Pregnancy Food: Why Its So Important For You & Your Unborn Child.

Learning that they are pregnant is a wonderful occasion for most women and their partners. However, as responsible soon-to-be parents, they also need to be fully aware of the new responsibilities that now rest on their shoulders. There is already a baby forming within the mother's tummy, and this baby needs the correct pregnancy food throughout the gestation period to ensure that it develops normally and healthily, and is given the very best start in life.

So what is the best pregnancy food for a pregnant woman to eat? This can appear quite daunting at first but it really is quite straightforward and with a little research, pregnancy nutrition will become second nature to you!

The first thing to realise is that your baby is totally dependent on you for all his pregnancy food. Your baby will absorb all his essential nutrients from you in order for him to develop normally. Essentially your diet needs to be balanced and contain adequate levels of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fats. For example your baby requires adequate levels of calcium and vitamin D to ensure development of his teeth and skeleton. If your baby doesn't receive enough calcium in his diet, he can still absorb it from the mothers body, which can cause the mother possible osteoporosis later in life. Calcium and vitamin D can be obtained from milk, cheese and yogurts, and doctors recommend at least 5 portions a day while pregnant.

It may sound obvious but water is an essential element of your pregnancy food plan. Water will keep both mother and baby hydrated, and more importantly, will ensure that toxins are being flushed from the mothers system as required, which is important to the baby's health. Plenty water will also minimise the potential for haemorrhoids, as well as bladder infections and constipation.

Pregnant women are no different to the rest of us, in that they all love a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, especially if they are suffering from morning sickness. However this is not much good for the baby as all its doing is masking the hunger, and isn't delivering nutrients. A good alternative is some fresh fruit mixed with yogurt and natural cereal. It's also important to note that pregnant mothers should steer clear of artificial sweeteners as they can contain aspartame, which can be potentially harmful to your baby.

Seafood is another excellent pregnancy food, as it contains iron, protein, and omega 3 fatty acids, all which are fantastic for your baby's brain development. However be aware that certain fish should be avoided such as they can contain high levels of mercury which is harmful to the development of your baby's nervous system. Such fish include shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackeral

Eating the correct pregnancy food will ensure that you are giving your baby its best possible start in life. It's a simple thing to do, with a little research and some re-stocking of the kitchen shelves!