Nutrition During Pregnancy, By: Hugo Rivera
Nutrition becomes even more important than ever before during these 9 months. You health and that of your baby depend on it. Do you know that the following conditions are caused by a lack of good nutrition during pregnancy?
1)Anemia (which is caused by lack of protein and vitamins in the diet).
2)Miscarriage.
3)Babies born with brain damage, low intelligence, below average birth weight, and low immune systems.
4)The afterbirth can break loose in the uterus before labor begins, a condition that causes internal bleeding in the mother and can cause the death of the baby (50% of the babies die).
5)Metabolic Toxemia (disease caused by lack of protein and vitamins) which can cause death to both the mother and the baby.
Therefore, continue to follow the nutrition guidelines discussed in previous articles. In addition, keep the following points in mind:
1)It is more important than ever to remain hydrated throughout the day. Drink plenty of water especially before, during and after exercise. Remember that water not only helps in flushing out bad toxins out, but it is also used by the body as a coolant in order to keep the body temperature down.
2)This is no time to be preoccupied with losing weight. Attempting to starve during this period will ensure that your baby does not get all of the necessary nutrients that he/she needs in order to be born strong and healthy. In order to avoid excessive weight gain, due to fat storage while still properly nourishing your baby, take the amount of calories that you are currently taking in (See Appendix A) and add an additional 300 calories per day (remember to follow the ratios recommended in Chapter 5). If after two weeks you see that you are losing weight, add an additional 300 calories. Remember, don’t panic if you start gaining more weight than anticipated. This is a normal part of the pregnancy process. As long as you are eating good foods, there is nothing to worry about. Besides, by remaining active during this period, as soon as you have the baby, you will begin to get back to normal very fast.
3)Absolutely no diet pills during this period, even if they claim to be "all natural". Most natural diet pills are made up of caffeine (in its standardized herbal form Guaranna) and ephedrine (in its standardized herbal form MaHuang). Both of these substances, which are far from being "natural", not only suppress your appetite and give you an unnatural energy boost , as they stimulate your nervous system, but they also increase your resting heart rate and body temperature, the two things that we are trying to avoid at all costs. In addition, lets remember that whatever you ingest is ingested as well by the baby. It would be impossible to determine what kind of effects these substances would have in the development of your baby, especially in the first trimester when the heart, brain and nervous system are just beginning to develop. So please, no diet pills, even if they claim to be "all natural" during these 9 moths. The risks are not worth it.
4)Another type of drug to be aware of are diuretics or water pills. These pills dehydrate you and as a result your body temperature will go up (one of the things that we need to avoid). Unfortunately, in an effort to reduce the normal swelling that occurs during pregnancy due to water retention, some doctors prescribe these drugs. These drugs are dangerous and harmful to yourself and your baby. The following are some of the side effects that these drugs produce:
a) Diarrhea (which leads to dehydration).
b) Dizziness.
c) Nausea and Vomiting.
d) Headache.
Even while eating a healthy diet, swelling is a natural part of pregnancy. If the swelling on your feet is bothering you too much, lie down on the sofa and raise your feet above your head. You can repeat this procedure several times a day. It should help to reduce the swelling. Therefore, no matter who recommends diuretics, DON’T USE THEM!
For more information on nutrition during pregnancy, go to the following web site address: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dr_john/brewer.htm
In this address, there is an excellent article written by Doctor Tom Brewer on the subject. Dr. Brewer has been working with pregnant women in a Contra Costa County clinic in Richmond, California, since 1963. He has carried on a program of nutrition education in the prenatal clinic serving lower income mothers who have learned how to protect themselves and their unborn babies from the nutritional complications of pregnancy. (He has reported a very low rate of premature or "low birth weight" babies born to women and girls in his nutrition education project.)
Doctor Tom Brewer received his medical training at Tulane Medical School, New Orleans, Louisiana, and completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida. He practiced over ten years in the South studying the effect of malnutrition and poverty on pregnant women and on their babies. He is the author of a number of scientific papers in national medical journal here and abroad on the subject of pregnancy nutrition. He is the author of the book, Metabolic Toxemia of Late Pregnancy: A Disease of Malnutrition, Chas. C. Thomas, Publisher, Springfield, Illinois, 1966.
