Fulfilling Balanced Nutrition for Pregnant Women

Pregnant women must have good nutritional status and consume a variety of foods, both in proportion and amount. Pregnant women must consume more food because they have to meet the nutritional needs for themselves and for the growth and development of their fetus or infant.

Balanced nutrition

Balanced nutrition is a daily food composition that contains nutrients in the type and amount according to the body's needs, with the principle of paying attention to the variety of food, physical activity, hygiene, and ideal body weight. Balanced nutrition in Indonesia is visualized in the form of a Balanced Nutrition Cone (TGS), which is in accordance with Indonesian culture.

The following is a general message about balanced nutrition, namely:

1. Eat a variety of foods.
2. Consume foods that provide energy.
3. Eat half the carbohydrate source of energy needed.
4. Limiting fat to a quarter of sufficient energy
5. Use iodized salt.
6. Consume iron-rich foods.
7. Give breast milk to the baby until the age of six months.
8. Get used to breakfast.
9. Drink plenty of clean, safe water.
10. Be physically active and exercise regularly.
11. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages.
12. Eat food that is safe for your health.
13. Read the labels on packaged foods.

Meanwhile, for pregnant women, there are an additional 4 special messages, namely:

1. Get used to consuming a variety of foods;
2. Limit your consumption of salt;
3. Drink lots of water and
4. Limit your coffee consumption.

The following are important nutrients that pregnant women must consume:

1. Folate and Folic Acid

Folate is a B vitamin that plays an important role in preventing neural tube defects in babies, which are serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. Meanwhile, folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, which can be found in supplements and nutritious foods. Mothers can get folate from foods such as liver, nuts, eggs, dark green leafy vegetables, and peas.

2. Calcium

Calcium is an important nutrient that mothers need to fulfill in order to form strong baby bones and teeth. Calcium also helps the mother's circulatory system, muscles, and nerves run normally. Good sources of calcium can be found in milk, yogurt, cheese, fish and seafood that are low in mercury, such as salmon, shrimp, and catfish, tofu, which contains calcium, and dark green leafy vegetables.

3. Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps build strong baby bones and teeth. Pregnant women need up to 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day. Fatty fish like salmon are good sources of vitamin D. Other food sources of vitamin D include milk and orange juice.

4. Protein

Protein is also an important nutrient that must be met during pregnancy to ensure proper growth of the baby's tissues and organs, including the brain. These nutrients help the growth of breast tissue and the mother's uterus during pregnancy. Maternal protein requirements increase during each trimester of pregnancy. Pregnant women need to consume around 70 to 100 grams of protein daily, depending on their weight and current trimester of pregnancy. Good sources of protein for pregnant women include lean beef, chicken, salmon, nuts, peanut butter, peas, and cottage cheese.

5. Iron

The mother's body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells whose job it is to carry oxygen to the tissues. Pregnant women need 27 milligrams of iron a day. The way to meet these nutritional needs is to eat foods such as lean red meat, poultry, and fish. Other food choices that contain iron include iron-fortified cereals, legumes, and vegetables.

That is important nutrition for pregnant women. Apart from consuming healthy food, mothers can also meet their nutritional needs by taking supplements. However, you should first talk to a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology at Hermina Tasikmalaya Hospital.