Pregnancy Nutrition

How Eating Well Can Help During Pregnancy

There are a number of aches and pains that come with pregnancy.  While back in the day many doctors just brushed them aside and said that is part of pregnancy, now a days more and more doctors are recommending a well balanced diet to help.  Here are just a few pregnancy aliments that a good diet can help.

A common complaint during pregnancy is tooth and gum problems.  To help keep your teeth healthy and your baby's teeth healthy, make sure you get enough calcium and vitamin C.  Always keep some sugarless gum near you or chew on some nuts and cheese. 

It is also not uncommon for many women to feel dizzy or lightheaded during pregnancy especially if they have gone to long without eating. This is why it is so important to eat through out the day and snack also.  Keep your snacks as healthy as you can and stay away from junk food whenever you can.  These foods will give you a quick rush of energy but ultimately leave you feeling worse than you did before you ate them.  Keep yourself hydrated also.  Snacking and drinking will help boost your blood sugar and keep you hydrated which can help you fight dizziness.

Sometime during your second trimester, you may find yourself awakening in the middle of the night to leg cramps.   Leg cramps can come from not getting enough calcium.  Some say that the leg cramps implicate a shortage of magnesium while some say that dehydration can be the cause.  Either way makes sure you are getting enough calcium and magnesium.   If you suffer from leg cramps you might find it helpful to drink a glass of milk, or have a piece of cheese before you go to turn in to bed at night.  Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated also.

Swelling is another pain in pregnancy.  While severe swelling could be a sign of preeclampsia, there is a certain amount of swelling that is normal and healthy during pregnancy.  In fact more than seventy five percent of all pregnant women experience some sort of swelling.   The most common cause is too much water retention.  Staying away from salty foods and drinking extra water will help you keep the swelling to a bare minimum. 

Pregnancy is also a time where you skin might taken on the appearance of a teenager getting ready to hit puberty.    Some women suffer from dry skin, which can be cured by making sure you drink plenty of fluids to increase moisture.  If you have flakey skin, eat more omega-3 rich foods or seeds and nuts.  There are some people who suffer from some skin discoloration and too much blotchiness could be a folic-acid deficiency.  This is another reason why it is so important to make sure you are taking your prenatal vitamin.

Lastly, we have all heard about the great head of hair some women are blessed with during pregnancy since hormones prevent hair from falling out at its normal rate.  There are some women though who find that their hair is less than stellar during pregnancy.  This could be due to the lack of vitamins that you might be getting.  Through out pregnancy it is important that you get enough vitamin A, B and C.  Vitamin A will keep your hair and scalp healthy.  Vitamin B will help with your hair growth and vitamin C is needed for strength.  Make sure you are getting enough of this in your diet. 

Eating healthy throughout pregnancy does not only ensure your chances of a healthy pregnancy but it will also help you avoid some of the more uncomfortable aspects of pregnancy too.

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