Does nutrition status affect fertility? Good overall nutrition, rather thaneating any specific food, greatly improves your chances of conceiving a child. For women, nutrient deficiencies and low-calorie diets at one extreme, andobesity at the other, can disrupt ovulation.
Poor nutrition can also have animpact on male fertility. In order to get pregnant, doctors recommend that bothwomen and men eat healthy, exercise and keep a positive mental attitude toincrease chances of fertilization. Eating healthy, exercise and keeping apositive mental attitude are equally important during pregnancy and afterpregnancy. According to www. familyinternet. com, “carrying a baby for ninemonths and then providing it with breast milk afterward is a major nutritionalstress on a woman’s body.
Food intake increases only 15-20%, but requirementsfor specific nutrients such as folic acid, zinc, and certain B vitamins mayincrease by 30-100%. ” In addition, less than optimal nutrition can result inlow-birth weight babies with increased risk of heart disease andnon-insulin-dependent diabetes as adults. (www. childbirth-connections. com). Bothover-eating and under-eating can adversely affect the qualities and quantitiesof breast milk, which is explained further under Dietary Requirements DuringPregnancy.
During pregnancy, nutrients are passed from mother to fetus throughthe placenta, and after birth, through breast-milk. The main vitamins andnutrients needed by mother and fetus is explained in the chart below:Nutrient/Vitamin Amount Needed Benefit Source Protein Need for pregnant women isincreased by 10 to 15 grams daily (1 glass of milk contains 8 grams of protein). Forms structural basis for all new cells and tissues for both the mother andfetus www. tdh.
tx. us (Texas Department of Health) Carbohydrates 50-100 g/dailyPrevents ketosis, which, during pregnancy, can cause brain damage to the fetus. www. tdh. tx. us Pregnancy Life Stage Nutrient/Vitamin Amount Needed Benefit SourceFolate 400-800 micrograms daily Prevents anemia during pregnancy, may preventmiscarriage, preserves the integrity of genetic material, and lowers risk ofneural tube defects like spina-bifuda www.
familyinternet. com Calcium 1000-1500mg/daily Milk production and growing bones www. familyinternet. com Iron 30 mgbeginning 12th week of pregnancy Binds oxygen to hemoglobin and preventiron-deficiency anemia “Nutrition During Pregnancy”, National Academy ofSciences Vitamin D Adequate sun exposure, or 10 mg/daily for completevegetarians and 5 mg/daily for woman who don’t eat vitamin D-fortified foods(dairy products) Promotes fetal growth, bone formation, tooth enamel formationand the proper utilization of calcium www. familyinternet.
com Vitamin B-6 2-5mg/day during 1st & 2nd trimester, not to exceed 20 mg/day in the lasttrimester; higher doses may shut off milk production Manufacture of hormones,hemoglobin, neurotransmitters, many enzymes, and amino acids. www. familyinternet. com Vitamin E 200 IU Decreases risk of premature babies andlow-birth weight infants and may lower the risk of miscarriage. www.
familyinternet. com Vitamin A Follow the RDA of 2700 IU daily Provides babywith vitamin A reserves and sustains adequate breast-mil concentrations. www. familyinternet.
com Zinc 10-30 mg daily is sufficient and considered safe;excessive intake of zinc can lower HDL-cholesterol. Reduces risk of miscarriage,labor complications, neural tube defects and low-birth babieswww. familyinternet. com Food plays a major role in promoting a healthy life. However, during the pregnancy cycle, nutrition is of even greater importancebecause of the effects on both the mother and baby.
Many people have said that apregnant mother is eating for two, which in fact is correct. The mother needs acertain amount of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, water and fiber in thediet each day. Pregnancy Life Stage One suggested food plan, developed byFamilyWeb. com, suggests that during the first 2 to 3 months of pregnancy, awoman should try eating small amounts frequently throughout the day to keep theenergy higher. If the mother only eats larger amounts of food less frequently,she may experience discomfort due to her energy levels reaching highs and lows. The food plan also recommends that the mother eat raw vegetables, fruits,juices, milk, breads and cereals in between meals as a way to keep the metabolicrate and energy steady.
Each food group has recommended or suggested servingamounts for a pregnant woman. An outline of the serving amounts for each foodgroup is as follows: The Five Food Groups Suggested Number of Servings Fruitsand vegetables 4 or more Milk and dairy products 4 Meat, fish, poultry, eggs,dried beans, peas and nuts 3 or more Whole grains, enriched breads and cereals 9or more Fats and sweets Vary according to calories needed It is very importantthat, during pregnancy, that the mother eats the suggested amounts from each ofthe food groups in order to maintain a balanced diet and healthy nutritionalintake. The foods in each group all play a vital role in the diet because of thefollowing reasons: ? Fruits and Vegetables ? The foods in this groupcontain vitamins, minerals and fiber, which is a natural laxative and aids inthe regularity of the mother. ? Milk and Dairy Products ? This groupcontains calcium and other nutrients produce strong bones and teeth for themother and child. ? Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dried beans, peas, seeds,and nuts ? This group of foods is needed to supply protein needed to helpbuild new tissues and maintain the health of body cells. Pregnancy Life Stage? Whole grain or enriched breads and cereals ? Breads and cereal foodsprovide vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins and iron.
Whole grains andcereals provide essential elements such as zinc and also fiber. These foods aidin the production of energy. ? Fats and Sweets ? This of foods such asmargarine, butter, jellies and sugars are high in sugar, fat and salt. Theseshould be used to meet additional caloric needs after the basic nutritionalneeds have been met. Eating too much of these can crowd the other necessarynutrients. Furthermore, it is best to get vitamins and minerals from the foodseaten rather than from supplements because this is a good sign that the motherhas an adequate diet.
However, the doctor may prescribe supplements for iron andfolacin because of increased needs during pregnancy. Also, vitamin C aids in theabsorption of iron. By taking iron supplements with orange juice or such, themother may double and even triple the amounts of iron absorbed. Also, it isessential that the mother drink 6 to 8 glassed of water each day duringpregnancy in order to stay properly hydrated.
There have been stories ofpregnant women with cravings such as pickles and ice cream. Although this may betrue, it is fine to eat foods that the pregnant mother craves occasionally. However, she needs to remember the dietary and nutritional needs that otherfoods previously mentioned are essential to being a healthy mother and having ahealthy baby. (www. familyweb.
com). While eating the recommended diet a mothershould almost automatically gain the proper amount of weight. The recommendedamount of weight gain for the first trimester is 3-5 pounds. The recommendationfor the second and third trimester is one pound per week, which will leadPregnancy Life Stage to the recommended 25-35 pounds of total weight gain (ivillage. com).
It is suggested that women who are underweight should gain 28-40 pounds, womenwho are overweight should only gain 15-25 pounds, and women pregnant with twinsshould gain 35-45 pounds (women. com). The blood volume, breast and uterinetissue, amniotic fluid, baby, placenta, and fluid retention account for 10-15pounds of normal pregnancy weight gain (www. ivillage. com).
Weight loss orobesity during pregnancy is something that needs to be watched carefully. Someresearchers believe loss of weight during pregnancy causes ketones to beliberated into the women’s blood. They feel that the ketones may be toxic tothe babies developing brains. There is an easy way to measure ketone levels, bysimply using a dipstick to test the urine. You can find dipsticks, such asketostix at any drugstore. Obesity can cause various complications duringpregnancy.
Obesity, which is 20% or more overweight is associated with increasedchance of pregnancy problems, such as: ? Pregnancy-induced hypertension? Urinary tract infections ? Caesarian deliveries (women. com)Besides weight control, exercise is also very important during pregnancy. Activemothers who exercise will feel better. Outdoor exercise and recreation give youa chance to get sunshine and fresh air.
Walking is particularly good because itstrengthens some of the muscles you will use in labor. Some exercises such as,tailor sitting, the tailor press, the tailor stretch, spinal C-Curve, and thedeeply folded position are useful for strengthening muscles used in labor anddelivery. Another great exercise called the kegel exercise, better known as theinvisible exercise, is Pregnancy Life Stage designed to also strengthen pelvicmuscles. These exercises are all quite simple to do and should be done for a fewminutes each day during pregnancy.
Maintaining fitness levels while pregnantwill provide strength and stamina during labor, and help you get back into shapemore easily once the baby is born. Women who exercise before getting pregnantcan keep doing so during pregnancy. However, women must remember to alwaysconsult with their obstetrician or other health care provider before beginningany new or rigorous exercise/activity while pregnant. Last but definitely notleast, there are the social environmental effects of pregnancy.
Home life, worklife, school, family and relationships all can have positive or negative effectson a mother’s social environment. Due to the social effects of teen pregnancy,it is considered a negative social environment. Teens are generally not ready tohandle the nutritional and environmental needs during pregnancy. It is essentialthat a mother keeps and positive mental state and stress to a minimum, becauseif not, there are higher risks of miscarriages due to chemical reactions in thebody.
Stress can also lead to substance abuse and pregnant women should alsostay away from drinking alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. Because of damages provenby research, these habits have become socially unacceptable. Such ailments, likealcohol use are associated with premature birth, low birth weight, and increasedlabor complications. According to the Texas Department of Health, smoking womenare two times more likely to suffer a miscarriage than non-smokers and drug usecan be fatal to both the mother and child. Pregnancy Life Stage Summary Not onlyis it important to eat right, exercise and keep a positive mental state duringpregnancy. It is just as essential to be aware of the needs of a mother beforegetting pregnant.
Pregnancy is a stage in life, where lifestyle plays a vitalrole in promoting a healthy life for both a mother and a child. This is whywomen who become pregnant should contact their doctor immediately to startoptimizing their needs as well as the needs of the child. BibliographyNatal Care, The Pregnant Lifestyle. http://www.
familyweb. com/pregnancy/natal,2000Shanahan, Shelly, Nutririon and Weight. www. women. com, 2000.
Plumbo, Peg, WeightGain Reccommendations. www. ivillage. com, 2000. http://www.parentsplace.comhttp://www.babycenter.com http://www.familyinternet.com http://www.childbirth-connections.comhttp://www.familyweb.com
