Decision for pregnancy is one of the most important decisions made during our lives. Proper nutrition is an important factor that guarantees a healthy and successful pregnancy. Therefore, a prepared body in terms of nutrients can considerably affect health of mother and fetus.
According to the State Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Nutrition Guide, all women are recommended to have a proper prenatal diet and reach to their normal BMI, between 18.5 to 25, before their pregnancy.
This guide gives some recommendations on observation of a proper, balanced and high quality diet containing all nutrients including vitamins and minerals, together with advises women should have folic acid for 400 μg three months before pregnancy to prevent borning a child with Neural Tube Defect (NTD). In case of anemia, they should have rich sources of iron such as yolk, meat and legumes.
Weight control is an important result of a proper nutrition. Researchers believe that your weight may be a reason for pregnancy problems. Therefore, you should try your best to heed your weight before your pregnancy. You should not be overweight or underweight. Either of these problems may make pregnancy more difficult for you. It is vitally important not to be on a diet during pregnancy. Diet may cause temporary deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals which you and the developing fetus need.
Some pregnancy supplements, including LADYMIL, which are based on milk and contain various kinds of vitamins like folic acid can be helpful to fulfill women’s prenatal needs.
Note: One of the important points worth considering is about having green tea at a time of making decision about pregnancy. Studies show drinking 1 or 2 cups of green tea the day before pregnancy increases the risk of giving birth to a child suffering from Neural Tube Defect (NTD) because of antioxidant inhibition effect of green tea on folic acid.