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Diet before pregnancy

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 20.11.2021
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Diet before pregnancy plays a big role in a woman's life, because the ability to give birth to a healthy, strong child is the highest gift from nature and the main goal in the life of a future mother.

Very often, while in pursuit of an ideal figure, women forget about responsibility and apply to themselves quite tough demands. Mono-diets, starvation, diet pills, malnutrition and tedious employment in the fitness club - all these measures aimed at achieving the desired ideal, are unacceptable in the process of preparing for the conception of the child.

Such strategies to combat overweight can not be used during the planning of the desired pregnancy. However, you can even adjust your diet and even need it!

trusted-source[1], [2], [3]

Proper nutrition before pregnancy

Preparing to bear a healthy baby includes proper nutrition. Diet before pregnancy is an important component of the correct intrauterine development of the child and the well-being of the future mother. During this period, the woman should stay in shape, and also carefully control her weight, because it is known that during all nine months of pregnancy, an increasing addition to the body weight of a woman is traced, which, if uncontrolled, can lead to excess weight.

Proper nutrition before pregnancy - above all, a balanced diet, which includes the use of vitamins, nutrients and essential microelements necessary for the female body. In the period of preparation for the conception of a child, there can be no question of starvation, mono-diets, purely vegetarian food preferences or overly strict diet, even if the doctor strongly recommends that a woman lose weight during pregnancy planning.

Rapid uncontrolled weight loss weakens immunity, deprives the body of a woman important for vitality substances, vitamins, the necessary energy feeding, which can cause all kinds of disruptions in the digestive system and lead to hormonal disorders (in particular - the menstrual cycle), as well as other health problems. That is why the correction of the weight of the future mother should be carried out under the strict supervision of doctors, and not only the gynecologist, but also the endocrinologist, nutritionist, therapist.

Diet before pregnancy is appropriate about a few months before the planned conception and, first of all, is to observe the woman's diet. The diet of the future mother should consist of a sufficient amount of protein food and a complex of vitamins, including folic acid, which plays a big role in the full formation of the nervous system of the child in the course of pregnancy. Folic acid is found in bread, cereals, dairy products, yoghurt, as well as legumes, liver, leafy vegetables. Doctors recommend starting a preventive folic acid intake just one week before the desired conception and continue it in the first three months of the pregnancy that has already come. In this case, the daily dose of folic acid for a pregnant woman should be at least 0.4 mg.

It is important to draw the attention of the future mother to one of the B vitamins, which is called riboflavin (B2),? It prevents various defects in the development of the fetus. It is also necessary to remember about the gland responsible for the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Its shortage often leads to the occurrence of anemia in a woman, which, in turn, contributes to disabilities in the development of the baby. Iron is found in broccoli, red meat, various vegetables, as well as poultry meat.

The future mother is important to take into account the fact that the ability to conceive, as well as the bearing of a healthy, strong child, directly depends on its weight. It is established that the optimal weight of a woman greatly increases the chances of successful fertilization. For example, a body weight deficit can "turn off" a woman's ovulation and in the future increases the risk of having a baby with a low weight. Obesity and extra pounds lead to no less dangerous complications of pregnancy: the development of hypertension, diabetes and premature birth. At women with superfluous weight the process of pregnancy proceeds hardly and more hardly.

Diet in planning pregnancy

Diet before pregnancy consists, first of all, in the daily intake of a woman of four to five servings of fresh fruits, vegetables, and in the winter season - dried fruits. Dairy products are an obligatory component of the right menu of the future mother. During pregnancy planning, a woman should give up fatty foods and sugar-containing foods in order to control weight.

Breakfast of the future mother should include vitaminized mixtures and cereal cereals. When preparing for conception, it is recommended to reduce the intake of foods that contain vitamin A, because its excess can harm a child. It is desirable to refrain from the intake of fatty fish (especially tuna), in which there is an increased content of mercury, which is dangerous for the formation of the nervous system of the future baby. Products such as peanuts or peanut butter can act as strong allergens, so they should also be discarded. Naturally, a diet when planning pregnancy excludes the use of alcoholic beverages of any kind. The maximum allowable dose of alcohol for a woman who plans to become pregnant soon should not exceed two servings of alcohol per week (for example, 0.3 liters of a weak beer or 1 glass of wine).

The most useful for a woman is the use of exclusively natural food during pregnancy planning. The ability of a woman to conceive a child is beneficially affected by vegetables, berries, fruits grown in soil, rich in various trace elements. Many of them contain vitamin C, which helps strengthen the immune system and improve the body's absorption of iron.

Useful for a woman a variety of seafood in the form of oysters, crabs, mussels, shrimp,? They contain zinc, a very important microelement for the health of the organism. Sources of vegetable protein, contributing to a full-fledged energy balance in the body of a woman, are legumes, in particular, lentils, green peas and beans. To prevent iron deficiency, which is one of the possible causes of infertility in women, the expectant mother should consume poultry,? It is rich in iron and promotes successful fertilization. Iron is found in other foods, such as liver, egg yolk, cocoa, molasses and seafood.

trusted-source[4], [5], [6], [7], [8]

Diet menu before pregnancy

Diet before pregnancy, as a balanced diet of a woman, is very important at the stage of preparation for the conception of a child. This is one of the most important factors for the proper development of a healthy baby.

The menu of a diet before pregnancy includes the use:

  • lean meat (the best option - chicken meat);
  • legumes: peas, beans, lentils (they are rich in vegetable proteins);
  • dairy products, which are a source of calcium;
  • a small amount of vegetable fat, mainly from nuts, seeds, and fish, excluding products of animal origin;
  • fruit, berries and vegetables, as well as in the cold season - dried fruits (daily);
  • unrefined carbohydrates, which are found in the largest quantities in bread, muesli, whole grain products and potatoes.

It should be remembered that all foods in the woman's diet should be exceptionally fresh and subject to minimal heat treatment.

A woman planning a pregnancy should avoid the use of such products:

  • soft cheeses and various meat pates (they very often cause food poisoning);
  • frozen food, canned food and semi-finished products;
  • beverages containing caffeine: coffee, strong tea, cola, as well as sugar-containing carbonated drinks;
  • fried and spicy food;
  • products containing large amounts of animal fats;
  • refined products: cakes, cakes, pies, etc .;
  • products that contain dyes, as well as artificial additives, preservatives and fragrances;
  • alcoholic beverages.

A proper diet before pregnancy will help the female body to cope with all the hardships associated with bearing a child much easier, and also prepare the expectant mother for an important stage - breastfeeding. It is important to take into account the fact that the stores of vitamins and nutrients that will support the baby in the most important first three months of its intrauterine growth in the future accumulate in the body of women long before conception. It is for this reason that rational, balanced nutrition takes a leading place in the process of preparing for conception.

trusted-source[9], [10], [11], [12]

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