Women’s Health Blog

Starting off your with a healthy well
balanced diet is the best thing you do for yourself
and your baby. This way, you’ll only need to make
a few adjustments during your pregnancy.

Your first trimester
If you find it tough to maintain a balanced diet
during your first trimester, you can rest assured
that your not alone. Due to queasiness, some
women will eat all of the time and gain a lot of
weight in the process. Other women have trouble
getting food down and subsequently lose weight.

Preventing malnutrition and dehydration are your
most important factors during first trimester.

Calories
When you are pregnant, you need to consume around
300 calories more than usual every day. The best
way to go about doing this is listening to your
body when you are hungry. You should try to eat
as many foods as possible from the bottom of the
food pyramid.

If you gain weight too slow, try eating small
meals and slightly increase the fat in your diet.
You should always eat when you are hungry, as you
are now eating for 2 instead of one.

Calcium
By the second trimester, you’ll need around 1,500
milligrams of calcium each day for your bones and
your baby’, which is more than a quart of milk.
Calcium is something that’s missing from many
diets. Along with milk, other great sources for
calcium include dairy products, calcium fortified
juices, and even calcium tablets.

Fiber
Fiber can help to prevent constipation, which is
a common pregnancy problem. You can find fiber in
whole grains, fruits, and even vegetables. Fiber
supplements such as Metamucil and Citrucel are
safe to take during pregnancy.

Protein
Unless you happen to be a strict vegetarian, your
protein intake is not normally a problem for women
who eat a healthy diet.

Iron
A lot of women will start their pregnancy off with
a bit of iron deficiency. Good sources of iron
include dark leafy green vegetables and meats. Iron
supplements should be avoided, as they can cause
internal symptoms such as cramping, constipation,
or diarrhea.

Vitamins
Seeing as how you get a majority of the vitamins you
need in your diet, you may want to discuss prenatal
vitamins with your doctor. Folate is one of the most
important, and if you are getting enough of it, you
may be able to avoid vitamins all together – just ask
your doctor to make sure.

(word count 404)

PPPPP

read comments (0)

A woman who becomes pregnant for the first time should look for childbirth education information as soon as possible.  Learning everything she can about the childbirth process can help equip her to make the best choices for her prenatal care and childbirth preparation.  It may be an overwhelming time emotionally but education will help you prepare for the unknown.

Childbirth education can come from many different sources.  It can come from books, from the Internet, from pamphlets at your medical center, or via asking questions of your doctor, midwife or doula and talking to other people.  The childbirth education process should be an informative and fun part of pregnancy.  Learning about what’s to come and making choices should all be part of the joy of pregnancy.

Whether your pregnancy is planned or whether it is of great surprise to you , the almost nine months ahead should be a joyous time. Learning about parenting, educating yourself on the choices you have and talking to people about your upcoming bundle of joy are all part of the
childbirth education and parenting education process. While you may go through periods of feeling unwell in your first trimester, your second trimester may be a healthly and vibrant time for you. 

Plans for how you will go through childbirth may be on your mind.  There are childbirth education websites and books that will tell you all about the various birth processes you can choose from. You might have options of a midwife, a family doctor or an obstetrician. You might choose a home birth, a water birth or a traditional hospital birth.  You may want to try to have natural childbirth.  Perhaps you’re going to plan to take Lamaze classes or hire a doula to help you prepare.  There are many choices open to you and the more childbirth education you have, the better equipped you will be to make choices.

Beyond childbirth education, you want parenting education as well. Whether it’s a parenting class or just talking to other pregnant women on forums and reading books about childbirth and pregnancy, learning and educating yourself is a smart thing to do in preparation for your baby’s arrival. 

If you don’t have constant access to the Internet at home, most public libraries will lend you books and you’ll find an entire section devoted to parenting and childbirth education. Most libraries also have free Internet use as well.  Also, talking to other women who have had babies will likely result in their sharing books, resources and information with you about their experience as well.

read comments (0)