12 Kinds of nutrition for pregnant women that must be fulfilled for 9 months

Apart from routine pregnancy checks, the health of pregnant women must also be maintained through adequate food intake. Not only that, food intake that meets daily nutritional or nutritional needs also helps pregnant women optimize fetal development.

So, what is the list of nutritional needs or nutrients that need to be good and important to be consumed by pregnant women for the health of their bodies and the prospective babies in the womb?

What nutrients do pregnant women need?

In order for mothers and babies to stay healthy during pregnancy until delivery, ensure that all of the mother's daily nutritional needs are met properly.

Well, here are a variety of nutrients or nutrients that mothers need during pregnancy:

1. Protein

Protein is a nutrient for pregnant women which is essential for repairing damaged tissues, cells and muscles.

In addition, protein is also a nutrient for pregnant women which contributes to increasing blood supply to the body.

Especially during pregnancy, the body of pregnant women needs to produce blood in twice as much as usual.

Adequate protein intake also supports optimal fetal growth and development, especially brain development.

Food for pregnant women to meet protein needs can be processed from beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, nuts, and seeds.

According to the Nutritional Adequacy Rate (RDA), pregnant women are advised to consume protein as much as 61-90 grams (gr) per day depending on the trimester of pregnancy in order to meet their daily nutritional needs.

The protein requirement for pregnant women in the first trimester is around 61 grams, 70 grams in the second trimester, and 90 grams in the third trimester.

2. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are nutrients for pregnant women that are very important to supply energy to the body.

Once digested in the stomach, carbohydrates are converted into glucose, which is the body's main source of energy.

Sufficient body energy can in turn accelerate metabolism and prevent pregnant women from getting tired and weak during their activities.

Glucose intake is also a nutrient or nutrients for pregnant women that are important for the fetus to support the process of growth and development in the womb.

Pregnant mother's carbohydrate needs differ depending on age and trimester of pregnancy. For pregnant women aged 19-29 years need 385 grams of carbohydrates in the first trimester and 400 grams in the second trimester to the third trimester.

Meanwhile, if pregnant women aged 30-49 years, carbohydrate intake of 365 grams in the first trimester and 380 grams in the second and third trimester.

However, choose the type of complex carbohydrates that are digested slower by the body so as not to spike blood sugar too drastically.

Brown rice, whole wheat bread, and potatoes are much better than white rice, noodles and white bread so that the nutrition needed by pregnant women is still well fulfilled.

3. Fat

Fat is not always bad for the body, including in meeting the nutritional or nutritional needs of pregnant women.

In fact, fat is part of the nutritional intake of pregnant women (pregnant women nutrition) that must be fulfilled daily.

Fat is important to support fetal growth and development throughout the trimester of pregnancy, especially for the development of the brain and eyes.

Apart from being a nutrient for pregnant women, adequate fat intake also serves to meet the energy needs of the mother and the fetus during normal labor.

Fat is also needed as a nutrient or nutrition for pregnant women to maintain the condition of the placenta and amniotic fluid for 9 months of pregnancy.

The rest, fat is used to enlarge uterine muscles, increase blood volume, and to enlarge breast tissue in preparation for later breastfeeding.

So that fat needs are met, pregnant women aged 19-29 years are advised to consume about 67.3 grams and pregnant women aged 30-49 years consume 62.3 grams per day.

Choose sources of nutrition for pregnant women that contain healthy fats, such as salmon, avocado, and nuts.

Avoid sources of trans fat from foods such as fried, fast food, and packaged or canned foods.

4. Fiber

The nutrients in the diet of pregnant women that are rich in fiber help control blood sugar levels and avoid the risk of gestational diabetes.

The intake of these nutrients also helps to maintain a healthy weight for pregnant women by making the stomach full for longer.

In addition, nutrition for pregnant women that contain fiber can help maintain digestive health. During pregnancy, expectant mothers are prone to experience constipation in the early trimester.

Fiber helps smooth bowel movements to move food scraps up to the anus for disposal during bowel movements.

Fiber also helps compact the stool so that more waste is wasted at once.

Pregnant women can consume fiber by eating foods such as green leafy vegetables, oatmeal, and nuts such as almonds.

According to the Indonesian Nutrition Adequacy Rate, the recommended daily fiber consumption to meet the nutritional adequacy of pregnant women varies according to the mother's age and gestational age.

Fiber nutritional needs for pregnant women aged 19-29 years, namely 35 grams in the first trimester and 36 grams in the second and third trimester.

In contrast to pregnant women aged 30-49 years, in the first trimester, they need 33 grams of fiber, then in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy they need 34 grams of fiber..

5. Iron

Iron is one of the nutrients for pregnant women that is very useful for increasing blood supply, citing the American Pregnancy Association.

Iron itself functions to make red blood cells.

As previously explained, the mother's body requires twice as much blood supply as before pregnancy.

In addition to accommodating changes in the body itself, the fetus in the womb also needs to receive a supply of blood, oxygen and nutrients to support its growth and development process.

So, the demand for more fresh blood supply is directly proportional to the mother's iron needs by two times.

Meeting the needs of iron by consuming proper nutrition for pregnant women can prevent women from anemia.

Iron can also prevent premature birth and low birth weight (LBW).

According to the Nutritional Adequacy Rate table, pregnant women aged 19-49 years need 9 milligrams (mg) of iron in the first trimester and 18 mg in the second to third trimester.

Iron nutritional needs for pregnant women will increase as gestational age increases.

To meet your iron needs, you can get iron from lean red meat, chicken, fish, kidney beans, spinach, cabbage, and other green vegetables.

Eating lots of foods or drinks high in vitamin C can help absorb iron in the body.

However, you should not take them together with foods and drinks that are sources of calcium.

The reason is, calcium can slow down the absorption of iron in the body.

6. Folic acid

Folic acid is a nutrient for pregnant women that is very important from the time of planning a pregnancy.

Folic acid can help prevent the risk of birth defects in babies due to neural tube defects and abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord.

In addition, folic acid can also help prevent miscarriage, premature birth, and anemia during pregnancy.

Generally, folic acid needs can be obtained from additional supplements or prenatal vitamins for pregnant women.

However, you can also meet the nutritional needs of pregnant women that contain folic acid from food, such as:

• Green vegetables (spinach and broccoli for example)
• Orange
• Lemon
• Mango
• Tomato
• Kiwi
• Melon
• Straoberi
• Nuts
• Cereals and breads that have been fortified with folic acid

According to the Mayo Clinic, mothers need about 400-1000 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid per day before and during pregnancy.

7. Calcium

Nutrition for pregnant women that is no less important is calcium. During pregnancy, the body of pregnant women needs a lot of calcium to support the growth of fetal bones and teeth.

The fetus will take its calcium needs from the reserves in the mother's body. If you can't get enough calcium, you are at greater risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.

This is because calcium intake as an important nutrient that is lost during pregnancy is not fulfilled properly.

Calcium for pregnant women can also help prevent women from getting preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy).

Nutritional needs or calcium nutrition for pregnant women can be met by consuming milk, yogurt, cheese, calcium-fortified orange juice, almonds, salmon, spinach, broccoli, and others.

This is an important nutrient for pregnant women to consume every day.

Pregnant women aged 19-49 years are advised to meet their calcium needs as much as 1200 mg of calcium per day during pregnancy.

8. Vitamin D

Another important nutrient for pregnant women is vitamin D. Vitamin D is a nutrient for pregnant women that helps the absorption of calcium.

Vitamin D is also needed by pregnant women to help the growth of fetal bones and teeth.

Mothers can get natural vitamin D from the morning sun (below 9 am) and evening.

It is enough to sunbathe for about 15 minutes per day to get this important nutrient intake during pregnancy.

In addition, vitamin D can also be obtained from food sources, such as milk, orange juice or fortified cereals, eggs, and fish.

Pregnant women are advised to eat high foods vitamin D as much as 15 mcg per day.

9. Choline

Choline is a very important nutrient for pregnant women. This one nutrient helps maintain the health of the mother's bones and prevents high blood pressure during pregnancy.

In addition, choline is also needed to help prevent babies from birth defects or problems with the brain and spine.

Choline consumed every day by pregnant women helps improve fetal brain development in the womb.

You can get choline from eggs, salmon, chicken, broccoli, and others.

Choline nutritional needs for pregnant women aged 19-49 years are as much as 450 mg per day.

10 Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a nutrient for pregnant women which is important to help the body absorb iron.

In addition, vitamin C can also help maintain endurance, maintain healthy bones and teeth, and maintain healthy blood vessels and red blood cells.

You can increase your vitamin C intake by eating oranges, lemons, mangoes, kiwi, melons, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes and potatoes.

Needs vitamin C for pregnant women aged 19-29 years which is as much as 85 mg per day.

11. Iodine

Iodine or iodine is needed during pregnancy to maintain the health of the thyroid gland.

Iodine is a mineral that is also needed to support the growth and development of babies in the womb and is important for consumption as nutrition for pregnant women.

Iodine is necessary for the development of the baby's brain and nervous system, as well as to prevent miscarriages and stillbirths (stillbirth).

Iodine is a nutrient for pregnant women which is also important to prevent stunting, mental disabilities and hearing loss (deafness) in babies.

You can get iodine from food sources such as cod, yogurt, cottage cheese, potatoes, cow's milk, and others.

Pregnant women aged 19-49 years need 220 mcg of iodine intake per day from the first trimester to the third trimester.

12. Zinc

Zinc is a nutritional intake for pregnant women that helps fetal brain development.

In addition, zinc is a nutrient that helps the growth and repair of new body cells and helps produce energy.

Zinc can be obtained from food sources such as red meat, crab, yogurt, whole grain cereals, and others.

Needs zinc for pregnant women aged 19-49 years is 10 mg per day for the trimester and 12 mg in the second and third trimester.

13. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids

Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to provide benefits for mothers and babies in the womb, especially eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA).

This type of fatty acid is indispensable for the development of the baby's brain, nervous system and vision.

Adequate fatty acid intake during pregnancy can also reduce the risk of preterm birth.

Food sources of omega-3 fatty acids can be obtained by mothers from seafood including fish, eggs, avocado, spinach, and others.

Pregnant women need around 650 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per day with 300 mg of DHA for pregnant women.

Apart from omega-3, intake of omega-6 fatty acids is also important during pregnancy.

In fact, omega-6 is no less important and its intake needs to be prepared during pregnancy to support the neural development of the baby in the womb.

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