major role in baby's growth and development? The principles of healthy eating are the same during preconception period as well as pregnancy; the amount depends on your height, weight, physical activity and due date. The focus should be plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats. The important nutrients needed for a healthy maternal and fetal outcome are folic acid, iron, calcium, Vitamin D and protein.

During it is important to take “a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin with 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid every day. Folic acid is most important in the early stages of pregnancy, but [a women] should continue taking folic acid throughout pregnancy” (Prenatal Care Factsheet). Folic acid can be found in almost all prenatal vitamins, but you can also get amounts of eat by eating certain healthy foods (Folic acid). These foods include orange juice, spinach, broccoli, and Asparagus (Folic acid). Folic acid is so important to be taken before and during early pregnancy because “it may help reduce their baby’s risk for birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects” (Folic acid). Although folic acid helps your baby’s development while in the womb and should be taken throughout pregnancy, “Folic acid works only if taken before getting pregnant and during the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman may know she’s pregnant” (Folic acid). Also certain medicines during pregnancy should not be taken as they can cause side effects or other problems inside the womb (Prenatal Care Factsheet). X-rays can also pose a problem during pregnancy; the radiation can cause health problems and birth defects (Prenatal Care Factsheet). One very important immunization is the flu shot; pregnant women should be sure to get one. Pregnant

It is no secret how a woman's body is highly vulnerable during pregnancy. There are a lot of things she cannot do when she is with child. A pregnant woman cannot consume raw unpasteurized cheeses and meats, certain types of fish, junk food and fast food, and extra vitamins. They are asked to limit their exposure to paint fumes and to strenuous activities. Doctors however are adamant that pregnant women stay away from drinking alcohol.

It is very important for a mother to lead a healthy lifestyle when she becomes pregnant. She must eat healthy, get lots of rest, and exercise regularly. It is even more imperative that she avoids things that may harm her or potentially her baby. Amongst things she must avoid, alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs are the most vital.

A mothers health is very important for a unborn child. She needs to make sure she takes care of herself before and after her pregnancy. There are different programs offered to mothers who are pregnancy. For example, the Woman, Infants and Children (WIC) is a program that offer mothers supplementary foods, nutrition tips, health care referrals and many more options. In addition, a mother needs to make sure she does exercise during her pregnancy such as walking and drinking a lot of water. It is also important to eat healthy like eating more vegetables and proteins and cut down fats, meats, sugars and oily foods. This is how the WIC is helpful for mothers because WIC educates mothers what is healthy and what is not healthy. The WIC program is

Foods and their nutrients are essential to life. In the beginning years of life an infant’s nutritional health depends on the family unit. Parents must have knowledge of the changing food needs of the child and must also have sufficient resources to provide food, shelter, and clothing for the family. Equally important, parents create the cultural and psychological environment that influences the

Prenatal care is medical care for pregnant woman and is important for a healthy pregnancy. Its key components include regular checkups and prenatal testing, eating healthfully, exercising, and beginning as soon as one knows she is pregnant.

Prenatal care is widely accepted as an important element in improving pregnancy outcome. (Gorrie, McKinney, Murray, 1998). Prenatal care is defined as care of a pregnant woman during the time in the maternity cycle that begins with conception and ends with the onset of labor. A medical, surgical, gynecologic, obstretic, social and family history is taken (Mosby's Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary, 1998). It is important for a pregnant woman as well as our society to know that everything that you do has an effect on your baby. Because so many women opt not to receive the benefits of prenatal care, our society sees the ramification, which include a variety of complications primarily