Nutritional Tips for Mother-to-be, Mother and Infant

What to Eat While you are Pregnant

A pregnant woman should not diet. Baby needs a certain amount of nutrition to grow and thrive. She needs to eat 300 extra calories per day. These calories are the amount of energy supplied by the carbohydrates, protein and fats in foods. But these calories should be from nutritious foods, not empty calories.

Protein is made up of the most important building blocks that will make your baby. Pregnant mother-to-be should have no fewer than 60-75 grams of protein per day. This would equal three servings. These can include: milk, cheese and cottage cheese, eggs, yogurt, tuna and sardines, seafood, salmon and other fresh fish, poultry and meat.

Pregnant women need an adequate and continuous supply of iron for both themselves and baby. The daily recommended intake of iron is 27 mg. Some foods rich in iron include iron-fortified cereals, spinach, dried beans, peas, potatoes, lentils, dried apricots, oatmeal and lean red meat. Your practitioner should inform you if you need an iron supplement.

Iron can block the body’s absorption of zinc. Zinc is essential for the development of your baby’s brain and nervous system. Therefore, mom-to-be needs to eat zinc-rich food, such as fish and wheat germ, separately from iron-rich food. The daily recommended intake of zinc is 11 mg.

Remember to always take your prenatal pills. These will have a basic supply of what you need for the day. But they will not be sufficient alone. It must be supplemented with a good diet of healthy foods as well. Friut, vegetables, lean meat and whole grains are very important. Water and drinks that have no caffiene should be consumed liberally. Drink at least 12 cups of water a day.

Eat wild salmon frequently – brain development is going on like crazy for your baby now. It is also needed for lung surfactant. But it’s not just omega fatty acids – you have to eat the fish. Many grocery stores sell frozen fillets of wild salmon at a reasonable price. If you can not find wild salmon or it is too expensive, eat farmed salmon.

Nursing

Feels strange doesn’t it? So many receptors in our brain for that event have been growing in you while you were pregnant. Oxytocin stimulation is changing your behavior – making you into a good mom. Give in to that happy clam feeling and don’t let your rational smart brain interfere with the normal day to day. Take lots of video, as I think this time really doesn’t allow for memory making – maybe because of the other things going on biologically. Small frequent meals may help you fell less emotional. Drink decaf tea but give up coffee for a month or two……

Keep breast feeding if you can or pump and feed breast milk from the bottle. Avoid formula if you can for the first three months until the intestinal tract is a better barrier. Drink lots of liquid and pump. Formula will change the epithelia of the intestinal tract. Continue eating salmon. The blood brain barrier: brain development is still in full swing up to three months after birth.

Some tips

One should plan on feeling a bit blue and this is natural. Don’t skimp on the salmon as this may help that feeling. Your breast must supply fat for your baby and unfortunately the richest source is your brain! There has been some research suggesting depression postpartum may be linked to this but the evidence is sparse. Unfortunately, most of 21st century women don’t eat enough fish. So when our babies develop they steal the smaller amount we have.

Minimize your corn and safflower oil intake and avoid margarine. Switch to olive oil.

Take naps when the baby does; just drop into his little circle of life. Your brain will help you stay connected to him, hear him, respond to him – but try not to feel anxious. Let your biological reflexes take over. You’ve got two million years of reproductive development behind you.

Definitely don’t worry about any messes or cleaning. It is not going anywhere. Maybe dad or a friend can help out. Always accept help when it is offered. Someone coming over to visit the baby will not mind picking up some lunch on the way and will actually appreciate being able to be helpful. Feel free to allow neighbors to walk to dog – just offer a leash and a plastic bag. When baby is older, Doggy will be happy to join you on your walk down the street.

If you have to go anywhere, remember to do a lot of handwashing and infection control until he’s at least 6 weeks. I would only let persons living with you hold him. Especially, don’t you get sick – as you might give it to him. A friend’s baby got a cold at less than 6 weeks, they went to the hospital and doctors insisted on a spinal tap – horrible..

What you need to feed your older baby

Until the baby’s sixth month most nutritional requirements are filled by breast milk or formula. After this time, however, baby’s dietary needs will be supplemented by other sources. By 9 months baby will be eating a variety of foods to make meal time more fun and nutritious. Meat is a good source of protein, iron and zinc. Protein is very important since it is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of which your baby is made. Baby needs about 1.5 grams of protein per 1 kilogram of body weight. This can be most easily supplied by straight potted meat and eggs (when they are introduced). Baby should eat a high iron fortified cereal each day.

 

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