Nutrition in pregnancy - What supplements are reasonable?

Every woman needs to pay attention to her diet during pregnancy scientifically to have a healthy pregnancy.

- Diet in the first 3 months. 

- Diet in the middle 3 months. 

- Diet in the last 3 months. 

- Some important notes about nutrition when carrying pregnancy.

Diet in the first 3 months

This is the formative stages AGENCIES, INSTITUTIONS of pregnancy unborn as the spinal cord, brain, heart, lungs, liver ... pregnant women should be continuously provided 

foods rich in protein such as eggs, milk, meat, beans.

Divide food intake into several small meals during the day to reduce the feeling of morning to ensure adequate nutrition to baby grow.

Proper nutrition, overcoming morning sickness to achieve weight gain consistent with pre- pregnancy status (normally 1kg gain ).

Iron-folic acid supplements/multi- micronutrient tablets:

In addition to the full complement of nutrients in the diet, mothers need to take supplements of iron-folic acid / cubes of substances to prevent anemia and reduce the risk of children with deformities.

Dosage

+ Take 1 tablet per day during pregnancy to 1 month postpartum. Each tablet contains 60mg of iron and 400mcg of folic acid.

+ If women with fetal anemia: should drink as directed by your doctor.

Note:

Taking iron-folic acid tablets can cause some side effects such as constipation and nausea but are not harmful and usually go away after a few weeks. To reduce the discomfort caused by the side effects of the drug, it is recommended to take the medicine at a certain time ; eat more vegetables and fruits and drink lots of water.

Diet in the middle 3 months:

This is the FAST DEVELOPMENT of pregnancy, so it is necessary to increase the energy response for the mother during pregnancy.

• The mother's diet in the second trimester should increase by 250kcal/day (equivalent to 1 bowl of rice and reasonable food). 
• This is the stage of bone development and height of the child, so the mother should pay attention to eating foods rich in calcium and zinc such as shrimp, crab, eggs, milk, and seafood.

Make sure you get enough calcium:

Ensure adequate supply of 1200mg / day, so in addition to the usual diet, it is necessary to add 6 units of milk / day.

1 serving of milk and dairy products provides 100mg of calcium, equivalent to:

- 1 piece of cheese weighing 15g

- 1 box of yogurt 100g.

- 1 cup of liquid milk 100ml (liquid milk can be fresh milk, pasteurized milk or powdered milk).

Diet in the last 3 months

• 
  This is the Fetal Phase DEVELOPING THE FASTEST WEIGHT, so the mother needs to ensure adequate nutrition,

diversifies type of food to meet the needs of the fetus.  

• The mother's diet in the last 3 months should increase 450kcal/day  

Increase the variety of foods: in addition to eating enough rice, the mother's meal needs to add protein and fat to help build and develop the baby's body.  

Should try to use milk and milk products so that it reaches 6 units of milk/day as in the second trimester of pregnancy (equivalent to 600mg of calcium including: 2 pieces of cheese, 2 boxes of yogurt and 200ml of milk/day)

Some important notes about nutrition during pregnancy:

1) Food and drink should be limited:

• Absolutely no smoking, drinking alcohol, stimulants.
• Reduce your intake of spices such as chili, pepper, and garlic.
• Limit coffee and industrially processed foods during pregnancy .
• Reduce salt intake for mothers with edema, hypertension or pregnancy toxicity to avoid complications during delivery.

2) Do not be too abstinent:

Pregnant women should not eat only a few foods or eat too many acidic or spicy foods..., because it is easy to cause malnutrition for both mother and fetus. Breakfast food should be diversified with many different types of food (should be at least 10 foods / 1 meal).

3) The use of drugs during pregnancy should be especially careful and must comply with the instructions of medical staff.