Eating for Pregnancy by Zita West

www.zitawest.com

I am delighted to be able to support Wellbeing of Women and the new Eating for Pregnancy service.

We now understand so much more from science about how your baby develops in the womb and the factors that can affect development. We also know from the work of Professor David Barker, that during early development (when your baby's organs are forming), there are certain windows of opportunity for development where certain organs undergo rapid periods of growth. At that time certain key nutrients are needed to maximise the potential growth of the heart, brain etc.

Eating correctly is so important especially prior to pregnancy. Your baby doesn't rely on what you eat in any one day but on your nutritional reserves. A good diet and sensible lifestyle from prior to pregnancy and into the first trimester will help lay the foundations for a good pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Good nutritional planning can reduce the likelihood of complications arising for mothers-to-be too, such as hypertension or gestational diabetes. And it can help to reduce common problems like pregnancy sickness, heartburn and constipation, as well as helping to improve your energy levels. It will also help to give your baby a better birth weight. Babies born with a low birth weight are at greater risk of ill-health and disease, whereas those with a good weight are likely to have a higher IQ and a better start to life.

Many factors will deplete you of vital nutrients during pregnancy. If you drink alcohol, if you smoke, or even if you are constantly stressed. If you can, try to make lifestyle changes prior to conceiving which will ensure you have adequate reserves of vital nutrients for pregnancy and the early development of your baby.

If you have just found out that you are pregnant make these changes straight away - it is never too late. Now that you are pregnant your body will become very efficient at absorbing key nutrients in pregnancy as long as they are made available.

Overweight/underweight issues

Check your weight. If you are overweight make changes to help you to loose weight but in a sustained and gradual way. Look at how much exercise you do. There are so many benefits to exercise in pregnancy - it will give you energy and help with circulation as well as preparing your body for labour and birth later on. Try to include gentle exercise in your day such as walking and swimming. If you are underweight or think you may have an eating disorder, you need support and help from your GP or midwife. You may be underweight as part of an underlying medical condition. Read more on weight issues in Planning Your Pregnancy.

Stress

How stressed are you? Everybody is programmed diffusely to deal with stress. A certain amount of stress is normal, but large amounts of stress may cause cortisol, a stress hormone to pass through the placenta which possibly could affect the way your baby will manage stress later on in life. Also from a nutritional point of view, if you are always stressed you will crave sugary foods for energy. So you need to look at how you manage stress. Self help techniques such as deep breathing, yoga and mediation can be very effective and plenty of rest and sleep are vital to ensure you stay relaxed and positive throughout your pregnancy.