Proper nutrition during pregnancy. Nutrition during pregnancy Poor nutritional supplements for pregnant women

What nutritional rules should pregnant women follow? The nutritional rules for pregnant women are very simple and are known to us, as a rule, from childhood, but not everyone observes them. However, now is the time to take into account past mistakes and try to eat more healthily.

Advice 1. Nutrition of a pregnant woman should not be plentiful, it is better to eat fractionally

It is not recommended for expectant mothers to eat until they are full, and they should not eat for two at all. The main principle of nutrition for the expectant mother is fractional nutrition: it is advisable to eat more often, but little by little. This will not only allow you to control weight gain, keep the concentration of sugar and cholesterol in the blood at a constant level, assimilate the maximum amount of vitamins and trace elements from food, but also make it possible not to overload the digestive system.

Why? If the expectant mother eats little and often, then the concentration of nutrients necessary to inhibit the activity of the food center of the brain will accumulate in the blood. This means that she will not overeat, because she will not be hungry.

But long breaks between abundant meals lead to a massive one-time load on the digestive glands, which will subsequently cause their depletion, and they will not be able to work at full strength, moreover, in such a situation, the quality of the digestive juice may deteriorate and the process of digestion of food will be delayed.

Advice 2. During pregnancy, you need to follow the diet

In the second half of pregnancy, it is better to switch to 5-6 meals a day (correspondingly in smaller portions). This will reduce the load on the digestive system, food will be digested and absorbed fully, which means that undigested foods will not accumulate in the intestines, leading to increased gas production, bloating and discomfort for a pregnant woman.

To improve digestion, it is recommended to drink a glass of water at room temperature before breakfast, to which you can add a teaspoon of honey and (or) the juice of half a lemon.

At the same time, it is necessary to properly distribute food throughout the day. Since proteins increase metabolism, excite the nervous system (this is due to the high content of nitrogenous extractives in foods rich in protein) and linger longer in the stomach, it is recommended to eat meat, fish and eggs in the morning, and not at night. But for dinner, you can recommend dairy or vegetable dishes.

Why?When the body gets used to a certain diet during pregnancy, then it is at the usual time for eating a conditioned reflex is developed, and the digestive system secretes gastric and intestinal juices necessary for full digestion of food.

Starting from 9-10 am, the production of digestive juices is activated, so the absence of a full breakfast in the stomach at this time can lead to so-called "hungry" gastritis (the stomach, as they say, "digests itself"). At the same time, it is better to start the day with foods rich in complex carbohydrates that are slowly digested, do not lead to a rapid release of insulin and do not load the pancreas, and proteins, that is, with hot porridge, yogurt, muesli with milk, omelet, etc.

After 2 hours, a second breakfast is already needed from products that also contain complex carbohydrates and fiber, with the addition of a small portion (about 80-100 g) of a low-fat protein product - buckwheat or oatmeal, fresh vegetable salad combined with fish or lean meat in boiled , stewed or baked kind, cottage cheese with dried fruits and honey. This is necessary because a woman's body must accumulate enough energy to be strong throughout the day.

But the peak of the activity of the digestive system of a pregnant woman falls on 13-15 hours of the day. It is at this time that you need to have a full lunch.

Advice 3. Nutrition of a pregnant woman: you need to cook food in gentle ways

Gentle cooking methods include boiling, stewing, baking and steaming. These methods will ensure the maximum safety of all nutrients found in products and will not allow the formation of carcinogens.

It is important to remember that for the preservation of all nutrients during cooking, you should not pour a large amount of water into the product. In addition, it is better to cook with the lid closed, salt at the end of boiling (stewing, baking), and not cook for too long and not at the maximum temperature. When using a multicooker, it is advisable to set the steamer mode (or steam cooking) and gentle simmering (analogous to cooking in a Russian oven).

When preparing vegetable dishes, it is worth observing the "half-cooked" rule so that the vegetables remain crispy, which means that the main water-soluble vitamins (especially vitamin C, folic acid and rutin) and microelements will be as safe as possible. If you are cooking potatoes, then the best way is to bake in the oven (possibly in foil) in the skins. The fact is that the maximum concentration of potassium, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system and the prevention of edema, is concentrated under the skin. When peeled potatoes are boiled, up to 80% of nutrients go into the broth, which can be used to prepare first courses.

Why? When cooking in a double boiler and in a multicooker (in the "steaming" mode), the safety of vitamins and microelements reaches 90%, when cooking for more than 30 minutes - only 20%, and if the product is cooked for less than 20 minutes, then it is already preserved up to 40-50 %, depending on the type of vitamin (the most easily degradable is vitamin C). When cooking in a pressure cooker (under pressure), the cooking time is reduced by 3-5 times, which means that the loss of nutrients is no more than 15%. When stewing and baking, the loss of nutrients, depending on the type of product, can fluctuate as little as 10 to 30%.

Advice 4. Nutrition during pregnancy should not be in the evening

It must be remembered that in the evening, and especially at night, digestion and metabolic processes in the body slow down. Therefore, a plentiful intake of food in the evening puts an increased load on the digestive system of the expectant mother and can lead to a violation of night sleep.

In this regard, the last meal before bedtime should be at least 2–2.5 hours before bedtime. At the same time, dinner should consist of dairy and vegetable dishes, since food rich in carbohydrates helps to inhibit the nervous system and improves sleep.

Why? Due to the slowing down of metabolic processes and the activity of the digestive system in the evening, the calories received with a late dinner are not burned, but deposited in the form of fat deposits. In addition, in dairy products (which are also protein), in contrast to meat, the content of nitrogenous extractives is insignificant, which are the most active pathogens of the nervous system. So, if you eat meat at night, then a pregnant woman may be bothered by insomnia, but milk does not cause such problems. Moreover, if you cannot sleep, then everyone knows the folk recipe for a natural sleeping pill - a glass of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey.

What is dry water? This is dry food (such as sandwiches or cookies) that is eaten with little or no liquid. Agree that quite often, not being able to eat well, we “swallow” a sandwich on the run and continue to work or do some urgent business. But such snacks cannot be called useful in any way and it is better to try to set aside 10-15 minutes to calmly eat the same sandwich, but chew it well and wash it down with tea or some other hot drink.

Why?As a result of dry snacks, food that is poorly prepared for digestion enters the stomach, and the digestion process in a pregnant woman is more intense, which can lead to various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. It is also advisable for a pregnant woman to consume hot liquid meals every day. Soups based on broth (vegetable, meat, fish) are rich in extractive substances that stimulate the secretion of digestive juices that improve the digestion of food.

Tip 6. Dishes for pregnant women must be freshly prepared

It is recommended to cook dishes during pregnancy in small portions - for one meal, otherwise useful substances are destroyed during storage and when reheated. In addition, long-term storage of food, even in the refrigerator, creates favorable conditions for the multiplication of pathogens and increases the risk of food poisoning.

It is necessary to store freshly prepared food for no more than 2 hours at room temperature, and in the refrigerator - no more than 24–36 hours, depending on the type of product.

For the sake of fairness, it is worth noting that mineral substances are almost not destroyed during heat treatment: they simply pass from the products into the water in which they are boiled. Therefore, it is better not to pour the broth saturated with minerals (especially vegetable), but use it as a basis for soups.

In addition, when preparing salads, it is better to cut vegetables immediately before eating and immediately season with oil so that they come into contact with oxygen as little as possible, since all water-soluble vitamins will be preserved as much as possible (they are easily oxidized by the action of atmospheric oxygen).

If you had to reuse the dish, then only the amount that you eat at a time is worth heating.

Why? When preparing food, the maximum amount of vitamins, minerals and other biologically active substances is guaranteed at one time. But when warming up and especially when re-boiling the dish, their number comes to naught. In addition, the taste of the products is clearly deteriorating.

At the beginning of pregnancy, the amount of free liquid (water, juices, fruit drinks, tea, etc.) in the menu can be 1.2–1.5 liters (not counting liquid food products). But in the second and third trimesters, the daily volume of liquid should not exceed 3 glasses, this is not counting the first liquid dishes, as well as water, which is contained in fruits, vegetables, dairy products and other foods rich in water. In total (in the composition of products and free liquid), the amount of water should be 2-2.5 liters (up to 20 weeks of pregnancy), and from the 21st week it is recommended to gradually reduce this amount, bringing it to 1.5 liters by the 30th week ...

To quench your thirst, it is best to drink in small portions, about half a glass. In this case, the water should be at room temperature, then it will not irritate the receptors of the upper respiratory tract (it will not provoke pharyngitis, laryngitis), and will also be able to fully quench thirst.

Why? If you drink water above the recommended amounts, it will lead to an increase in the load on the kidneys, heart and blood vessels, which can provoke edema in a pregnant woman. And with insufficient use of free fluid in the expectant mother, the excretion of the final metabolic products of the body is disturbed (that is, toxins accumulate), and the work of the intestines is also hampered (constipation occurs, feces become dense, which can provoke cracks in the anus). In addition, with a lack of water, muscle tone and blood pressure decrease, as well as a rapid heart rate in the mother and fetus.

Which water to choose?
A pregnant woman is recommended to drink artesian drinking water, weak green tea, herbal infusion (if there are no contraindications) without sugar, mineral table drinking water. It is better for expectant mothers to refuse therapeutic and prophylactic mineral water with a salt content of more than 1 g / l, so as not to provoke the occurrence of edema or to use it only after consulting a doctor.
By the way, drinking water diluted in half with freshly squeezed natural juice, or adding lemon or mashed berries to the water, as well as homemade sour fruit drinks, will be an excellent option for quenching your thirst.
If the expectant mother has any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, then it is worth giving preference to still water. This is due to the fact that the acid formed from carbon dioxide irritates the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines.
You should not drink tap water, even if you boil it first. Boiling water can protect against bacterial and viral foodborne infections, but does not guarantee protection against chemical contaminants.

Tip 8. The diet of a pregnant woman should not contain prohibited foods

There are certain foods that pregnant women should not eat:

The organism growing in the womb receives everything it needs for its development from the food eaten by the mother. If a woman's nutrition during pregnancy is monotonous, then some of the missing substances, for example, calcium and magnesium, are extracted from the bones and teeth of the mother. However, the compensatory capabilities of the mother's body are not unlimited. Poor nutrition during pregnancy negatively affects the functioning of the placenta, which can cause spontaneous miscarriage, abnormalities in the development of the fetus, and the birth of a baby with a low weight.

A woman should remember that nutritional errors can pass unnoticed by her, but have an undesirable effect on the baby. Therefore, the problem of a balanced diet during pregnancy requires a very responsible attitude towards oneself.

While waiting for the birth of a baby, a woman needs to seriously think about the state of her gastrointestinal tract. In new circumstances, the intestines and stomach feel difficulties in work. Due to the increase in progesterone levels during pregnancy, the tone of the gastrointestinal tract decreases, which leads to numerous problems. Proper nutrition during pregnancy can prevent these problems.

Dysbacteriosis

When planning a pregnancy, you should be screened in advance for such a disease as dysbiosis, the cause of which can be malnutrition and poor ecology. In the intestine, the number of pathogenic bacteria increases, and the growth of beneficial lacto - or bifidobacteria is reduced. The main symptoms of this disease are bloating and abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. Excessive accumulation of gases also occurs, the expectant mother's appetite abruptly disappears, she feels weakness, headache, malaise, her performance deteriorates. As a result of the lowering of the intestinal barrier, infection can enter the bloodstream. In order to prevent the onset of dysbiosis, it is necessary to ventilate the room, often take walks in the fresh air, and monitor your diet. You can take activated carbon and other absorbents.

Diseases of pregnant women

A common bowel pathology during pregnancy is constipation, which occurs in over 50% of women in position. Its causes are changes in the digestive system of regulation and physiological changes. Prevention of constipation is considered swimming, gymnastics, massage, walks, yoga classes, as well as folk remedies - salads from beets, cucumbers, apples and a glass of water drunk on an empty stomach.

Diarrhea is another problem experienced by a pregnant woman. It may occur due to toxicosis, food poisoning, infection, disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system, and in later stages due to an increase in the tone of the uterus or before childbirth. With diarrhea, you need to drink strong black tea with cookies or unleavened bread and rice water, use white bread. In this case, you should refuse products made from rye and oat flour.

A woman may have gallstone disease. It does not interfere with the bearing of a child, however, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the diet and use enzymatic preparations for treatment. With advanced gastritis, a woman in position should be observed by a gastroenterologist for the entire period of pregnancy.

Diet pregnant

A pregnant woman has inexplicable preferences for some products and cannot tolerate others. If you do not adhere to proper nutrition, then toxicosis may occur, in which it is recommended to increase the intake of animal proteins (eggs, lean meat, fish, dairy products). For a woman in the first half of pregnancy, it is desirable for 1 kilogram of weight 1.5 grams of protein, in the second - 2 grams. Due to the presence of amino acids in the animal protein, the immune system is strengthened, the hormonal metabolism of the expectant mother is normalized, and they also contribute to the formation of the baby's tissues.

The use of carbohydrates, which are found in pasta, cereals, wholemeal bread, vegetables, honey, jam, and sugar, also brings benefits to a pregnant woman. By the end of pregnancy, a woman should receive 2-3 milligrams of iron per day. Its sources are liver, parsley, egg yolks, oatmeal and buckwheat, apples, apricots and peaches.

An important role for the nutrition of a woman in a position is played by calcium, which contains dried apricots and dairy products.

Nutrition rules for a pregnant woman

A woman in a position is recommended to eat often (the first half of pregnancy - 4 times a day, in the second - up to 6 times), but in small portions. It is advisable to drink 1.5 liters of water per day. At a later date, the stomach, under the influence of an enlarged uterus, begins to shift, as a result of which nausea and vomiting may occur. Also, as a result of changes in the sphincter of the gallbladder, the outflow of bile decreases. Failure to follow the diet during pregnancy leads to an increase in the protein-synthetic function of the liver, an increase in lipid metabolism and the level of cholesterol in the blood of the expectant mother. It is possible to reduce the load on the liver and gallbladder by excluding high-calorie and fatty foods from the diet. Salty, smoked, fried foods are prohibited. Seasonings - with care.

The activity of the digestive organs is stimulated by foods with temperatures above 55 degrees and below 15 degrees. Cold drinks provide active peristalsis. You can unload the body with the help of mucous, pureed, mushy and liquid dishes. To enhance the laxative effect of fruits, they should be consumed at night or in the morning on an empty stomach. Fresh vegetables, which are also laxative, can cause digestive upset.

Proper nutrition during pregnancy is individual for each woman and depends on her preferences. It serves as a prerequisite for the successful course of pregnancy and the birth of a healthy child.

Approximate nutritional menu during pregnancy

To "wake up" the intestines, you should start the morning with a glass of water.
For breakfast, it is better to prepare meals rich in fiber, which will help prevent constipation. For this, cereal porridge, cottage cheese with grated carrots, muesli with milk are suitable.

Fresh fruit, yoghurt, natural juice are optimal for the second breakfast.
It is more correct to start lunch with a salad of fresh vegetables. Then you can proceed to the soup. With a tendency to constipation and allergies, strong broths are prohibited. For the second, boiled or stewed meat or fish dishes are preferable.
For an afternoon snack, they choose something proteinaceous, for example, a cottage cheese casserole or a cheese sandwich.
For dinner, it is good to eat some kind of fruit or vegetable salad (for example, vinaigrette), and a light meat or fish dish.
If before going to bed a pregnant woman experiences a feeling of hunger, then fruits, a glass of fermented baked milk or kefir will help to quench it (you can take a bite with crackers or dryers).
The mother's diet during pregnancy should be absent:
Wine, coffee (increase blood pressure);
Pickles (overload the kidneys);
Fatty, smoked, fried foods (cause heartburn, negatively affect the liver);
Alcohol (may cause developmental disorders).
Also, pregnant women should not get carried away with seafood, chocolate, exotic fruits, citrus fruits.
A healthy diet during pregnancy should be based on a variety of well-digestible and, of course, high-quality foods. A woman should make sure that all the main food groups are present in her diet: dairy, cereals, legumes, meat, fish, as well as vegetables and fruits.
If possible, you should eat food free of artificial additives: flavors, colors, preservatives, flavor enhancers, etc. When drawing up the menu, be sure to take into account the gestational age.
Nutrition during pregnancy 1 trimester does not imply an increase in the calorie intake of the daily diet. It is enough for a healthy woman of normal build to consume up to 1800 kcal. The main emphasis should be placed on protein foods and vitamins, because during this period, all the systems of the baby are laid.
Starting from the 2nd trimester and up to 32 weeks, the caloric content of the diet is increased to 2200 - 2800 kcal, because an actively growing fetus and an enlarging uterus require more nutrients and oxygen. The need for calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamin D, zinc is growing. The last 2 months of pregnancy, it is advisable to reduce the calorie content of the daily diet by limiting easily digestible carbohydrates contained in buns, sweets and other sweets. Salt consumption is also minimized because it has the ability to retain fluid in the body. In no case is it recommended to lower the calorie content due to protein foods.

Nutrition during pregnancy and diet

Vegetarianism, low-calorie and any mono-diets are not allowed during this period. When we talk about a diet for pregnant women, we are talking about a special diet that will help to cope with certain problems, without depriving the unborn child of an influx of essential trace elements and vitamins. For example, when edema of a pregnant woman appears, a salt-free diet is prescribed, and with excessive weight gain, it is recommended to replace buns and sweets with bran bread and dried apricots, refined sugar for honey, forget about mayonnaise and season salads with unrefined oil.
Diet during pregnancy involves the use of food that improves digestion, relieves the liver and helps to remove toxins. For these purposes, women in position should enrich their menu with various herbs, coarsely ground cereals, dried fruits, and all kinds of fresh juices.
Fasting days for pregnant women can be a smart alternative to strict diets if you follow these guidelines:
1. A product for a fasting day should be liked by a woman, but must be useful (fish, fruit or vegetable, cereal).
2. If dizziness occurs, you should abandon the fasting day.
3. A pregnant woman should unload the body in this way no more than once a week, having previously consulted a doctor

Nutrition during pregnancy

How to eat during pregnancy

A pregnant woman, like a sorceress, creates a whole person out of almost nothing during pregnancy. The bricks that make up the body of the fetus do not appear out of nowhere - the source of "building materials" for the unborn baby is nutrients from the mother's blood and her own tissues of her body. Therefore, to paraphrase the well-known phrase "we are what we eat", it would be fair to say that "an unborn child is what his mother eats during pregnancy." Therefore, you need to be very careful about your diet during the entire period of pregnancy so that you do not harm your beloved baby with your not the most correct eating habits. And then you look and generally get used to healthy food.

Food should provide:

• The growth and development of the fetus, which requires sufficient food intake of energy and all irreplaceable nutritional factors
• As well as your own health and comfort at all stages of pregnancy.

Remember! Inadequate nutrition in the early stages of pregnancy can affect the survival of the embryo, and further poor nutrition affects the development of the fetus

So what is important to remember when pregnant?

• meat (lean), poultry (better domestic "blue" than imported broiler), fish (unsalted);
• eggs (boiled or in the form of an omelet);
• vegetables, fruits, berries (not all of our strip), herbs, dried fruits (including raisins, dried apricots);
• cereals (preferably unpeeled, whole grains, sprouted wheat);
• nuts (pine nuts, hazelnuts);
• seeds (sunflower, pumpkin);
• legumes (beans, lentils, with soybeans and peas - be careful);
• coarse bread, bran bread;
• dairy products (cottage cheese, fermented milk products - kefir, fermented baked milk, curdled milk, yogurt, unflavored, ordinary milk);
• fats (cold-pressed vegetable oils - sunflower, olive, corn, butter - better ghee and little by little);
• tea (preferably green).

Diet:

In the normal course of pregnancy, you need to eat 4 - 5 times a day, preferably at the same time.

• First half of pregnancy

In the first half of pregnancy, a woman's diet differs little from usual. But you need to make sure that it is diverse and contains the required amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals.

The desire to eat something salty, spicy very often appears in women at the beginning of pregnancy. During this period, you can satisfy this desire.

The daily diet for the first half of pregnancy

Should be 2400 - 2700 kcal.

It includes:

• Second half of pregnancy

In the second half of pregnancy, the fetus grows rapidly, the load on all organs and systems of the mother increases, so the total amount of food taken should be increased.

In the last 2 months, you can not eat salty, spicy, smoked meats, canned food. Try not to eat processed foods. These foods are usually high in calories but low in the nutrients you and your baby need.

The daily diet of the second half of pregnancy

should be 2800 - 3000 kcal.

It includes:

List of essential vitamins:

Vitamins ensure the normal course of biochemical and physiological processes in the body. It is especially important for a pregnant woman to get enough of the following vitamins:

• Folic acid: two bunches of greens a day in any form, green peppers, oranges, lemons, cereals, nuts, vegetables, germinated wheat.
• Vitamin A: vegetables and fruits of orange, yellow color (persimmon, pumpkin, carrot, sea buckthorn). Better absorbed with vegetable oil or sour cream.
• B vitamins: found in animal products, but plant sources are preferable during pregnancy (sunflower seeds, sprouted wheat, green peas, brown rice, beans, dried apricots, brewer's yeast, bran, avocado, some types of cheese, lean meat).
• Vitamin C: green tea, natural apple cider vinegar, citrus fruits, cabbage, any fresh vegetables, fruits, berries.
• Vitamin D: fish oil, germinated grains.
• Vitamin E: all vegetable oils, wheat grains, soy products, olives.
• Vitamin K: cucumbers, fresh herbs, cabbage, young nettles.
• Macro and microelements: dried fruits, unpeeled cereals, fresh fruits, berries, juices, herbs, seaweed, seafood.

What foods should not be consumed during pregnancy!

• canned food, smoked meats, sausages;
• very spicy, very salty, very sour;
• mushrooms;
• peas;
• fatty meat, fish, poultry;
• white bread, buns, pastries, butter cream baked goods;
• coffee, cocoa, chocolate, chocolates;
• ice cream;
• alcohol;
• citrus fruits, strawberries, strawberries, raspberries.

The consequences of improper nutrition:

The issue of nutrition during pregnancy is vitally important, thoroughly studied and at the same time remains for most doctors and even more expectant mothers beyond the scope of those problems that should be seriously worried about. In fact, most pregnant women first hear anything about nutrition from their doctor only when they are overweight or when excess blood glucose is detected. Even very conscientious and attentive doctors do not worry if a woman weighs little or does not gain enough. Meanwhile, with improper and inadequate nutrition, the following formidable complications can occur.

• The expectant mother:

1. Late toxicosis of pregnancy (gestosis) - a painful condition in which fluid retention in the body successively develops (dropsy of pregnant women), loss of protein in the urine, increased blood pressure. Ultimately, if untreated, severe cerebral complications develop, up to seizures (so-called eclampsia) and coma, hemorrhages in vital organs, the mother and child may die.
2. Miscarriage (premature birth and miscarriages) - since due to improper nutrition, the placenta cannot develop normally.
3. Premature placental abruption - in the period close to childbirth, the placenta begins to separate from the wall of the uterus, the child may die (50% probability), the mother bleeds. This arises, among other things, due to the tendency to blood thickening and the formation of blood clots in the vessels of the uterus and placenta.
4. Anemia (anemia) - due to insufficient intake or assimilation of proteins, iron, and vitamins.
5. Infectious complications, including from the lungs, liver and kidneys.
6. Weak labor, prolonged childbirth, exhaustion of the expectant mother in childbirth.
7. Postpartum hemorrhage and decreased blood clotting.
8. Slow healing of perineal wounds, the uterus contracts slowly after childbirth.

• The child has:

1. Delayed intrauterine growth, and intrauterine death is also possible.
2. Low birth weight, and prematurity, low vitality.
3. Encephalopathy, decreased mental capacity.
4. Hyperexcitability and hyperactivity.
5. Reduced resistance to infections intrauterinely, during and after childbirth; tendency to various diseases.

Observe the figure or take care of the health of the unborn child, indulge your culinary whims, or eat healthy food for the good of the baby? Every pregnant woman should make the right choice and understand what is more important at the moment. But sometimes your own selfishness and weakness take precedence over the maternal instinct.

During pregnancy, every woman wants to relax and succumb to the will of her desires, especially when it comes to her favorite food. There is always something on the shelves of supermarkets or at a table in a cafe that can satisfy your gastronomic needs. But is it worth it to abuse? Unfortunately, the availability of a variety of food products today does not help expectant mothers to eat fully and with maximum benefit for the child. Delicious delicacies, tempting semi-finished products, fragrant pastries ... What can the indiscriminate use of your favorite food during pregnancy, which is often not at all healthy, lead to? What is the risk of malnutrition during pregnancy? Experts will tell. Krumkina Svetlana - a gynecologist at the Diamed Medical Center, specialists from the Primorsky Center for Dietetics and Healthy Lifestyle: Gartsman Tatiana - nutritionist, Garanina Elena - psychologist, specialist in eating disorders.

What Are the Signs of Malnutrition During Pregnancy? What is the reason for them?

Lack of weight gain in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Perhaps the woman is overly concerned about her figure. It is important for every woman to understand that pregnancy is not the time to lose weight.
- Excessive weight gain. Normally, a pregnant woman should gain 400-450 grams per week until 20 weeks of pregnancy, then no more than 300-350 grams per week. Most likely, a woman overeats, eats a lot of sweets, muffins, and consumes too high-calorie dishes.
- Swelling caused by excessive fluid intake. Salty, spicy, smoked food - these are the main provocateurs of thirst.
- Increased hair loss and brittle nails, excessive dryness of the skin. These are signs of anemia. Chances are, your body lacks iron, vitamins, and protein foods.
- Expressed cosmetic changes on the face and body, uncommon for pregnant women. These can be rashes on allergic foods: chocolate, citrus fruits, some types of fish.
- Heartburn, constipation, bloating are signs of abuse of fried, fatty and too heavy food for digestibility.
- Indomitable nausea and vomiting, chronic hunger during the day and night can be triggered by an unbalanced diet and a malfunction.

Chronic hunger and the desire to eat at night are frequent occurrences in pregnant women associated with improper diet. How to deal with them?

Gartsman Tatiana, nutritionist:

A woman should look for mistakes in her diet. It may be worth paying attention to the nutritional balance. Every day, a pregnant woman should receive a sufficient amount of proteins, fats, long carbohydrates. The same applies to a sudden appetite in the middle of the night. Naturally, if you want to eat, then you do not need to force the body. You can have a light snack: drink yogurt, eat. It is worth paying attention to how often these urges occur. If periodically, then you need to revise your diet, perhaps the body loses calories during the day. In any case, eating at night will not benefit either the mother or the child, but will only lead to the deposition of excess fat in the body, heartburn, etc.

Garanina Elena, psychologist:

The main thing is to learn to distinguish between hunger and appetite. Hunger is when the stomach rumbles, when there is a need for complete food. And if instead of, for example, soup, you want to eat a cake, this is already an appetite that a pregnant woman arises from the desire to pamper herself. But you can give yourself pleasure in various ways, not only at the expense of food. Take care of yourself: embroider a picture with beads, make a collage of family photos - find an activity that will distract from unnecessary urges to the refrigerator.

And the desire to eat something at night often hides psychological motives. Especially if you want something special from the nearest convenience store. Here, most likely, there is a test of the strength of their loved ones. This is a woman's desire to make sure once again that she is loved and cared for. Let's say a husband goes out in the middle of the night for strawberries, without which his beloved, suddenly, began to "die". The sufferer will eat one or two berries, make sure that they are ready to perform feats for her sake, and, happy, will go to sleep. This behavior of a pregnant woman is based not on the desire to eat, but on the need for refined attention to her person.

What are the risks of malnutrition during pregnancy for mother and baby?

Gartsman Tatiana, nutritionist:

An improper diet can lead to metabolic disorders. There is a possibility of giving birth to a large fetus, obesity in the mother after childbirth. Especially critical is the excessive weight gain of a pregnant woman in the last trimester, because it is during this period that the risk of developing obesity in a child increases ... after reaching forty years of age (!). The norm is when a woman gains up to 2.5 kg after each pregnancy.

Krumkina Svetlana, gynecologist:

All complications associated with improper nutrition during pregnancy can lead to impaired development of the fetus, affect the future development of the child throughout his life. If the mother had iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy, then the baby will be born with the same diagnosis. There was a lack of folic acid - there will be problems with the development of the child's nervous system. Iodine deficiency will lead to dysfunctions of the thyroid gland, to inhibition of mental development, girls may have problems with the formation of the menstrual cycle.

Good health, strong immunity, good physical and mental development of the baby - every expectant mother is responsible for each of these parameters. Proper nutrition of a pregnant woman is one of the main tools for obtaining high health indicators for an unborn child. And any violations in this direction can lead to unpredictable consequences for both the mother and her child.