Pregnancy is full of emotional and physical changes for women. During a period of nine months their body is preparing them for the greatest gift of all, motherhood. The creation of a new life requires a few changes to their lifestyle, so in terms of food and drink. Many women experience weight gain, swollen ankles and feet, some get better quality hair and skin while others experience non of these symptoms. Also, it is interesting that two different pregnancies for the same woman can be completely different, during the first one she may not have any symptoms while during the next one she could circle the whole list.

Diet

A pregnant woman needs to have a well balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, combined with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. So what should a pregnant woman eat? The best option is that she goes completely organic, but this diet is very difficult to stick to because of the cost, if this is impossible try buying organic from time to time when you can. The next best option is to buy fresh foods because they have more nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fiber then processed food from cans. Moms-to-be need to become label savvy which means they need to learn to read food labels so that they know what ingredients to avoid. When your sending a gift get them a fruit gift basket delivery rather then a unhealthy muffin and sweets basket, so make it easier on the mother to stick to her diet.

Protein

A good source of protein is fish, lean meat, chicken and eggs, but make sure it’s healthy and not dripping with oil. Also, research showed that earthing seafood helps reduce anxiety so women who ate seafood were 47% less likely to experience high levels of anxiety. For vegan mothers quinoa is most recommended as a source of protein, but there are also soy products, legumes, nuts, seeds and lentils.

Fats

Fats are not only essential for the body to function properly, but also for the baby’s eye and bran development, placenta and tissue growth. We know that there are good (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated) and bad fats that make your cholesterol levels rise(saturated , hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated). Monounsaturated fats are in olive, canola, peanut oils an in avocados and nuts. Polyunsaturated fats are found in cold water fish, flax seed and canola oil, sunflower, corn or soy beans. You can easily identify bad fats because they are solid at room temperatures. Saturated fats are found whole milk, palm, coconut, lard, butter. Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated are artificially created as a cheap substitute for butter, they are found n cookies, margarine or chips. They have been linked to heart disease, diabetes and even cancer so they should always be avoided.

Other Nutrients

Fiber intake should be form wholegrain foods and fruits and vegetables rich in fiber. This important because many women suffer from constipation during pregnancy which could lead to haemorrhoids. A mom-to-be needs enough calcium and zinc to ensure their baby develops well. More iron is needed because the amount of blood increases so the body needs more iron to make more haemoglobin. The best advice is to do your own research and never implement anything before checking with your doctor.