5 Types of nutrition before pregnancy that are important to be fulfilled by prospective mothers

For expectant mothers, it is important for you to pay attention to nutritional preparations or nutrition before becoming pregnant. Nutritional preparation during preconception is important, because it can determine the success of pregnancy and the health status of your child in the future. Then, what are the nutrients or nutrients before pregnancy that are important to fulfill?

Nutrition before pregnancy that must be met

Not only during pregnancy, you also have to prepare your body to raise a baby from before pregnancy. Several nutrients need to be fulfilled before pregnancy and during pregnancy. This aims to maintain the health of the mother and fetus during pregnancy. Here are some nutrients that you should fulfill before becoming pregnant, for example:

1. Folic acid

Folic acid is one of the nutrients before pregnancy that you should pay attention to. The reason is, these nutrients will be very important during the first 28 days of pregnancy or after conception. Unfortunately, many women do not realize that they are pregnant, before entering the 28th day.

Therefore, preparing these nutrients before you get pregnant is very necessary, especially for those of you who are still in the process of planning a pregnancy. That way, folic acid in the body is ready to be used according to the needs of the fetus in early pregnancy.

Meanwhile, if you are deficient in these nutrients while you are pregnant, there may be an increased risk of mental disorders and birth defects in the child. The reason is, folic acid plays a role in the development of the neural tubes to form the brain and spinal cord.

The recommended consumption before pregnancy in a day is 400 micrograms of folic acid in one day. Food sources that are rich in folic acid are fish and various dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese, and so on.

2. Iron

One of the nutrients or nutrients before pregnancy that should also be fulfilled is iron. Why? The benefits of iron during pregnancy are needed to support fetal growth and development, placental growth, expand the volume of maternal red blood cells, and as a reserve of iron in the blood which will be lost during childbirth.

If the body is deficient in iron, the body will be more susceptible to anemia. Meanwhile, anemia and iron deficiency are closely related to a decrease in body capacity and the immune system.

If you are planning a pregnancy, it is better to get adequate intake of these nutrients before becoming pregnant, so that you do not experience anemia. Anemia in pregnant women can lead to various complications in the fetus, such as malnutrition in the fetus and resulting in babies born with low birth weight.

Many women have low levels of iron in the blood before becoming pregnant because blood is always lost during menstruation and is exacerbated by low intake of dietary sources of iron. Therefore, those of you who are planning a pregnancy should improve the iron levels in your body to prevent anemia during pregnancy.

Having sufficient iron reserves before pregnancy helps the mother's body prepare for the iron needs the fetus needs during pregnancy. Foods that are a source of iron include red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, wheat, and green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, and so on.

To help the body absorb iron from food, it is recommended that you eat foods that contain vitamin C and iron at the same time. Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks when you eat foods that contain iron. Caffeinated drinks, such as tea and coffee, can interfere with the absorption of iron by the body so that iron is absorbed by the body in smaller amounts.

3. Calcium

Calcium is known as a good nutrient for healthy teeth and bones, but calcium turns out to be one of the nutrients that should be fulfilled since before pregnancy. Calcium can help your reproductive system work better. In fact, calcium may be able to help as a way to get pregnant quickly.

The nutritional benefits that you consume before pregnancy are for the growth of the baby's teeth and bones when you become pregnant later. If your body lacks this one nutrient for you and your baby, it will provide calcium from your bones to help the fetus grow.

This can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis in the future. Therefore, you should have adequate levels of nutrients in the body before becoming pregnant.

The recommended calcium intake for women is 1000 milligrams per day, the equivalent of three glasses of milk or other dairy products. Calcium can be found in milk, yogurt, cheese, salmon, sardines and rice.

4. Iodine

Iodine is also one of the nutrients or nutrients that are preferable before and during pregnancy. The reason is, iodine is needed during pregnancy to help develop the baby's brain and nervous system. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy poses many risks to the baby, such as brain damage and mental disabilities.

In addition, iodine deficiency can increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth. Adequate iodine intake before and during pregnancy can prevent these unwanted things.

Therefore, before getting pregnant you should meet your body's needs for these nutrients. Before becoming pregnant, it is recommended that women consume 150 mcg of iodine per day. Food sources that contain iodine are dairy products, eggs, seafood(especially those from the sea or salt water).

5. Omega-3 fatty acids

Another nutrient that a woman should fulfill before becoming pregnant is omega-3 fatty acids. Women need lots of omega-3 fatty acids when pregnant. Omega-3 fatty acids are transferred from mother to fetus through the placenta to support fetal growth and development.

Omega-3 fatty acids are needed for the development of the central nervous system, brain, and retina in the fetus. Adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids when pregnant is associated with the development of the baby after birth.

In addition, according to a study published in the journal European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive BiologyThese nutrients can help reduce the chances of preterm birth by up to 58 percent. That way, it's no wonder that you are advised to meet these nutritional needs before you become pregnant.

The best sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fish and fish oil. However, avoid fish with a high mercury content, such as shark, swordfish, and marlin. The high mercury content in fish can harm the nervous system in the fetus.

Another factor that must be considered before becoming pregnant

Not only meeting nutritional or nutritional needs before pregnancy, there are several other factors that you should also pay attention to before you decide to start a pregnancy program. Some of them are as follows.

Have a normal body mass index (BMI)

Do you have a normal body mass index (BMI)? If not, you need to be careful because having a BMI that is less than normal or more than normal will be bad for the health of the fetus. This is one of the factors that you should pay attention to in addition to meeting the nutritional needs before becoming pregnant.

Women who are short and have a low body mass index (<18.5 kg / m2), are at high risk of experiencing various complications in pregnancy such as the risk of preterm delivery, babies born with low birth weight, and impaired development and growth of children .

Children born with low body weight have a high risk of dying at the beginning of birth and have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus when they are adults.

Meanwhile, women who have an excess BMI, which is> 30 kg / m2 or obese, can cause babies to be born with large body weight and are at risk of obesity at the age of children and various degenerative diseases as adults.

Pay attention to your pre-pregnancy age

In addition to paying attention to the nutrition that you must fulfill before becoming pregnant, age is also an important factor in pregnancy. It is necessary to pay attention to age when planning pregnancy. A gestational age that is too early, such as adolescence, can cause the fetus and mother to compete with each other for food, because each experiences growth and development.

Children born to mothers who are still adolescents weigh 200 grams less than children born to adult mothers. Pregnancy at an early age has the risk of increasing the incidence of malnutrition in children by 40%.

Pregnant women over 35 years of age also have the risk of experiencing complications during pregnancy. The various risks of complications that arise if you become pregnant when you are more than 35 years old are, experiencing gestational diabetes, which is diabetes that appears during pregnancy, high blood pressure, the child is at risk of experiencing down syndrome, premature birth, and miscarriage.