Pregnancy can be one of life's most exciting and fulfilling adventures. A healthy mom and healthy baby--that's the goal for every pregnancy. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes it requires intensive efforts by the mother, her physicians, her nurses, other health care givers, family members and newborn child's physicians.
Prenatal (before birth) health depends partly on Mom's health prior to pregnancy. Ideally, a woman achieves the ideal weight for her height before attempting to conceive. Women who are overweight during pregnancy risk diabetes and hypertension and are also more likely to suffer minor discomforts during pregnancy. Underweight women tend to have smaller babies. These infants are more likely to have difficulty during labor, delivery and the immediate newborn period. Recommended weight gain for pregnancy varies depending on the woman's pre-pregnant weight. A woman who is at her ideal weight at the beginning of pregnancy need only take in about 300 additional calories per day for a weight gain of about 30 pounds for the entire pregnancy (Healthy Pregnancy). .
While pregnant, the woman has specific nutritional needs. Additional calcium is needed for developing fetal bones. More calories are needed for fetal growth and for additional material energy to pump blood to the fetus. And her body must produce more blood for the placenta (the afterbirth which nourishes and provides oxygen to the fetus). This requires protein, iron and a very significant vitamin, folic acid. This vitamin is found in green leafy vegetables, dark yellow fruits and vegetables, liver, legumes and nuts. A lack of folic acid prior to and during early pregnancy has been linked to neural tube defects (open spinal column and other disorders). If the woman's diet lacks folic acid or if she has formerly had a child with a neural tube defect, she should seek advice from her physician regarding a folic acid supplement.