Nutrition before Pregnancy

Childbirth requires a great amount of resources. Therefore good and optimum nutrition is required before pregnancy. The intake of essential nutrients before pregnancy is important in the sense that all the extra nutrition that the would-be mother receives gets stored in the body. This nutrient store serves as a reserve when the baby is conceived, especially during the first trimester when the desire to eat is less and nausea, vomiting are quite common. It is during this period that the nutrient reserve proves to be most beneficial to meet the increased nutritional demand.

It also helps build up a healthy immune system and increases the success rate of conceiving a healthy child. A nutritionally sound diet before pregnancy ensures better chances of delivering a baby with normal birth-weight. It improves development of the fetal brain and decreases the chances of complications like anemia, edema, fatigue that are often associated with pregnancy.

So everyone out there who is planning a pregnancy should start taking a balanced diet which is low in fat and rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Supplementation of vitamin B12 is known to reduce the chances of infertility and bad health. Approximately 400mg of folic acid should be taken per day. Cereals are a rich source of folic acid.

Also fathers to be should take care of their diet. Add a lot of proteins, minerals and vitamins, especially vitamin C as it brings down the risk of damaged sperms. Zinc intake should also be increased since it compliments testosterone levels and semen volume.