Trimesterwise Tips for Expecting Moms

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 Having a life growing inside you is nothing less than a miracle! Experiencing the entire process month by month is simply astounding. But then pregnancy comes with its own challenges and complexities that are only experienced as the time flows in the 9-month course. This blog post offers you elaborate trimesterwise tips for expecting moms. Before we go into the pregnancy tips, let's have a quick look at the biological changes that take place during pregnancy. The First Trimester (First three months)

 Pic courtesy: http://www.pregmed.org/the-first-trimester-of-pregnancy

The fetus has started taking human shape with all the internal organs showing up. You will experience the following changes:

• You will feel your uterus has ascended above the pelvis region
• You will now feel less to no morning sickness and will put on weight. Ahh! This can give you mixed feelings!!
• The fetus has now evolved into a fully formed body with fingers, toes and ears, with the body covered with fine hair
• You can now press your stomach to feel your baby's movement 

The Second Trimester (3rd to 6th month)

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 By now your uterus has been steadily preparing itself for labour. You will experience the following changes:

• You will feel painless contractions known as the Braxton Hicks contractions
• Every week you will put on 1/2 kg of weight
• You may experience constipation and indigestion
• Your uterus has now risen 5cm above the pelvis
• By the 16th week, you can clearly feel your baby's movement

The Third Trimester (6th to 9th month)

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You are now in the last phase of your pregnancy and your baby has now fully grown. You will experience the following changes:

• Because of the consistent weight gain, you have now become breathless
• The movement as the baby's head drops to the pelvis -- you'll have a thud-like feeling
• The weight of your baby should be 2.7-3.5 kg
• You will experience difficulty in sleeping
• Your breasts will now start secreting transparent colostrum i.e. protein-enriched pre-milk
• Your placenta has now enlarged up to 20-25 cms and holds 1.1 ltr of amniotic fluid

TIMESTERWISE NUTRITION TIPS First Trimester (First three months)

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 Add Folic Acid to your pregnancy diet Folic acid/Folate is Vitamin B that plays an important role in the development of baby’s skull and brain including its spinal cord. What to eat -

• Vegetables such as spinach, ladies finger, broccoli, cabbage
• Pulses that include lentils, beans and chick peas
• Others include oranges, eggs, brown rice, baked potatoes, asparagus, corn, brown breads etc.

Tip - Do not cook the above veggies, as folic acid is lost during cooking, instead boil and have them. Add calcium to your pregnancy diet Someone on a public health forum had posed this question - "I don’t really like milk… is it such a big deal if I don’t get enough calcium while I’m pregnant?" And the collective response was a big YES. Calcium plays a crucial role in developing the baby's bones, teeth, muscles, nerves and heart. When the growing baby does not get the required amount of calcium then it starts extracting it from the mother's bones. Doctors recommend consuming 1,000 mg of calcium every day.  What to eat -

• Dairy products that ensure less to no fat such as low fat curd, skimmed milk
• Green leafy veggies such as cauliflower, broccoli and watercress (Jalkumbji)
• Dry fruits including almonds, apricots and figs (anjeer)
• Others include tofu, small fish with edible bones, cereals and oranges

Tip - The best way to confirm calcium usage is by consuming Vitamin D. So try to eat foods rich in Vitamin D such as boiled egg, asparagus, fish etc. Second Trimester (From 3rd to 6th month)

 

Pic courtesy: http://www.fitmommacleanbaby.com/

 Add Vitamin C to your diet Vitamin C helps in forming collagen. It is the most widely available protein in the human body, mostly the component of tendons, bones, cartilage and skin. What to eat –

• Citrus fruits including lemon, orange, grapefruits
• Other fruits such as pumpkin, pineapple, guavas, berries, kiwi
• Vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, sprouts, bell peppers

Add Omega-3 to your diet Since Omega-3 (DHA) helps in the development of nervous, immune systems and brain, so it becomes highly necessary for you to start consuming foods laden with omega-3 as you enter your second trimester.  What to eat -

• Salmon, flax seeds, soybean, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, spinach

Add magnesium to your diet Magnesium also largely helps in the development of baby's bones. What to eat -

• Seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower seeds
• Dry fruits such as avocado, almonds, raisins, cashews
• Vegetables such as legumes, kidney beans
• Other sources include banana, oatmeal, soybean and nuts

Third Trimester (From 6th to 9th month)

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In this trimester, the baby grows completely so the intake of nutrition also increases. Therefore, mom needs to have an extra of 2300 calories on a daily basis. What to eat - Try to consume 250ml of fruit juice on a daily basis. You should also consume low fat milk/yoghurt of the same quantity. Add wholemeal toasts with low fat cheese spread to your breakfast. And if you are a non-vegetarian then you should have 40gms of meat with raw vegetables regularly. So those were some trimesterwise tips for expecting Moms. Hope you found this post useful!