Being in good nutritional shape is the best way to start a pregnancy. If your diet has been less than ideal, start to improve your eating habits several months before you plan to become pregnant. Here are three good reasons why:
1. During the first few weeks after conception, your baby is going through rapid development and forming vital organs. Many of these changes will occur before you even know you're pregnant so it's best to be nutritionally prepared.
2. Eating well prior to
pregnancy helps prepare your body for the nutritional demands of building a baby over the next nine months.
3. Pregnancy has plenty of ups and downs so it's better to make diet changes beforehand. If you already have good eating habits in place, that's one less thing you have to think about.
Two must-have nutrients:
4. Folic acid protects against birth defects: One of the B vitamins, folic acid, plays a significant role in reducing the risk of your baby developing neural-tube defects, such as spina bifida. Since a baby's nervous system is developed very early in pregnancy, folic acid must be readily available in your diet prior to conception so it can do its important work.
5. Iron needs increase dramatically: Many women have depleted iron reserves in their body, and the demands of a developing baby and expanding blood volume will further drain any reserved iron they might have had stored. You can stay ahead of the problem by going into pregnancy with optimum iron reserves, and hopefully, avoid complications like anemia and fatigue.
A registered dietitian can help you plan a healthful diet that works for you and can give you hints for sticking to it.
