Postings on Nutritional Guidelines in Pregnancy

Question: Describe about the Postings on Nutritional Guidelines in Pregnancy. Answer: Pregnancy is one of the stages in human life that makes women to be more vulnerable than other normal and stable individuals. The fact that an expectant woman carries an unborn child in her womb implies that she should always be keen on whatever she does ranging from food, physical exercises, and exposure to alcohol, allergies and smoke (Ferrari, Siega-Riz, Evenson, Moos Carrier, 2013). This is a time when the unborn child requires adequate attention because any slight deviation might result into teratogen that can seriously harm the health and wellbeing of the child. So, a pregnant woman should comply with the Australian Dietary Guidelines to help in choosing the right food to eat during the antenatal period. The entire pregnancy period requires adequate attention that should be continuously handled by a professional midwife. When it comes to foods, it is appropriate for a pregnant mother to be choosy. A proper nutritional pattern should always be formulated and stringently adopted. A pregnant woman should consume a right quantity of a balance diet that is composed of all the essential nutrients: proteins, vitamins, mineral salts and fatty acids (Netting, Middleton Makrides, 2014). These are important nutrients that can benefit the expectant mother and the unborn child. For instance, proteins, if included in the diet of a pregnant mother, can help in building the body of the mother and the unborn child. Adequate consumption of proteins during the first trimester can greatly benefit the embryo because this is the stage in which active cell division occurs. It is also advisable for a pregnant mother to consume food rich in minerals like iron and calcium because they can also help in protecting her from diseases like hypertension that might trouble her during this period (Ferrari, Siega-Riz, Evenson, Moos Carrier, 2013). At the same time, a pregnant mother should not forget to include vitamins in her diet. Vitamins are also essential in protection. A proper feeding strategy should be adopted during pregnancy because it helps benefits the mother and the embryo (Netting, Middleton Makrides, 2014). All the foods and drinks consumed during pregnancy provide the required nutrients for hormonal production and promotion of the survival and growth of the embryo that solely depends on the mother for nourishment (Ferrari, Siega-Riz, Evenson, Moos Carrier, 2013). As much as a pregnant mother should be encouraged to adopt healthy feeding habits, they should also be knowledgeable on certain foods that might jeopardize her own health and that of the child both before and after birth (Ferrari, Siega-Riz, Evenson, Moos Carrier, 2013). Topping the list of what is to be avoided by the pregnant mother is smoking, alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol, for example, can cause physical or mental deformity of the child (Netting, Middleton Makrides, 2014). Therefore, it should be incumbent upon an expectant woman to forego these substances during pregnancy (Talati, Bao, Kaufman, Shen, Schaefer Brown, 2013). At the same time, the pregnant mother should refrain from consuming refined carbohydrates and sugary foods because they can result into the development of candida (Netting, Middleton Makrides, 2014). Moreover, a pregnant mother should avoid taking medications because certain medicines can dangerously affect the embryo if transmitted through the placenta. Last, but not least, the pregnant mother should not use foods that can expose her and the unborn child to environmental toxins and allergies (Kramer Kakuma, 2014). Indeed, the midwives should play a significant role in advising pregnant women to follow these guidelines during the antenatal period. References Ferrari, R. M., Siega-Riz, A. M., Evenson, K. R., Moos, M. K., Carrier, K. S. (2013). A qualitative study of women's perceptions of provider advice about diet and physical activity during pregnancy. Patient education and counseling, 91(3), 372-377. Kramer, M. S., Kakuma, R. (2014). Maternal dietary antigen avoidance during pregnancy or lactation, or both, for preventing or treating atopic disease in the child. Evidenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Based Child Health: A Cochrane Review Journal, 9(2), 447-483. Netting, M. J., Middleton, P. F., Makrides, M. (2014). Does maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation affect outcomes in offspring? A systematic review of food-based approaches. Nutrition, 30(11), 1225-1241. Talati, A., Bao, Y., Kaufman, J., Shen, L., Schaefer, C. A., Brown, A. S. (2013). Maternal smoking during pregnancy and bipolar disorder in offspring. American Journal of Psychiatry, 170(10), 1178-1185.