Pregnancy Weight Gain and Baby Development
You all know that you need to eat a healthy and high-quality diet during pregnancy to ensure your baby's growth and development and to protect your own health.
We gain weight during pregnancy, but how much of it goes to your baby? Should we eat for two during pregnancy? Which food you eat supports your baby's development? What are the foods that support your baby's development? How to make the baby gain weight during pregnancy? Let's examine it together.
First of all;
Where does the weight gained during pregnancy go?
Considering that your baby weighs an average of 3.5 kg at birth;
Baby; 3.5- 4 kg
Placenta; 0.5-1 kg
Amniotic fluid; 1 kg
Breasts; 0.5 kg
Uterus; 1 kg
Increase in maternal blood volume; 1.5 kg
Oil storage; 3 or more
Increased muscle tissue and intracellular fluid; 2- 3.5 kg
Total; around 12.5 kg.
Foods that make the baby gain weight and support its development during pregnancy
Foods that benefit the baby during pregnancy;
While you are not even aware that we are pregnant yet, your baby's fastest development process is being completed. The most important bricks are slowly being laid.
Especially brain development. For this reason, we constantly talk about the importance of planned pregnancies. We recommend using supplements such as folic acid before conception.
A healthy diet during pregnancy is very important for the healthy development of the baby. A pregnant woman needs an average of 300 calories in addition to the calories a normal woman should take in. So it is not necessary to eat for two during pregnancy.
1 glass of milk, 1 fruit, 1 slice of bread and 1 meatball of meat provide 300 calories.
"The way you eat, your baby will eat the same way. The baby feeds from the mother."
Let's take a look at the foods that will make your baby gain weight and especially support brain development;
Eggs
Eggs are our highest quality protein after breast milk. A storehouse of vitamins and minerals! It has a very important place during pregnancy.
Eggs contain lutein, which is essential for a healthy pregnancy. Eggs contain 25 mcg folic acid.
Folic acid prevents birth defects and brain diseases in the baby. Add one boiled egg to your breakfast for your baby to develop well and gain weight during pregnancy
If you cannot consume boiled eggs, you can make a vegetable omelet with 1 teaspoon of oil. Thus, you will increase your fiber intake and extend your satiety time.
Spinach
Spinach contains iron, vitamin C and folic acid, which help protect your baby's developing spine.
Spinach also helps the expectant mother to cope with infections.
Spinach is a natural source of folate. Include spinach in your diet so that your baby develops well and gains weight during pregnancy.
Fruits and Vegetables
Try to include vegetables and fruits in every meal in your daily diet. During this period, it is very important that we consume foods high in vitamins and minerals and eat plenty of fiber.
Add a plate of salad with every meal you consume
Consume 1 medium banana in your snacks. Why especially bananas?
Bananas have a very high potassium content. Potassium supports the development of your baby's musculoskeletal system.
Walnut
The omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts support the baby's eye and brain development.
1 serving of walnut is 2 pieces (2 whole walnuts)
Walnut consumed regularly during pregnancy reduces inflammation that may occur in blood vessels.
Thanks to its rich protein and fiber content, walnuts prolong your satiety period and keep you full for longer. Walnuts contain the copper mineral necessary for the development of your baby.
Milk and Products
If our expectant mothers want to gain weight and support the development of their baby, they should definitely include milk and dairy products in their daily diet.
Milk and dairy products are especially rich in calcium. Calcium is also very important for the baby's developing bones.
Always add 1 bowl of yogurt with your main meals. In your snacks, prefer foods with high probiotic content that will facilitate digestion, such as kefir. If you can't consume kefir plain, mix it with fresh fruits and pass it through a blender and consume it with pleasure.
Pumpkin Seeds
Iron deficiency is a common problem during pregnancy. The way to cope with this problem is to eat foods with high iron content.
Pumpkin seeds contain 8.8 mg iron per 100 grams. It is also a very good zinc store.
In your daily diet; You can easily consume it in your oats in your breakfast in the morning, in your snacks or in your drinks such as buttermilk, blenderized and blended.
Meat and Meat Products
As the pregnancy progresses, it is necessary to increase protein a little more, especially after the 20th week. We get about 20 grams of protein from 100 grams of meat.
Meat and meat products are full of iron. It supports your baby's development.
Fish supports both eye and brain development of your baby. Consume fish two days a week, but make sure that it is not bottom fish. You should prefer oven or grill as a cooking method for fish.
We do not recommend frying for weight control.
Other Foods You Should Eat for Your Baby's Good Development and Weight Gain in the Womb;
Avocado
Broccoli
Lentil
Hazelnut
Green leafy vegetables
Kiwi
Soya beans
Chickpea
Flax Seed
Oats
Whole grain foods
During pregnancy, some expectant mothers may cut bread and bulgur completely for fear of gaining weight. Your body also needs vitamins and minerals from bread, especially during pregnancy. For this reason, it is wrong to cut bread completely. The point we should pay attention to is to prefer whole grain products.
If you do not want to consume bread with your meal, you can consume 3-4 tablespoons of bulgur pilaf.
1 slice of bread is equivalent to 3-4 tablespoons of bulgur pilaf.
Although we are giving you healthy nutrition recommendations, we should not disrupt our doctor's checks and we should definitely take into account the doctor's recommendations, as not every pregnancy will be the same. What is beneficial for one may be harmful to another. let's never forget this. Stay healthy.
