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Food and PregnancyTaking care
of the new life in your womb
![]() Photo by MontanaRaven. Courtesy of Flickr.com
Food and pregnancy are often a concern for vegetarian moms. It's not difficult at all to follow a well balanced vegetarian nutrition diet during pregnancy.
Calcium According to doctors your calcium intake at this time should range from 1200-1500 mg daily. Calcium is vital for the healthy growth and development of your baby's bones, muscles, heart, and teeth. If you do not take adequate calcium, your baby will use your calcium reserves. This increases the risk of osteoporosis in you. Calcium helps strong bone formation. Calcium further assists in normal functioning of the nervous, circulatory and muscular systems. Your pregnancy nutrition chart should contain milk and its products. For lactose intolerant women, there are lactose-free milk products, buttermilk, soy milk, or cultured yoghurt. If this doesn't work, ask your doctor for calcium supplements. Protein Considering food and pregnancy, you need about 60 grams of protein daily for the healthy growth of your baby. Besides, it keeps your placenta, uterus, and breasts in a healthy state; it increases the volume of blood, and produces adequate amniotic fluid. Protein is a repairing agent and is crucial during the mid and later stages of pregnancy. Right consumption of protein throughout helps create a reserve which can then be utilized by the body and fetus. Iron
Your body needs only 27 mg of iron daily yet you need to take 60 mg because not all ingested iron is absorbed in the body. If you are found to be anemic, it's good to take pregnancy nutrition supplements of iron. One of the tricks to absorb iron better is to take it with vitamin C enriched foods. Tomato juice, orange, or grapefruit are good options. Avoid taking them with milk, cheese, or other calcium enriched foods, as calcium hampers the absorption of iron. Vitamins Pregnancy nutrition guidelines recommend a 25-50 % increase in the intake of vitamins. The requirement of folic acid doubles to 400 micrograms daily at this time. Eating a variety of foods in your pregnancy diet leads to the fulfillment of vitamin requirement. Vitamin A – Essential at all stages of life, vitamin A becomes even more important during and post pregnancy period when the pregnant woman’s body is sensitive and needs re-nourishing from all sources. Even if you think that you are taking a nutritious diet during pregnancy, it's important to have a look at pregnancy nutrition guidelines and read pertinent articles and books. If you are breastfeeding, take special care to nurture
yourself and the baby accordingly.
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Childbirth ResourcesThe classic book on home birth is now available in a new edition, with updated information on the safety of natural childbirth, new birthing stories, and the most recent statistics on births managed by The Farm Midwives. Included are stories of working with Amish women, shedding light on a different culture with a similar appreciation for natural childbirth. Ina May also provides new information about potentially dangerous techniques routinely used in hospitals during and after birth, as well as the latest findings about VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). Improved instructions for handling breech births are also given. When the first edition of Spiritual Midwifery was published in 1976, it introduced an entire generation of young women to the possibility of home birth and breast feeding. It also breathed new life into the all-but-vanished field of midwifery. Click here to view this product!ShopShare this SiteSearch the SiteSuggestionsYour Donations Keep aChildbirth.com running!
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