Almost every woman sooner or later is faced with pregnancy and bearing a child. And every expectant mother wants to bear and give birth to a healthy child. A huge role in the development of the unborn baby is played by the mother’s lifestyle during pregnancy, including proper nutrition. A woman at this time is faced with many statements about what can and cannot be eaten and drunk by pregnant women. However, not everything that is said is true, so it is necessary to have a good understanding of the main statements.
A pregnant woman should eat for two
This statement is wrong. There is an additional dietary requirement for a pregnant woman, but this should be approximately 300 calories per day.
Excessive consumption of food, as they say “for two,” can seriously harm both the mother and the child.
Mom will gain excess weight, and the child during intrauterine development will simply reach a very large size, which will create big problems during labor.
A pregnant woman is strictly forbidden to drink coffee.
This statement is also not true. Of course, according to the studies carried out, it has been established that the immense (!) Drinking of coffee can cause a miscarriage, as well as lead to too little weight in the newborn, but for this you will have to drink coffee very often and in very large quantities.
But the absolutely safe dosage for the expectant mother is the amount of coffee drunk up to three cups a day (up to 300 mg of caffeine). Therefore, coffee lovers just need to try to divide that amount of coffee in small portions and not drink more than 120 ml at a time.
The hemoglobin level of a pregnant woman is always normal
It is completely wrong. With the onset of pregnancy, a woman’s hemoglobin level decreases. This is due to the fact that the blood volume increases and the needs of the growing fetus also increase. That is why the body of a pregnant woman must be fully provided with iron, with the help of additional intake of vitamins or foods containing iron in sufficient quantities:
- beets;
- beef;
- pomegranates;
- green apples and others.
It is also necessary to donate blood regularly so that the doctor can control the hemoglobin content in the blood, since anemia in pregnant women poses a serious danger to both the mother and the baby.
What a pregnant woman wants, so does the baby
Partially yes. Although this statement is not entirely true. Of course, the body of a pregnant woman is very smart and independently decides which vitamins it lacks in this interesting position. For example, if a pregnant woman is attracted to citrus fruits, moreover, to something specific, you should not deny her this desire, fearing to cause allergies in the unborn child. But if a woman during pregnancy strongly wanted … … vodka, then, of course, such a desire must be refrained from.
A pregnant woman is prohibited from drinking alcohol.
Definitely yes! Some women believe that the use of low-alcohol drinks in rare cases during pregnancy will not harm the unborn child, but this is a great misconception. Alcohol of even one drunk bottle of weak beer will instantly enter the blood of a pregnant woman and her baby and can cause a variety of problems in its further development. For example, it can damage the central nervous system or cause developmental delays.
You cannot believe the statements that half a glass of natural red wine will not harm a child – it will, and how!
It is important to remember that a woman during pregnancy is responsible for the future life of another person and take this with full responsibility.