subject: Important Nutrients in Your Diet During Pregnancy [print this page] Important Nutrients in Your Diet During Pregnancy
Folic acid, calcium, omega-3 and iron are important nutrients to include in your diet during pregnancy because they help your baby get what he needs to develop properly. These nutrients also help you maintain your strength while you endure the stress of growing a new life inside of you.
Importance of Folic Acid in Your Diet During Pregnancy
Folic acid is crucially important to add to your diet during pregnancy. Folic acid is a form of vitamin B that helps with proper development of the brain and spinal cord. Without it, your chances of a miscarriage are increased. You also increase the chances of your baby being born with a neural tube defect known as Spina bifida.
When a baby is born with spina bifida his spine is not closed and the nerves are left damaged and exposed. This can result in paralysis, bowel and bladder control issues, and mental retardation.
Neural tube defects usually develop within 28 days after conception. If you are not pregnant, and are trying to conceive, adding at least 400 micrograms of folic acid to your diet each day is a good idea.
Women who are already pregnant should increase their folic acid intake to 600 micrograms. Most prenatal vitamins have enough folic acid to meet your needs.
Even if you are taking prenatal vitamins, it is still important to include foods that contain folic acid in your diet during pregnancy. Excellent sources of this vitamin include:
oranges
lentils
nuts
dried beans
asparagus
spinach
collard greens
turnip greens
peanuts
strawberries
romaine lettuce
broccoli
brussel sprouts
avocados
Importance of Calcium in Your Diet When You Are Pregnant
If you don't eat enough calcium when you are pregnant, your bones will weaken as your baby robs calcium from your body to meet his nutritional needs. Eating foods that are rich in this mineral will help you maintain your bone density throughout your pregnancy.
Raw milk is a good source of calcium, but contrary to popular belief, milk is not the best source of calcium. Your body absorbs far more of this mineral from green leafy vegetables than from dairy. Here are some excellent sources of calcium to add to your pregnancy diet:
oranges
cauliflower
okra
chickpeas
almonds
hazelnuts
salmon
broccoli
black beans
green beans
Importance of Iron in Your Diet for Pregnancy
It is vital that you maintain adequate levels of iron in your body, as your unborn baby depends solely on you to get the iron he needs for the formation of red blood cells. Iron is also important because it helps the blood carry oxygen through the body.
A pregnancy diet rich in these foods will help you get enough iron to meet your baby's needs.
lentils
beans
pumpkin seeds
green vegetables
natural ground beef
Importance of Omega-3 in Your Pregnancy Diet
Omega-3 is essential for both you and your unborn baby. This nutrient is important for your baby's brain, retina and nervous system development. If your body becomes deficient in omega-3, it may increase the chances of pre-term labor, cesarean birth and postpartum depression.
It is recommended that women who are pregnant women get 250 mg of omega-3 daily. You can get the omega-3 you need by taking fish oil supplements and eating oily-fish like sardines, salmon and herring.
No diet during pregnancy should be without iron, calcium, folic acid and omega-3. These nutrients are essential for your wellbeing and for the health of your growing baby.
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