PREGNANCY CARE I

PREGNANCY CARE I

Source  from Wikipedia:http://www.usda.gov/oc/photo/02cs2059.htm

The blood of the mother is the sole source of nourishment for the child and so should be kept pure and healthy by taking a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.

The following are some advises regarding the diet and other factors for the pregnant woman that helps to prevent any complications and aids the mother to have a normal delivery of a healthy baby:

1. A strict vegetarian diet is very important to be taken by the mother during the nine months of pregnancy; since it is a good source of minerals, vitamins, trace elements and enzymes which will favorably influence the growth and formation of the fetus. Most vegetables should be eaten raw in the form of a salad. Some vegetables, such as potatoes, yams and green beans can be taken cooked, steamed  or  baked. Vegetables containing an excess of oxalic acid, such as spinach (palak), rhubarb (revandchini) and cabbage should be boiled in water for around five minutes, before eating. The proteins in alfalfa, parsley and potatoes are comparable to the protein in milk in their biological value.

2. Garlic and onions contain sulphur and selenium, very important trace elements for the pregnant woman and so should be included in the daily diet.

3. All grains and seeds are rich sources of vitamins (especially vitamin E and B complex vitamins) and unsaturated fatty seeds and these should be had in the sprouted form since sprouting increases the nutritive value of the seeds. Wheat, mung, beans, alfalfa and soyabeans make excellent sprouts.

4. Soyabeans, buckwheat, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and peanuts all contain complete proteins of high biological value.

5. Roasted peanuts are taken with jaggery and cow or goat milk.

6. Almonds are of tremendous importance for the development and nourishment of the child's brain. Soak daily about ten almonds overnight in water and then the next day morning peel off the skin and then grind it into a paste with a few drops of water and take it daily, freshly made.

7. Foods rich in iron are very important to be taken daily. The  sources of iron are almonds, apples, apricots, avocados, bajra, bananas, beet root, Bengal gram, black berries, black currants, blackstrap molasses, brewer's yeast, cashewnuts, coriander leaves, drumstick (saijan ki phalli), dry dates, dried plums (also called as prunes), egg  yolk, figs (anjeer), fish, jaggery, jawar, kelp, legumes, lettuce, lintels, liver, meat, methi, nuts, parsley, peaches, pears, pistachios, pumpkins, radish leaves, raisins, rice, sesame seeds, soybeans, spinach (palak), sprouted grains, strawberries, watermelon and whole wheat.

8. Fruits are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and enzymes and are easily digested and have a cleansing effect on the blood and the digestive tract. Dried fruits should be pre-soaked before eating. Fruits are best eaten for breakfast or as a snack between the meal times.

9. Calcium is another important mineral for a growing fetus. It helps in the development of eyes and the skeletal system and so low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt should be taken daily.

10. Other calcium-rich foods are almonds (unblanched), asparagus, beans, brewer's yeast,

11. Brazil nuts, cereals fortified with calcium, citrus fruits, figs (anjeer), fish (like mackerel, salmon, sardines and shellfish), green leafy vegetables (like blackstrap molasses, broccoli, cabbage, chick-peas, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, etc.;  except spinach), lime, oats, peanuts, peas, prunes (dried plums), sesame seeds, soybean, sunflower seeds, tofu, wheat and whole-grain cereals.

12. Thyme tea speeds up delivery.