Nutritional Health During Reproductive Years
Pregnancy is a time of
excitement and change; a time when most women make a special effort to eat
well and take care of themselves. But, preparing for a pregnancy should
start long before conception. You can begin being a responsible, loving
mother even before you become pregnant. Eating well and all the necessary
nutrients can help prepare your body for pregnancy to support your baby's
growth and development are there right from the start. While balanced
nutrition, regular exercise and a healthy weight range should be a priority
for all women, this advice takes on new importance for women who wish to
become, or have recently become, mothers.
Good
nutrition helps a woman's body prepare for motherhood. The complex processes
that occur during pregnancy and lactation require a rich supply of protein,
vitamins and
minerals for both mother and child. If the mother's body has built
stores of nutrients over months and years before conception, the added
demands of pregnancy and lactation can be met with modest adjustments to
mother's diet. If, however, nutrient stores are low at the start of
pregnancy, women run a greater risk of nutrition-related problems such as
anemia or pregnancy difficulties.
Pre-pregnancy weight range is an important factor in a healthy,
uncomplicated pregnancy. Women who enter pregnancy with weights at or near
the normal range tend to have easier pregnancies and healthier babies. This
is not to say dieting to lose weight prior to pregnancy is always a healthy
measure. Pre-pregnancy weight loss diets should be carefully planned to
include all key nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy start. Improper
dieting or rapid weight loss can interfere with the menstrual cycle and
reduce fertility. If pregnancy does occur while a woman is following an
overly-restrictive diet, the early weeks of pregnancy can be effected. This
is because women often don't know they are pregnant until 6-8 weeks into the
pregnancy. By the time a poor diet is corrected, early development of the
embryo can be well underway.
Having
healthy eating behaviors in place before conception helps to assure that key
nutrients are available for the embryo during its early weeks of life. As
the pregnancy advances into the second and third trimesters, the fetus grows
quickly in size and form. During these months, the pregnancy requires women
to eat more calories, protein, key vitamins and several important minerals
in order to "keep up" with the baby's growth.
Once the
baby is delivered, breastfeeding mothers will find meeting nutritional needs
is important for their health, energy and milk production. Women who cannot
or choose not to breastfeed will want to build back nutrient stores, health
and energy while modifying calories to facilitate a gradual return to a
healthy weight range. And, for some, preparation of their body for the next
pregnancy may begin.
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