Nutrition before pregnancy

healthy diet before pregnancy

Maintaining a healthy diet includes all the important nutrients to preserve human health throughout his life, and for a woman who plans to become pregnant, maintaining a healthy diet is essential to cover the needs of the body during pregnancy.

A healthy diet during pregnancy

the pregnant woman’s needs for essential nutrients increase, such as: vitamins During the second trimester of pregnancy, a pregnant woman may need an additional 240 calories every day, and an additional 452 calories every day in the last trimester of pregnancy for the growth of the fetus.

It also needs iron to form the blood of the fetus, to produce an additional amount of blood to avoid its deficiency during childbirth, although nutritional supplements provide a large amount of minerals and vitamins, but it is advised for women to rely on a healthy balanced diet to provide their needs of minerals and vitamins, good nutrition is important Pregnancy and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, particularly during the first days when a woman realizes she is pregnant.

What is the proper nutrition before pregnancy?

Nutrition before pregnancy is important to increase the fertility of both men and women, and one of the common foods that both men and women can eat when planning pregnancy is oysters; This is because it contains large amounts of zinc, and zinc is one of the essential nutrients for sperm production in men and stimulating ovulation in women, and there are many nutrients that a woman planning to become pregnant should take care like:

Grains: Grains include wheat, rice, oats, and corn grains, and it is recommended that half of the needs of a woman who is planning a pregnancy should be from whole grains, such as: whole wheat grains, brown rice, and oatmeal.

Vegetables: The types of vegetables should be diversified, such as: choosing dark green vegetables, red and orange vegetables, legumes, and starchy vegetables.

Fruits: Diversification in the choice of fruit is necessary, as you can choose any type of fruit, or juices made from 100% of the fruit, or frozen or dried fruit.

Milk products: It includes any product made from milk, and it is recommended to choose low-fat or fat-free milk products that are rich in calcium.

Protein: Low-fat meat can be chosen to cover the body's protein needs, and it is also recommended to diversify protein sources, such as: choosing fish, nuts, or beans.

Oils: Oils are not considered among the food groups, but there are many important and necessary nutrients contained in oils, and it is recommended to introduce them to the diet in moderation, such as: walnut oil, while it is advised to stay away from animal fats that are solid at room temperature.

Essential minerals and vitamins before pregnancy

In addition to the basic food groups, women need minerals and vitamins before pregnancy and during pregnancy as well, as follows:

Folic acid: It is one of the B-complex vitamins, and it is found in spinach, white beans, fortified breakfast cereals, broccoli, peanuts, citrus fruits, and nuts. The importance of folic acid is that it protects the fetus from some birth defects, such as neural tube defect, these defects are formed at the beginning of pregnancy approximately in the first 28 days of pregnancy, and this is a period during which a woman may not discover that she is pregnant, so it is recommended that women who are planning to become pregnant take 0.4 mg per day of folic acid.

Iron: The lack of iron stores in women occurs due to the menstrual cycle, and because of the lack of sources of iron in food, and mobilizing iron stores helps prepare the mother’s body for the needs of the fetus throughout pregnancy, and foods that contain iron include meat, such as: veal, liver, and meat Chicken, fish.

Calcium: It is recommended for women who are planning to become pregnant to drink 3 cups of low-fat milk per day, and calcium can also be obtained from other sources, such as: yogurt, salmon, and cheese.

Tips before pregnancy

When a woman begins planning pregnancy, she must start preparing her body for that, and this can be done a month or more before pregnancy, and among the advice that many women follow a month before pregnancy are:

stop taking birth control pills; Many women get their period two weeks after stopping the pill.

Start taking pre-pregnancy vitamin supplements; The body needs nutrients doubly during pregnancy, and to compensate for this and secure the body’s needs for nutrients, it is possible to take pre-pregnancy vitamin supplements that also help in a healthy pregnancy.

Taking folic acid pills; Pregnant women or those planning to become pregnant need at least 400-800 micrograms of folic acid daily, in order to prevent the fetus from developing any neural tube defects.

Exercising: It is possible to exercise four to five times a week, to enhance the health and strength of the body, and achieve a healthy pregnancy.

Taking the necessary vaccinations: Receiving the necessary vaccinations helps prevent the pregnant woman from contracting diseases during pregnancy, and among the necessary vaccinations before pregnancy, the tetanus and rubella vaccinations.

Periodic review of the doctor to verify the general health of the mother, and to receive the necessary consultations.

Reduce stress and tension; Relaxation and positive thinking help enhance a woman's fertility and help her get pregnant, and that is by practicing deep breathing exercises, or yoga.

Quit smoking or drinking alcohol, because of the potential harm they cause to the continuity and safety of pregnancy.

Reduce the consumption of caffeinated drinks; Those planning and preparing for pregnancy can reduce their caffeine consumption to 12 ounces of coffee a day, or they can start cutting it out gradually.

Drinking a lot of water; Water constitutes 60% of the body weight, and a woman drinking 9 glasses of water a day is necessary for her health, and in the case of pregnancy, she should double her drinking of water.