Aug 29th, 2007
Read a post by Dr. Philip Owen in the NetDoctor.co.uk about eating during pregnancy.
It was often a misunderstood belief that a pregnant woman should eat for two people, in fact it is not true. What is true is that during pregnancy, a woman has to provide good nutrition for two individuals. 
The growing baby will get all its nourishment from its mother through the umbilical cord, so the diet that the mother is very important. If the mother is lacking in any vitamins and nutrients her baby might lack them too.
While a woman who is not pregnant needs approximately 2100 calories per day, a pregnant woman needs approximately 2500 calories per day. And a breastfeeding woman needs approximately 3000 calories per day. (Calories are sometimes called Kilocalories or KCals)
All mother-to-be should maintain a well-balanced diet and it should contain something from all the food groups: dairy products, fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, fat and carbohydrates in order to get the proper amounts of energy.
During pregnancy, a mother should consume an essential amount of vitamins and minerals. During the first three months of pregnancy (and preferably before becoming pregnant) a woman needs folic acid. It is important during pregnancy for the creation of the baby’s nervous system. It can also help to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida and other congenital malformations such as cleft palate or cleft lip. You can get folic acid from a good source of natural plants. They are barley beans, fruit, green vegetables, orange juice, lentils, peas and rice.
It is recommended that all pregnant women take a daily 400 milligrams of folic acid a day for two months before conception and three months into their pregnancy.
Another essential mineral is iron. During pregnancy, a woman’s body needs more iron than usual to produce all the blood needed to supply nutrition to the placenta. Good sources of iron are green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, strawberries, muesli and wholemeal bread.
Iron is more easily absorbed if it is taken in conjunction with vitamin C - either as a supplement or in citrus fruit or juice.
Mother-to-be must keep in mind that tea and coffee can interfere with the body’s absorption of iron.
It is often recommended that all pregnant women take an iron supplement every day from the 20th week of pregnancy. However, oron supplements may cause constipation. Besides folic acid and iron, zinc and calcium are also needed for the development of the embryo. However, it is usually possible to obtain enough zinc and calcium by following a varied diet.
It is important to avoid vitamin A during pregnancy because it may cause damage to the embryo. Food that contain large amounts of vitamin A include liver, and should be eaten on an occasional basis only. Unpasteurised cheeses, blue-veined cheeses and pâté are also not recommended because of the possible risk of transmission of infectious diseases such as Listeria.
As advised by many doctors, constipation is a common thing during pregnancy. This can be caused by hormonal changes that cause the intestines to move less. Iron supplements can also cause constipation.
To avoid constipation, eat lots of fibre-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholemeal bread and cereal, prunes and prune juice. Drinking 2 to 3 litres of water each day will also help prevent constipation. Regular exercise will also help get the intestines moving. About 20 to 30 minutes’ swimming or brisk walking two to three times a week is a good level of exercise to aim for.
A pharmacist will be able to provide advice about over-the-counter preparations that are safe to use during pregnancy to relieve constipation.
As i was reading ur blog…it sounds to me that u’r the pregnant mum-to-be! hahaha! Ofcoz later i realised that u’r actually the hubby…very lovely!
I miss my pregnancy…really…My boy is now 11.5 months and ofcoz we truely enjoy his company too!
Wish ur wife happy pregnancy & have fun!
hahaha.. ya, by just reading my blog, you’ll definitely think that I am a mum-to-be hahaha…
As a husband, and as a 1st-time-father, the only thing that I can do is to get more knowledge about pregnancy and the things that I need to know…