How does the diet of a pregnant woman affect the fetus?

A common saying that every woman hears when she is pregnant is that she eats for two. This saying has become a well-established fact, embodying within it what a pregnant woman should and what can be eaten, as well as specifying what she should refrain from eating during pregnancy. The nutrition of the pregnant woman affects the health of the mother, as well as the health of the fetus and its future performance.

When pregnancy occurs, the woman has to go to receive instructions from the doctor. These guidelines include information about what foods she should eat, and what foods she should not eat. It also answers the question: How can each food compound help the fetus, and what effect the different compounds have on the pregnancy and the fetus. There is great importance in dividing the consumption of pregnant food according to the stage of pregnancy (usually the period of pregnancy is divided into three trimesters). In the first trimester, when the fetus's nervous system is being built, a woman must consume vitamins A and B, as well as proteins. In the second trimester, during which the fetus's weight increases, the woman must consume a lot of calcium, iron and sugar. In the third and last trimester, which witnesses the development of the brain system in the fetus, it has a great need for the fatty acid known as omega-3, and therefore, it is desirable to reduce the consumption of sugars and calories.

The list of foods that a pregnant woman is forbidden to eat during pregnancy consists of foods that can cause food poisoning. Especially since women during pregnancy are more sensitive to food contamination, a pollution that can harm the fetus, whose immune system is still unable to fight these infections. In addition, pollution can pose a threat to the health of the woman herself. We are talking about bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii, E.coli, and Salmonella. These germs are mainly found in undercooked meat, raw eggs, unpasteurized milk or uncooked fish. Women should abstain from eating raw or undercooked meat, as well as from raw fish, sushi, fatty liver, uncooked meat, unpasteurized milk products, uncooked seafood, as well as uncooked sprouts, in addition to unpasteurized fruit and vegetable juices, alcoholic beverages, and beverages containing: Caffeine, in addition to eating raw eggs.

In addition to preventing the consumption of these foods, women should be careful to consume certain foods that contain various nutrients. What is meant is foods such as avocado, tahini, pasta, potatoes, fortified milk, cheese, yogurt, grains, green vegetables and others. As well as foods that contain healthy nutrients such as vitamins, iron and calcium. These compounds allow the fetus to develop in a healthy and sound manner, and build a strong bone system, in addition to building a strong immune system.

A woman should take into account that the correct nutrition during pregnancy affects the fetus, not only in the present, but also on its future life. Therefore, it must be ensured that it gets all the important nutrients, and in the required quantities.

The woman should treat the consumption of these foods as being for the health of the fetus and the health of the fetus. And the woman must remember that she rises in weight during pregnancy in a different way, and more severely, and in a way that exceeds her weight gain during normal periods. Therefore, it is important to be careful not only to consume the food that is suitable for the fetus, but also the food that helps her to gain weight, provided that this weight gain is in the correct manner, and not severely and out of control.