Healthy nutrition is vital for a child's growth and development during pregnancy. You can eat about 300 calories more a day than you did before you got pregnant. Although nausea and vomiting can make this difficult in the first few months of pregnancy, try to eat a well-balanced diet and take prenatal vitamins. Here are some tips to keep you and your child in good health.

 

 

What mom eats and drinks during pregnancy is her child's main source of nourishment. So, experts recommend that a mom-to-be's diet should include a variety of healthy foods and beverages to provide the important nutrients that a fetus needs for growth and development.

 

 

Key pregnancy nutrition

 

A pregnant mother needs more calcium, folic acid, iron and protein during their pregnancy journey. Here is why these four nutrients are important.

 

 

 

 

Folic acid

 

Also known as folate when the nutrient is found in foods, folic acid is a B vitamin that is crucial in helping to prevent birth defects in the fetus's brain and spinal cord, known as neural tube defects. It may be hard to get the recommended amount of folic acid from the diet alone. For that reason, it is dedicated to preventing birth defects, recommends that a mother who is trying to have a child take a daily vitamin supplement containing 400 micrograms of folic acid per day for at least one month before becoming pregnant.

 

 

Folic acid is the most helpful during the first 28 days after conception when most neural tube defects occur. Unfortunately, you may not realize that you are pregnant before 28 days. Therefore, your intake of folic acid should begin before conception and continue throughout your pregnancy. Your health care provider or midwife will recommend the appropriate amount of folic acid to meet your individual needs.

 

 

Folic acid is a nutrient found in

 

 

• Some green leafy vegetables

• Most berries, nuts, beans, citrus fruits and fortified breakfast cereals

• Some vitamin supplement

 

 

 

Iron

 

Pregnant women require 27 milligrams of iron per day, which is double the amount provided by non-pregnant women. Additional quantities of the mineral are needed to create more blood, which will provide oxygen to the fetus. Anaemia, or a lack of iron, may develop during pregnancy, resulting in fatigue and an increased risk of infection.

 

When consuming iron-rich foods, having a good source of vitamin C at the same meal to improve iron absorption. Have a glass of orange juice with an iron-fortified cereal for breakfast, for example. 

 

 

 

Iron can be found in

 

• Meat, poultry, fish
• Dried beans and peas
• Iron-fortified cereal  

 

 

 

 

 

Calcium

 

 

This mineral is used to build a childs bones and teeth. If a pregnant mother does not consume enough calcium, the mineral will be drawn from the mother's stores in her bones and given to the child to meet the extra demands of pregnancy. Many dairy products are also fortified with vitamin D, another nutrient that works with calcium to develop the child's bones and teeth. 

 

 

During pregnancy you need 1,000 milligrams (mg) daily.

 

 

Milk sources

 

• Dairy products such as milk

• Calcium-fortified juices and food
• Leafy greens (kale, bok choy).

 

 

 

Protein

 

Protein is critical for ensuring the proper growth of your little one's tissues and organs, including the brain. It also helps with breast and uterine tissue growth during pregnancy. It even plays a role in your increasing blood supply, allowing more blood to be sent to your child.

 

Your protein needs increase during each trimester of pregnancy. It is recommended that protein intake during pregnancy should be even higher than some current recommendations. You’ll need to eat about 70 to 100 g of protein a day, depending on your weight and which trimester you’re in. Talk to your doctor to see how much you specifically need.

 

 

 

Good sources of protein include

• lean beef 
• chicken
• salmon
• nuts
• peanut butter
• cottage cheese
• beans

 

 

A healthy prenatal diet can be supported by a prenatal supplement. It can be difficult to reach the recommended amounts of nutrients through diet alone. That’s where a prenatal supplement comes in to ensure that you get important nutrients during pregnancy. 

 

 

 

Karihome Mama Milk

 

Karihome is a premium goat milk formula brand that is fully manufactured & imported from New Zealand. Karihome Mama Goat Milk Formula contains key nutrients required by pregnant and nursing mothers such as folate, calcium and DHA. Goat milk is gentler on the stomach and it provides complete nutrition for mothers and children.