Becoming pregnant is a great accomplishment, an important joyful step in a woman's life. It is also filled with anticipation, and a sense of attachment with the new child in the making. One key topic which seriously concerns soon-to-be-mums is nutrition and the kind of food they eat, should be eating, or should not be eating.
Elizabeth Muscat has been a midwife for many years and has also trained as a nutritionist to complement her professional skills. "Giving birth is a feat in itself but keeping a baby healthy within the womb for 40 weeks is also a huge responsibility, since a healthy pregnancy will provide the baby with a privileged start to life outside the womb," she says.
"We are fortunate to be living in a day and age when good food is affordable for most people, and nutritional information and advice is given out to mothers from varied sources, an important source being Parentcraft lessons for pregnant parents, which are held at Mater Dei Hospital."
The first most important piece of advice given to women planning a pregnancy is to maintain an ideal weight for their height, age and body type. "Very often we come across women who find it hard to become pregnant due to their obesity," Ms Muscat says. »
"Once they do become pregnant, overweight women tend to develop certain problems that complicate the pregnancy and may put their own and their baby's health at risk. Consider gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. Such risks compromise foetal health and obese women are more prone to have an operative delivery."
Elizabeth's point is corroborated by research which shows that pre-pregnancy factors and early life conditions are linked to the possible development of chronic non-communicable disease in the child's adult life, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other issues. Therefore, it is highly recommended that mothers care for themselves before becoming pregnant and throughout the pregnancy and ultimately aim to breastfeed for the first six months of a baby's life, where possible.
"Where weight gain is concerned, each food portion should be balanced between all food groups and regular hydration should be aimed for," Elizabeth explains. "When a woman holds a proper weight at the onset of the pregnancy, she should aim for a daily intake of 300 calories in addition to that recommended according to her BMI (Body Mass Index). Females who are underweight, very active or still in their teens will be advised to have a higher intake of calories to compensate.
"On the other hand, overweight women need to eat measured portions and follow nutritional recommendations so as to keep their weight gain under control. Having said that, dieting to lose weight is strictly prohibited during pregnancy. Ideally a woman's BMI should be taken at the very start of pregnancy, so that adequate nutritional advice can be given accordingly."
Are there foods to avoid? "Definitely one should avoid very fatty foods; fizzy drinks; sugary drinks; artificial sweeteners; caffeine; energy drinks; ginseng; soft cheese; liver and paté; shark; marlin and tuna (due to high mercury levels). Fresh or frozen food is always better than processed, packaged or tinned food, and preservative-laden foods are better avoided, as is alcohol which interferes with growth and the maintenance and repair of body tissues. Other no-nos are smoking and street drugs."
Speaking of supplements, pregnant mothers should follow professional guidance and only take recommended supplements such as Folic Acid, Omega-3 and Vitamin D, as prescribed. Supplements containing vitamin A are to be avoided. Creams containing Retinol (high in Vitamin A) typically found in anti-aging creams, anti-stretch creams and anti-acne creams should not be used during pregnancy. There are several other effective products on the market which are suitably indicated for use during pregnancy.
Learning how to prepare healthy meals is a task in itself but one which will accompany the mother through the rest of her life. Ms Muscat stresses that reading food labels as well as sticking to safe food handling is important for everyone in general but is especially important during pregnancy, since pregnant women are more susceptible to food poisoning. Cross contamination and food-borne illnesses can be avoided by keeping hands clean and following standard kitchen hygiene and appropriate food storage.
"This nutritional know-how will keep the mother and baby healthy also during the breastfeeding phase when the usual recommendations of eating five daily portions of fruit and vegetables, drinking water, limiting stimulants, sugars, fats and salts apply. Mums must remember to exercise and not diet to lose weight while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding will take care of weight loss over a number of months when good nutrition will help the new mum keep her body ship-shape."
Disclaimer: This article provides basic guidelines for a healthy pregnancy but is not meant as a substitute for personalised professional advice. Each pregnant woman should consult her doctor, gynaecologist, midwife and nutritionist for personalised nutritional and medical advice.
How to calculate your BMI
Your body mass index (BMI) is based on your height and weight. It is used as an indicator of possible health issues related to weight.
1. Measure your weight in kilos.
2. Measure your height in metres.
3. Multiply your height by itself, e.g. 1.55 x 1.55 and divide your weight in kilos by the result.
4. The resulting number is your BMI.
A normal prepregnancy BMI is 18.5-24.9. A person with a BMI of less than 18.5 is underweight. A person with a BMI over 24.9 is classified as overweight, with a BMI over 30 indicating obesity.
14 THINGS TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY
1. very fatty foods
2. fizzy drinks
3. sugary drinks
4. artificial sweeteners
5. caffeine
6. energy drinks
7. ginseng
8. soft cheese
9. liver, whether whole or as paté
10. shark, marlin and tuna, due to their high mercury levels
11. preservative-laden foods are better avoided
12. alcohol, as it interferes with growth and the maintenance and repair of body tissues
13. smoking
14. street drugs.