There are a lot of things in life we gamble on. We gamble we will win the raffle when we buy tickets. We gamble that we can earn a living at the new job we accepted. We gamble we can still be on time even when we wait until the last minute to leave the house. But the one thing you would never gamble on is the health of your children. This is true even before they are born. Increasing your chances for a healthy baby is done, not with the roll of the dice, but with careful planning and attention to prenatal nutrition. What you want is the best odds. Pregnancy diet plans give your baby the best chance for a healthy beginning.
No Chances
No mother-to-be is willing to take a chance on her baby’s health. This means following a program that gives the best odds. Pregnancy diet plans provide the extra nutrition and calories needed by your body and the baby. It is important to eat the right calories and limit weight gain to only what is necessary for the baby’s growth. How much you should eat depends on several factors.
- How active you are throughout the day
- Whether you do moderate exercising
- How much you weigh before the pregnancy
- What trimester your pregnancy is in
- Whether you are carrying more than one baby
Your best odds pregnancy diet will focus on maintaining a healthy weight throughout the pregnancy. It will also have the goals of eliminating chances of low birth weight, poor immune systems, underdeveloped nervous systems and diet related birth defects.
Odds And Ends
Maintaining a healthy diet that increases the odds of a healthy baby involves a lot more than understanding what you should eat. You know you should get enough folic acid, calcium and vitamins. But you must also know what to avoid eating or drinking to prevent problems. To increase the best odds, pregnancy diet plans include warnings about foods that might cause problems.
- Don’t eat fish that may have high levels of mercury, such as mackerel
- Don’t drink alcohol because it can cause the baby to be born underweight or even have a form of brain damage
- Limit caffeine intake
- Never eat undercooked or raw food
It is critical during pregnancy that foods that can carry food borne illnesses be avoided. Undercooked meat, raw fish such as sushi and raw eggs should never be eaten while pregnant. Illnesses from these foods can cause fever, vomiting and diarrhea and can directly affect the health of your unborn baby. When you are pregnant, you can be more susceptible to the illnesses these foods can carry and your response will be compounded by the pregnancy.
Your best odds pregnancy diet will cover all the odds and ends of nutrition that equate to a healthy pregnancy and baby.