Nutrition of a pregnant woman in the second trimester

In each period of pregnancy, unique biological events occur both in the mother's body and in her baby. Proper second-trimester nutrition is one of the most important components of the healthy development of a child in the womb.

After the end of the 13th week of intrauterine development of the baby, the second trimester of pregnancy begins. To this stage, many of the internal organs of the baby and the fetal elements have already formed. Others continue to differentiate and develop. For several more weeks, the most important biological changes will occur in the children's organism.

Such rapid development entails the need for the supply of all nutrients necessary for the growth and development of the baby. It is very important that his mother at this stage consumed a sufficient amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. No less important are vitamins and trace elements, which in sufficient quantities should be present in the daily menu of a pregnant woman.

One of the most important features of 14-20 weeks of pregnancy is the active development of the musculoskeletal system in the baby. The arms and legs of the child begin to lengthen, changing their structure and bone density. For the full formation of the child's skeleton in this period, it is very important that foods containing calcium be present in the diet of his mother. It is found in large quantities in fermented milk products.

15-17 weeks is characterized by the continuation of the development of a complex system of nerve cells. By the end of week 16, the first unconscious reflexes begin to form in the baby. Also this period is characterized by the active development of nerve analyzers.

For the full development of the nervous system of the baby requires healthy fats and Omega 3. These substances are found in large quantities in marine fish: herring, mackerel, sardines, salmon and others.

An important rule of the power schedule is regularity. Skip meals can not. Regular intake of nutrients is necessary for proper functioning of the future mother's digestive system.

You should eat at least every 3 hours. Overeat at the same time should not be. If a woman feels that she is very hungry before the next meal, she can have a small snack, which is not a very sweet fruit, a handful of nuts, or a glass of fermented milk product with a small fat content.

The expectant mother is also very important to monitor the size of portions. Many women, even correctly composing their daily diet, make mistakes with determining the amount of food on a plate. There is still an opinion that during pregnancy a woman should eat for two, and when carrying twins or twins - even for three. This should not be done.In the end, this way of eating will only lead to overweight. Moreover, the weight can increase both in the woman herself and in her children.

It often happens that the body "confuses" thirst with hunger. A very simple test can help. If a woman felt a strong hunger, then she should first drink a glass of plain water and wait 10-15 minutes. If the feeling of hunger has not disappeared, then in this case you can eat.

Eating a pregnant woman in the second trimester should be strictly balanced and correct. This means that in its preparation it is necessary to include all the most important nutritional components. In this case, correct and useful products are included, and no harmful ones are present in the diet.

Eat right every day. Small errors in the diet can not be completely eliminated. This is understandable, because at this time in the female body "raging" a huge number of different hormones, however a woman should control her impulses to eat forbidden foods and eliminate harmful foods.

A future mom should always remember that All, that she eats, ends up and to its kid. Nutritional components are supplied in this way along the blood flow system common to the child. Own circulatory and digestive systems will begin to function in the child after his birth.

The second trimester of pregnancy is characterized by the fact that many women have problems with swelling and weight gain. This is caused not only by the errors in the diet, but also by special hormonal changes. Good nutrition and a proper diet help minimize adverse events.

Many women, leading vegetarian style of food, flatly refuse to add to your diet animal products during pregnancy. In this case, experts only recommend them to carefully monitor their menu. The right combination of foods will improve the amino acid balance.

No less important component of proper nutrition in the second trimester of pregnancy is drinking mode. It is very important that a woman take enough liquid. If the expectant mother does not suffer from severe edema and does not have chronic kidney disease, then she should drink at least 1.5 liters of fluid. If there are problems with edema, then in such a situation, recommendations on the drinking regimen are made individually by the attending physician.

Also, individual recommendations on the amount of fluid consumed are made to all women with cardiovascular failure. If the future mother has chronic heart disease, accompanied by severe shortness of breath and the appearance of edema in the legs and before pregnancy, then she should always consult with her cardiologist about how much water can be consumed. In some cases, the amount of daily fluid can be reduced to 1 liter.

The best drink to replenish the water in the body is ordinary spring water. Optionally, you can add a little mint or lemon drops. Do this based on your own preferences.

You can drink berry and fruit drinks, compotes. It is better to prepare such drinks at home. So you can control the amount of sugar that is added to the drink.

The future mom in the second trimester of pregnancy should eat food that is useful for her and the baby every day. There are many different products that will benefit not only the woman’s body, but also her baby.

They contain a lot of protein and calcium. Fresh dairy products also contain beneficial microbes - acidophilic microorganisms and bifidobacteria. They are necessary for the full work of the digestive organs, as well as to improve metabolism.

These protein products contain various essential amino acids. The main rule for their use is alternation. Eating only one turkey or chicken for a long time is wrong. It is better that every day protein products change. So, for lunch, the expectant mother can eat baked fish cutlet with rice and vegetable salad, and dine stewed veal with buckwheat.

When drafting a diet, try to supplement protein foods with vegetable side dishes. Fibrous cellulose contained in vegetables will help the body better digest animal proteins. Vegetable salads seasoned with low-fat sour cream or high-quality vegetable oil will be an excellent addition to the menu.

The fruit contains a lot of different vitamins and minerals. Doctors recommend choosing fruits for the season. The use of tropical fruits in some cases can trigger the development of allergic reactions. Eating overseas fruits during pregnancy should not be better to give preference to the fruits familiar to the region.

For the preparation of fruit drinks and compotes, you can use frozen fruits. When properly “frozen”, fruits retain some of the vitamins, and therefore some useful properties. Dried fruits are also suitable for making compotes. When choosing them, pay attention to the appearance: spoiled dried fruits can lead to disorders in the gastrointestinal tract.

In addition to vitamins and fiber, fruits contain quite a lot of fructose - natural sugar. Excessive consumption of sweet fruits can be a triggering factor for the development of gestational diabetes and obesity. You should also be careful of women who have a tendency to develop allergies.

It is very important that in the diet of the future mother in the second trimester of pregnancy there are no harmful products. They can not only aggravate the condition of a woman, but also harm her baby.

The use of alcoholic beverages during pregnancy is strictly prohibited. No excuses or important "reasons" to drink a glass of wine or something stronger, should not be! From the moment the expectant mother learned that she was pregnant, she should forget about drinking alcohol.

Ethyl alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages has an adverse effect on the developing children's organism. It has a particularly strong effect on the nervous apparatus and the actively developing baby’s brain. Such a negative impact is dangerous in that the child can develop the most dangerous defects in his development. They appear after the birth of the baby.

Doubtful food, cooked outside the home, in most cases does not carry anything useful for the organism of the future mother and her baby. When cooking fast food, quite a lot of oil is used, and also dyes and flavor enhancers can be added.

Such products contain a lot of salt and spices.They provoke an even greater appetite and thirst for the woman, and also lead to the appearance of edema. An alternative to fast food are dishes cooked at home. It is better that frying in butter is replaced by baking in the oven.

In the preparation of various marinades used a lot of salt and sugar, as well as vinegar. All of these components enhance the swelling, as well as adversely affect the work of the kidneys and the digestive system. During pregnancy, it is better to use the most fresh and unmarinated food.

About what food is most useful for pregnant women, see the following video.