AlaskaBirth

Posts Tagged ‘Red Blood Cell’

Nutrition is the foundation for a healthy pregnancy. Without it, your pregnancy can be fraught with complications. Pre-Eclampsia, high blood pressure, excessive weight gain, weight loss, gestational diabetes…..etc.  All of these things can be affected by something as simple as choosing the right foods to eat every day.

If a woman is trying to conceive, she should also be thinking about how she plans to prepare her body for that new life.  She should start by keeping a daily food diary. What are you really eating?  Do you get 5-7 servings of vegetables and fruits a day?  Are you eating a lot of white carbohydrates?  Do you eat more than 1 serving of sweets per day?  Do you indulge in coffee or caffeinated sodas?

Our O.B.s usually spend about 5 minutes discussing nutrition with us. They might tell you that sushi and hot dogs are dangerous to eat.  They might tell you that you need to avoid tuna as well and to drink lots of water to stay hydrated.  But is 5 minutes and a few warnings really enough?

Did you know that when you are pregnant your blood volume increases by 50%, but the red blood cell count remains the same?  This is why many women need to take steps to avoid pregnancy induced anemia.  As a pregnancy continues, the placenta will take the iron it needs right from mom. Maintaining a diet rich in iron will help to ensure she remains healthy during this time when her body is using her own personal nutritional stores to grow a healthy baby.  It is recommended that pregnant women try to get as much of their iron through food instead of relying on supplements. To find out which foods are high in iron, please click this link

What about salt?  Women in pregnancy actually have increase cravings and need for salt in their diets.  If you avoid processed foods and salt to taste, you should get just the right amount.

A famous and well respected OB, Dr. Tom Brewer created a high protein and nutrient dense diet called the “Brewer’s Diet”.  He had a remarkable record of preventing pre-eclampsia, swelling and high blood pressure in his patients.  One of his tricks was to His research showed that women in pregnancy have cravings for salty food because they need more salt in their diets.  A complete breakdown of this diet can be found here at the Blue Ribbon Diet. Also please check out more information here.

Weight gain is a hot topic among both health practitioners and women. Years ago it was thought that maintaining a low weight gain of just 10 – 20 pounds would prevent complications like toxemia and overly large babies. However, it only made some pregnancies more dangerous and caused more low-birth weight babies and infants with neurological defects. This is not ancient history either. This was as recent as 1985 in the decade most of you were born.  Currently, maternity care providers are watching nutrition as opposed to watching the scales. Midwives are leading this movement with their interest in the physiology of normal and natural pregnancy.  A good diet will help you nourish yourself and your baby, as well as achieve a nice, steady weight gain quite painlessly.  In fact, you might enjoy your new healthy lifestyle and continue after baby is here!

I have only touched briefly on some of the benefits of why nutrition is so crucial to a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. Good nutrition really can help to prevent many pregnancy complications. I invite you to ask a care provider for more about this subject along with doing some research for yourself.

-Tammy

http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp001.cfm

http://www.midwiferyservices.org/pregnancy_nutrition.htm

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/nutrition.asp