All through her pregnancy, a woman
needs to take proper care of her diet
and nutrition, as it has a direct influence
on the normal fetal development.
At the same time, it has a bearing on the
course of the pregnancy and the
long-term health of the mother as
well as her child. In the initial months
of pregnancy, quality of the nutrition
is much more important. However,
as the time increases, quantity also
needs to be taken into consideration.
In case you want to explore some
more nutrition facts for pregnant women,
the following lines will surely come handy.  

Pregnancy Nutrition Guide  

Energy & Nutritional Requirements
A woman needs to understand the
fact that during pregnancy, her body
is faced with great nutrition demands,
in order to ensure proper development
of the fetus. Then, she also needs extra
nutrients to supply energy for growth,
health and functioning of the uterus,
placenta and amniotic fluid. This is the
reason why women are advised to
increase their daily calorie consumption
by 150 calories in the early days of
pregnancy and with time, increase it
to an extra 250 calories a day, by the
end of pregnancy. However, she
doesn't need to double her diet.  
The increase in calories should be
in a healthy form, for instance an
additional glass of milk in the
first trimester, which can be combined
with an additional piece of fruit or slice
of bread during the final six months.
A pregnant woman also has to increase
her protein intake, by 10 g (1/3 ounce)
a day (apart from the usual 70 g daily).
Then, there is a need to enhance
carbohydrate as well as fat intake
(along with essential fatty acids).
The average weight gain by a
woman in pregnancy is between
9 and 12 kg (20 to 26 lbs).  

Minerals & Vitamins
When talking about increase in
the vitamins and minerals consumed
by a woman, when she becomes
pregnant, more attention needs
to be paid to folic acid, calcium,
and iron in particular. This is because
of the reason that more often than not,
pregnant women are found to be
deficient in them. Let us know
about the nutrients in detail.  

Calcium
In pregnancy, a large amount of
calcium is transferred from a woman's body,
to the fetus, in order to provide for
bone as well as teeth formation
of the baby. However, in the
first six months, the calcium is stored
by the woman in her own bones.
It is only from the seventh month
onwards that fetus draws on the
mother's store, since at this stage;
the skeletal growth reaches its peak.
At this point of time, mother should
increase the consumption of high
calcium-containing foods.
Otherwise, her own teeth and bones
might suffer and become brittle.  

Iron
Iron, the nutrient which holds an
important place in the process of
blood formation, is required in
greater quantities during pregnancy.
This is because during this time
not only are the fetal red blood cells
being developed, but even the blood
volume of the mother increases.
So, there is a need for greater
iron consumption, mainly through
meat, fish, egg yolk, vegetables and
whole-grain products, you can have
vitamin C with the latter,
to absorb it better.  

Folic Acid
Folic acid, also known as
vitamin B9 or folacin, is yet
another nutrient whose
consumption needs to be
increased during pregnancy.
This is because it is required
for the proper development of
the fetal central nervous system
and also helps prevent developmental
defects of the neural tube (spina bifida).
Though folic acid is found in
routine vegetables, wheat germ,
tropical fruits and eggs,
additional consumption is
required in the months before
pregnancy (if you have planned it)
as well during the first trimester.

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