Since May has a large focus on mothers, we wanted to represent our local mothers by talking about nutrition and motherhood. Women’s bodies can do amazing things, from carrying a life, to bringing that life into the world, and, finally, nourishing that life. Throughout each of these stages, a good nutritional plan can help scaffold the already tough job of motherhood.
Baking that Baby
Pregnancy is one of life’s great mysteries. A woman’s body creates a human being inside her own body while essentially continuing on with her own life. Throughout this journey, nutrition can help shape a woman’s pregnancy as well as the development of the baby.
Because a woman’s body during pregnancy doesn’t digest foods the same way it usually does outside of pregnancy, being cognitive of what you eat during pregnancy can affect the symptoms of pregnancy as well as weight gain and avoiding the risk of gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
Foods like carbohydrates and sugars are foods to avoid because they are harder to digest during pregnancy and add to the feeling of lethargy that you may experience in the 1st and 3rd trimester. Also, eating a lot of sugar during your first two trimesters can raise the risk of getting gestational diabetes. Instead, focus on eating proteins and greens. Protein is a great source of fuel during pregnancy because of all of the extra work your body does creating that little miracle. Leafy greens and green vegetables are high in folic acid which helps with the neural development of the fetus during pregnancy.
Baby has arrived!
The bun is done baking and is now in the world. This is such a joy to have, but life changes drastically after baby shows up. Your body is put to the test with recovery from birth, less sleep, and sometimes breastfeeding, which causes the extra pressure of nourishing your child with your body. During the recovery period (about 6 weeks), nutrition takes a major role in living the best quality of life. Also, breastfeeding women are recommended an extra 500 calories a day, so making sure that those calories benefit you and your baby is extremely important.
Keeping a balanced diet is a great way to keep your energy up and make sure that you and your baby are healthy and taken care of. Add some fresh fruit to your protein and veggies. Eating fish like salmon is a great way to get omega-3’s. Just be weary of fish if you are breastfeeding because it is advised that breastfeeding women should avoid fish that are high in mercury such as Mahi Mahi and Lobster. Legumes are also a good way to get in your protein and fiber needs.
Body after Baby
Eventually, looking out for your nutrition is very important after having a baby. After breastfeeding and cutting out those extra 500 calories, keeping track of what you eat can help bounce back after baby. Make sure you cut out any bad habits and keep a balanced nutrition to keep up your energy and take care of yourself and that sweet baby.
Here at Superfit Foods, we have different plans that can meet your nutritional needs. Check out our four nutritional plans here.