subject: Eating For Two? [print this page] As an expectant woman, you might be constantly emphasized by grannies and the like to eat for two. True, the nutritional needs of a woman in pregnancy are increased and cannot be overemphasized. But the most recent from this field might come as a shock to you. According to the latest recommendations from the British National Institutes for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), women should not eat more food than normal until the last three months of pregnancy. Even in the last trimester, they should only have an extra 200 calories a day - the equivalent of two bananas. These recommendations are in light of the whopping numbers of women who are pregnant and obese, and become even fatter during pregnancy because they assume that they can 'eat for two'.
Health statistics relate an alarming increase in the incidences of still births, miscarriages and blood clots to being obese or overweight whilst pregnant. The chances of becoming overweight increases with each pregnancy, primarily because women keep piling up the baby fat that doesnt budge post child birth. Depending upon your body weight prior to pregnancy, you ought to follow healthy ways to achieve the desired weight during pre-conception and a proportionate weight gain during your pregnancy. But how you do go about achieving this?
Stick to a moderate exercise regime for about 30 minutes daily during pregnancy such as walking, swimming or other activities as suggested by your obstetrician. Religiously, follow the habit of eating a healthy breakfast for it would help you taking the day in a better way; refrain from indulging in binge eating. The first requisite to healthy eating is to know whats healthy and whats not. Secondly, you should also know about the number of servings to have of these healthy foods. In addition, certain supplements such as folic acid, vitamins, calcium and DHA are very important for the normal development of the growing fetus.
You must become aware of the sources of foods that will help you will help you to meet these additional requirements. To get abundant useful information on this topic as well as more topics relevant to pregnancy, parenting, nutrition and womens health, we invite you to read the article eating for two on our website, Indianwomenshealth.com. Moreover, you can ask questions that will be answered by our panel of experts on any topic related to pregnancy, parenting and health.
