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Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates (sugars, starches & cellulose) are the primary
sources of
energy for the human body. Together, the sugars
and starches provide 40-50% of the body’s energy
requirements. Cellulose (fiber) is the indigestible
component of carbohydrate without any nutritive
value. It helps in preventing constipation by
adding bulk to the food.70% of the total Caloric
requirements should come from carbohydrates as
it provides energy for day to day activities.
Sources -Vegetables, legumes, whole grams and fruits provide carbohydrates
Fats:
Pregnancy does not appear to be the time to go on a low fat
diet. Some fat in the diet is absolutely necessary.15-20%
of total Caloric requirement should come from
fat.Fats
are essential for the intestinal absorption of
the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. And, like
proteins, there are essential fatty acids (that
is, fatty acids which the body cannot produce)
which need to be consumed in the diet.Two of these
essential fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic
acid, are necessary for the baby’s brain growth.
Normal fat required in an average female is 20
grams per day which increases to 30-gram per day
in pregnancy.Rich sources of linoleic and linolenic
acid are safflower oil, soybean oil and sunflower
oil.
Vitamins and Minerals:
In addition to proteins, fats, carbohydrates and fiber, the
body needs small amount of other nutrients – Vitamins
and Minerals. Almost all the vitamins and minerals
a pregnant woman needs are supplied in a balanced
diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, legumes,
dairy products and meats.
The different types
of vitamins, their requirements during pregnancy and their sources are as under:
Vitamins |
Daily requirements
|
Sources |
| Vit. A |
800mcg |
Dairy product,
fish liver oils, margarine, carrots, and apricots green leafy vegetables, yellow fruits.
|
| Vit D |
400 IU |
Fish liver oils,
margarine, eggs, milk, butter, cheese, liver. |
| Vit E |
15 IU |
Apples, carrots,
cherries, olive oil, eggs, sunflower seeds. |
| Vit B
Group-B1,B2,B3,B6,B12 and Folic acid |
Vit B1-1.5 mg
VitB2- 1.6 mg
Vit B3- 17 mg
Vit B6- 2.2 mg
Vit B12- 2.2mcg
folic acid-400mcg |
Green leafy
vegetables, whole wheat products., liver, kidney and brewer yeast |
| Vit C |
70 mg |
Citrus foods,
berry fruits, green vegetables, salads, peppers, tomatoes, potato. |
|
Folic Acid:
Folic acid is a part
of B-Complex group of Vitamins that is essential in pregnancy because it is highly
instrumental in forming the neural tube, which becomes the brain and the spinal cord in
the growing foetus. The neural tube formation starts in the early pregnancy. Any
deficiency of folic acid in the pre-pregnant state can lead to Neural Tube Defects
(NTD’s).
Neural Tube Defects
(NTDs) include:
It is strongly recommended that all women of
childbearing age consume 40 to 90 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid per day. Pregnant women
are advised to increase their daily intake of folic acid to 400 mcg.
Sources - It can be found in
liver, green beans, asparagus, whole grains, lentils, nuts, oranges, leafy vegetables, egg
and milk.
Vitamin D and Calcium:
Calcium is an integral component of the human skeleton.Calcium
is required for the formation of bones and teeth.
Bone formation starts in the third trimester. Most of the calcium requirement
is limited to the third trimester of pregnancy.
The calcium requirement during pregnancy is 1000
mg/day, an increase of 50% over the requirement
for non-pregnant women. As calcium is required
for bone formation, adequate calcium intake is
especially critical for pregnant women under 25
years of age whose bone development is not complete.
Sources-
Consuming four glasses of milk/ four servings of cheese/ yogurt/
cottage cheese (paneer)/ fortified soymilk along
with other components of a healthy diet should
meet your needs for calcium in pregnancy. If you are allergic to dairy products, then you can get enough
calcium from the supplementation of calcium. However,
vitamin D is only found in milk and not in other
dairy products, you may have to get at least some
of your vitamin D from exposing your skin to sunshine
or from a supplement.
Iron:
Iron is essential for building healthy red blood cells, which
are the basic building
blocks in the blood. Red blood cells contains
an essential protein known as haemoglobin which
is necessary for carrying oxygen to the different
organs in the body including the uterus or womb.
Many women in the reproductive age group have
increased bleeding during menses and inadequate
intake of Iron. This leads to iron deficiency
in the body more commonly referred to as ‘Iron
deficiency anaemia.  Starting
a pregnancy with anaemia can deprive the baby
of oxygen which gets more marked during the second
trimester. Unless this deficiency is corrected
it may leave the mothers severely anaemic and
any blood loss during pregnancy and after delivery
may be dangerous to the mother and the baby. Therefore you should take iron supplements besides eating food
that is rich in iron. Supplements of iron are
available in form of capsules/tablets (combined
with other vitamins). These are to be taken once
daily. Food rich in Vitamin
C helps in the absorption of iron is also useful.
Sources -Liver, meat, green leafy vegetables [such as spinach (palak),
fenugreek (methi), leaves, legumes, nuts, jaggery
and dried fruits are rich in Iron.
WeightGain:
A low pregnancy weight gain often results in a low birth-weight
infants who may experience delayed development
and are prone to various diseases. In addition
to the growth of the foetus associated with maternal
weight gain, pregnant women store fat to prepare
the mother for lactation. Development of fat stores
is so critical that maternal body weight may be
protected even at the expense of foetal growth.
Therefore it is particularly important to monitor
the weight gain of underweight women who plan
to breastfeed.An additional 25 – 35 pounds (11
– 16 kg) is considered desirable for both the
mother and infant.However there are exceptions
to the general recommendations, since goals for
weight gain should be based on pregnancy weight
and height. Match your height to your pre-pregnancy
weight (in pounds) to deterine which category
you fit into.
| Height |
Underweight |
Normal |
Overweight |
Obese |
| 5’less than |
102 |
102 – 132 |
133 – 147 |
148+ |
| 5’2”less than |
107 |
107 – 141 |
142 – 157 |
158+ |
| 5’4” less than |
116 |
116 – 152 |
153 – 170 |
171+ |
| 5’6”less than |
123 |
123 – 161 |
162 – 180 |
181+ |
| 5’8”less than |
130 |
130 – 171 |
172 – 191 |
192+ |
| 5’10”less than |
138 |
138 – 181 |
182 – 202 |
203+ |
Depending upon which category you fit in to. Your weight gain
in pregnancy (in pounds) should be as:
| Underweight |
Normal |
Overweight |
Obese |
| 28 - 40 |
25 - 35 |
15 – 25 |
15 |
Another method to know the recommended total weight gain in
pregnancy is by Pre Pregnancy Body Mass Index
(BMI).Body mass Index, or BMI, is an indicator
of nutritional status based on two common measurements,
height and weight. Because it reflects body composition
such as body fat and lean body mass, BMI is considered
a more accurate indicator than height/weight tables.
BMI is calculated using the following formula:
weight
-----------------------
Square of height
Recommended Total Weight Gain for pregnant women
by pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI)
| Weight for height category |
Recommended total weight gain (kilograms)
|
Recommended total weight gain (pounds) |
Rate of gain in weight (kilograms /per week) |
| Low (BMI 19.8) |
12.5 – 18.0 |
28 – 40 |
½ kg / (>1 pound)per week |
| Normal (BMI 19.8 to 26.0) |
11.5 – 16.0 |
25 – 35 |
4 kg/ (1 pounds)per week |
| High (BMI 26.0 to 29.0) |
7.0 – 11.5 |
15 – 25 |
1/3 kg / (1/2 to¾ pounds)per week
|
| Obese (BMI 29.0) |
6.0 |
15 |
|
BMI is calculated using the following formula:
weight
----------------------
Square of height
E.g.: If your weight is 50 kg and your height in metres is 1.5
metres, then
BMI = 50
-------- = 22.22
2.25
Weight gain in pregnancy should be 11.5 - 16 kgs.
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Diet
In Lactation
The balance diet, which you were taking during your pregnancy,
should continue during breast feeding also. Some
extra Calories are required for your body as the
baby is taking the Calories through milk and because
of the additional work you are doing while
taking care of your baby.If your diet is inadequate
for your body demands of Calories, protein, and
carbohydrate, then you may feel lethargic or tired.
Allowance is as follows:
During third trimester of your pregnancy you have
already started taking 200 – 300 additional Calories
per day. 
But during breast-feeding you
have to add 200 – 300 Calories more to that diet
so as to satisfy your baby’s need with out tiring
you.During breast feeding you should have about 2000 – 3000 Calories
intake per day.You should take increased amount
of Proteins, Vitamins, Calcium and Iron. Lactation
and RDA Chart
Foods to be avoided:
-
If you have strong family history of allergies to some food
stuff and if your baby develops allergic reaction
then avoid that food in your diet. But remember
to replace the same by other items.
-
Alcohol should be avoided or if you want to take then take
it in a limited quantity. Alcohol interferes
with your let-down reflex.
-
Smoking / passive smoking should also be avoided as excessive
amount of nicotine also interferes with your
let down reflex.
|
Lactation |
Lactation |
|
(0 – 6 months) |
( 6 – 12 months) |
| Net Calories |
+ 550 C |
400 C |
| Protein |
+ 25 g/d |
+ 18 g/d |
| Fat |
45 g/d |
45 g/d |
| Carbohydrate |
|
|
| Ca |
1000 mg/d |
1000 mg/d |
| Iron |
30 mg/d |
30 mg/d |
| Vitamin A (Retinol) |
950 IU |
950 IU |
| Vitamin A (Beta-carotene) |
3800 IU |
3800 IU |
| Thiamine |
+ 0.3 mg/d |
+ 0.2 mg/d |
| Riboflavin |
+ 03 mg/d |
+ 0.2 mg/d |
| Nicotinic Acid |
+ 4 mg/d |
+ 3 mg/d |
| Pyridoxine |
2.5 mg/d |
2.5 mg/d |
| Vitamin C |
80 mg/d |
80 mg/d |
| Folic Acid |
150 mg/d |
150 mg/d |
| Vitamin B 12 |
1.5 mg/d |
1.5 mg/d |
| Vitamin D |
10 mg |
100 mg |
|
(400 IU) |
(400 IU) |
|
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