PREGNANT WOMEN - DIET

In addition to the food which is required by the growing baby, a mother lays down stores of food in her body during pregnancy, mainly in the form of fat. This provides reserves to tide her over a period of breast-feeding, which uses up a lot of nutrients. Because of the increasing body fat, it is normal for a woman to gain 9 to 12.5 kg during pregnancy, and there is often a natural increase in her appetite.

To meet your increasing needs, you will need more calories. These are needed for all bodily processes, and particularly during growth. We get most of our calories from cereals, root vegetables, dairy products and cakes and sweets of various kinds. The cakes and sweets tend to be short of additional nutrients, and are sometimes called "empty calories". Instead of cakes or sweets, fill up with foodstuffs which have other value as well as calories - whole meal bread, for example, is also a useful source of protein, vitamins and iron.

The developing baby needs a great deal of protein, particularly towards the end of pregnancy. We get about half our protein from animal products (meat, fish, eggs, milk) and the rest from vegetable sources, mainly in bread and other cereals, nuts, peas and beans.

Vitamins are also necessary for your baby's growth and development. The main vitamins are Vitamin A, B C, D and E. On a good diet, you are unlikely to lack any of these, but demand may increase during pregnancy, so you need to take care to guard against deficiency.

Probably, the most common vitamin shortage in a pregnant woman is lack of folic acid, a B-group vitamin which is needed for, among other processes, the making of blood. Folic acid is found particularly in leafy green vegetables - "folic" comes from the same root as "foliage".

Folic acid or folate, and iron tablets are given to many expectant mothers throughout pregnancy. Both folic acid and iron are important in preventing anaemia, and help to build up the iron stores in your baby's liver - stores which must last until he is ready to start mixed feeding, at the age of four or five months. Folic acid is easily lost in cooking, so salads of leafy greens like watercress, endive or raw spinach are valuable.

Several vitamins are lost or reduced during cooking. That is why it is best to eat as much raw vegetables as possible during this period.

Calcium is another special need during pregnancy. It is vital for the bones and teeth. The best sources of calcium are milk and milk products such as cheese and yogurt. Take care to ensure that you are getting enough of Vitamin D as it helps in the absorption of calcium.

Keep the above in mind and sensible eating will definitely benefit both the baby and you.

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