Nutrition in Pregnancy

To eat well during pregnancy, you do not need to know by heart the recommended intake for each nutrient to the nearest mg: a varied diet meets the needs of pregnant women. That said, we must be attentive to more essential to the development of the fetus and certain foods can help you nutritional needs. This applies even after childbirth, even if they are not the same needs.

Nutritional needs during pregnancy
The different nutritional needs of a woman increases with pregnancy. While it is important to know all dieticians and nutritionists like to remind that these needs can be covered easily in a balanced and varied diet.

A pregnant woman who is three meals a day and taking a snack to avoid the famous cravings (which are not systematic in all pregnant women) can meet their nutritional needs while respecting the basic rules of good nutrition :

- Do not remove food and even less food groups
- To vary as much as possible sources of protein and carbohydrates
- Do not abuse the sugary and fatty products

During pregnancy, however, there are specific needs that you need to pay more attention to you, especially for the development of your baby:

- Folic or "folate" acid

- Iodine
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B12
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Omega 3
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Iron
This is why certain foods are particularly recommended during pregnancy.


Recommended foods for pregnant women 

• Folate. You cover your needs folate by eating enough fruits and vegetables every day. As for other specific needs of pregnancy, the more you will change your diet and you will be sure to follow all the contributions. Some foods contain more folate than others like spinach for vegetables and melons for fruit. But you also find in salads including chews, avocados, oranges, bananas, kiwis, beets, as well as lentils and chick peas, whole grains, eggs. 

• Iodine: Your needs will be covered in iodine if you eat seafood, shellfish and fish fairly regularly. Among the most interesting fish there cod, whiting, tuna, salmon and sardines. You can also use iodized salt instead of regular salt.

• Vitamin A: Vitamin A is found in fruits and vegetables orange color and also in eggs.

• Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is mainly found in red meat and white as well as in fish meat.

• Magnesium: To cover your needs magnesium (400 mg per day), especially in the last quarter, think magnesium-rich waters, dark chocolate, almonds and more generally the pulses and green vegetables are good sources.

•  Zinc: Zinc is present in the diet and it is easy to cover its needs. A good source that comes to mind less often: oilseeds.

• Omega 3: Omega-3 found in fish and certain vegetable oils.

• Vitamin D: Vitamin D is harder to find in the diet, which is why we often recommend that pregnant women take supplements, however, salmon and tuna contain.

• Calcium: Consuming at least three dairy products a day, you are able to cover your calcium needs (which are relatively high at the end of pregnancy).

• Iron: Good sources of iron are mainly meat and fish, and legumes such as lentils.

A balanced diet gives you everything that easily because the foods mentioned are also rich in other essential nutrients. Taste, often recommended to pregnant women by professionals is the perfect opportunity to get your fill of calcium, be it with a glass of milk or yogurt, in addition to calcium absorbed breakfast and cheese at the end of a meal.

Nutrition after childbirth 
Nature is done well, during your pregnancy, you had to increase your daily caloric intake and when you gave birth, breastfeeding helps you lose the pounds of pregnancy. It is important not to deprive yourself during breastfeeding for the baby and for you to stay in shape.

Your nutritional needs, which had increased during pregnancy, now declining but it is important to continue to eat well to cover some basic needs during this period:

- calcium
- Vitamin D
- iron
- iodine