First Trimester- Eating Good to Feel and Look Good

Pregnancy can be discomforting with a changing body, nausea, morning sickness and all. but the baby growing inside of you is an adorable little treasure so you must feel good to have a positive emotional, psychological impact on your baby.

Feeling good comes with dealing with the discomfort the right way to make you comfortable.
one way to do that is with what you eat, how you eat and when you eat. Morning sickness is mostly inevitable for the first 3 months  so brace yourself.

Tips to sail through the phase
Nausea can set in as early as before you get out of bed and it is severe on empty stomach. When your stomach is empty, its acids have nothing to digest and this can trigger nausea. Before going to sleep for the night, have a snack of protein and complex carbohydrates to help you through the night and early morning.Boiled/roasted corn with roasted groundnut is not a bad choice. Whole wheat bread and groundnut paste(peanut butter) is also ideal.
Complex carbohydrate takes a while to break down so your stomach won't be empty. Proteins have high Vitamin B6 which is believed to relieve nausea in some women[1]

Example of complex carbohydrate foods:

Grains- Millet, Oats, Wheat, wild rice, brown rice, Corn. Any product that is made from these grains is also complex as well- Whole grain bread, banku, kenkey, Hausa koko, cornmeal porridge etc. are examples of these. These foods are quit heavy and must not be eaten late at night. Also pasta, macaroni and breakfast cereals  that are made from whole grains are complex carbohydrates.

Kenkey- made from Corn

Fruits are high in water content, fiber, vitamins and they have virtually no fat at all. Fruits packed with complex carbohydrates include apricots, oranges, plums, pears, grapefruits and prunes.

Vegetables are high in water, low in fat, have multiple vitamins and minerals, and most varieties are complex carbohydrates. Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, turnip greens, eggplant, potatoes, carrots, onions, all types of lettuce, celery, cucumbers, cabbage, artichokes and asparagus are all examples of these.

Legumes: Beans are a type of legume that is a complex carbohydrate. Specific examples include lentils, kidney beans, black beans, peas, garbanzo beans, soy beans and pinto beans.

Better still keep whole-wheat biscuit or dry cereals by your bedside and eat before getting out of bed to avoid empty stomach in the morning.

Preeclampsia - Gestational Hypertension (Nutrition Treatment/Management)

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Preeclampsia is a condition that occurs only during pregnancy. It occurs when a pregnant woman after week 20 of pregnancy has both high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Preeclampsia affects about 2-6% of healthy, first time moms.
<<<Symptoms>>>
High blood pressure, water retention: swelling feet and excessive edema and protein in the urine. Headaches, blurred vision, inability to tolerate bright light, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, urinating small amounts, pain in the upper right abdomen, shortness of breath, and tendency to bruise easily.
If you have these symptoms talk to your Doctor as soon as possible.
<<<Causes>>>
Poor diet both BEFORE and DURING pregnancy can increase the risk of preeclampsia. According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, poor nutrition includes not eating enough protein, eating too much protein, and not getting enough of the antioxidants found in fresh fruits and vegetables.
 
<<<Nutrition Treatment>>>
Preeclampia can be treated with Proper Nutrition. The presence of Protein in urine shows that you are protein deficient resulting in the tissues of the body metabolizing themselves to provide for your protein needs, specifically kidney tissue. Some of the protein that is broken down is excreted into the urine, which is why there will be protein in the urine. Blood pressure and edema (swelling) are due to poor mineral balance, specifically calcium/magnesium imbalance.
Eating foods rich in Protein: Meat, Fish, Milk, Egg, Cheese, Beans etc. and foods rich in both Calcium and Magnesium: Sardine,Tuna, Milk, Yoghurt, Dark Green Leafy vegetables (Kontomire, Spinach, Turnip greens, Broccoli, etc) will help manage and prevent complications from Preeclampsia.

Nutritious Food to boost Nutritional status before, during and after Pregnancy

"Red Red" one of the many names of Beans and Fried Plantain in Ghana is very nutritious.

Beans contain protein which is needed for body building important for pregnant women because the amino acids that make up protein are the building blocks of your body's cells – and of your baby's body as well. It's important to get enough protein throughout your pregnancy, but especially during the second and third trimesters, when your baby is growing the fastest and your breasts and organs are getting bigger to accommodate the needs of your growing baby.

Don't forget to take an orange afterwards it contains Vitamin C which helps absorb iron in the beans. Iron is important for Blood formation and prevent Anaemia. In pregnancy iron is needed for expansion of Red Blood Cell mass, fetal iron, Placenta iron and to replace Blood loss during delivery.

These are some nutrient not all component and their estimated amounts:

Cooked beans (per 1 cup size) - Calories: 331, Fat: 14.9g, Carbohydrate: 36.94, Protein: 14.05g, Iron: 2.3mg

Fried Plantain (per 1 slice) - Calories: 68, Fat: 3.58g, Carbohydrate: 9.74g, Protein: 0.4g

Cooked Fish (per 28g) - Calories: 36, Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Carbohydrate: 0g, Protein: 7g

How to reduce Stretch Marks during pregnancy

Stretch Marks comes with pregnancy. The muscles of the stomach stretch to accommodate the enlarging womb. Stretch marks do not disappear own its own after pregnancy.
But no need to worry young lady that your beautiful tummy will be scared after pregnancy
<<<<Tip>>>>
When pregnant apply cocoa butter cream to your tummy always.

This will help reduce the appearance of stretch marks by making it fade and blending with skin. Cocoa butter lotion may not work to reduce the appearance of stretch marks for everyone, but its nourishing properties can relieve irritation that is caused by stretching of the skin.

 When skin stretch it loses its elastin and collagen fibers resulting in the mark. Some hormones are also responsible for the lose of elastin and collagen.

Increase Energy and Nutrient Needs in Pregnancy

Body changes are what some young ladies are afraid of when they think of pregnancy. These changes cannot be done away with. The body changes to accommodate the growing baby in the womb and stores food for baby. Weight gain is normal because the baby is an additional weight (about 3kg), breast size also increases as milk formation begins. You tend to have a large appetite and craving for food, eating more result in increase in weight.     Weight gain of between 8kg-20kg is mostly observed.

Pregnancy is not a time for losing weight (however gaining too much weight is not healthy) because your nutrient and energy needs increase.

 Energy (Carbohydrate and Fat) needs increase by an extra 300calories(1 slice of whole wheat bread spread with 2 tablespoons groundnut paste). Pregnant woman needs about 2500calories per day. Approximately 10 per cent of calories should come from protein. Protein is mainly found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and beans. Approximately 35 per cent of calories should come from fat, which is mainly found in butter, oils, margarine, dairy products and nuts. Approximately 55 per cent of calories should come from carbohydrates, which are found in bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, corn and other grain products

 

Protein needs increase by an extra 25grams (140grams of skinless chicken breast). Pregnant woman needs about 70grams of protein per day.

Vitamin and Minerals needs also increase:

Folate increase by extra 200microgram, 600micrograms per day(food sources; dark green vegetables,orange juice).

Iron needs increase by an extra 11milligrams, 27milligrams per day(food sources; meat, poultry, organ meat,dark green vegetables). It is impossible to meet iron needs from diet, supplements are added

Calcium needs 1000milligram per day, same as non-pregnant women(food sources; milk, cheese, yoghurt etc)

Zinc needs increase by extra 3milligrams, 12milligrams per day(food sources; seafood, meat and poultry, dairy foods etc)

Be emotionally and psychologically prepared for weight gain during pregnancy but eating healthy is important to avoid unhealthy weight gain

Eating Nutritiously for Safe Motherhood

Have you ever wondered what is used in development of a foetus or makes a foetus grow in the womb? The foetus require nutrients from the mother store of nutrients and it obtains its nutrient from the mothers daily nutrient intake. So imagine what happens to a foetus when the mother has inadequate nutrient stores?

Research has shown that cell division and tissue formation foetus occurs quickly even before pregnancy is detected. this means that if you are waiting to know you are pregnant before you eat well or take supplements it might be too late for you and the baby. The foetus might not have essential nutrients like Folic Acid (Folate) for cell division and tissue formation resulting in defects like neural tube defects, spinal bifida, lip and palate clefts. If the mother happen to have inadequate Calcium stores, which is needed for fetal skeletal development, the baby will draw calcium from the mother's bones which can result in the mother having osteoporosis (brittle bones)

Folates can be obtained from foods such as dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, asparagusi, 'kontomire"(cocoyam leaves common in West Africa), dried beans and peas; okra, and orange juice, fortified foods with folic acid. Folic acid  can be with advice from physician.

Calcium food sources are    milk and dairy products, salmon, dried beans, green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach and collards, almonds, sunflower seed.Calcium supplements are also available.

Folic Acid source