Importance Of Food During Pregnancy

There is nothing so important, or that wields so much influence over the comfort, the health, and the life of the pregnant woman as her food, and there is nothing, perhaps, to which she gives so little attention.

The diet of the prospective mother, of course, governs her digestion and assimilation of food, and elimination of waste matter from the body. These things control her health almost completely, and inasmuch as all mental conditions are principally governed by health, the intellectual faculties of the child are shaped largely by the condition of the mother's digestion. It is obvious, therefore, that the health of the mother and the entire future of the child depend more upon her diet during pregnancy than upon any other one thing.

During pregnancy the prospective mother should avoid all such articles of food as she would withhold from her baby after birth. This would eliminate from her diet meat, condiments, sweets, especially pastries and rich desserts; tea, coffee, and all stimulating and intoxicating beverages.

The pregnant woman should balance her diet carefully as to the proportion of proteids, carbohydrates, fats, and mineral salts.

As leading foods containing these nutrients, I would recommend the following:

Some articles are listed under two headings. This is because they are rich in both classes of nutrition.

The amount of grain products eaten by the prospective mother should be somewhat limited, ranging between four and eight ounces a day, governed by work or activity. Cereals, especially corn, rice, and oats, are rich in phosphate of lime, which is the bone-making or structural food. While enough of this should be eaten to give the child sufficient bone-building material, too much makes birth difficult, and sometimes fatal.

The following menus contain suggestions as to the selections, combinations, and proportions of food that would compose a healthy bill of fare for both mother and child for the several seasons of the year:

Spring Menu. For The Pregnant Woman

Breakfast

Two eggs, cooked two minutes One whole-wheat muffin A glass or two of rich milk

Luncheon

Peas, asparagus, or turnips Potatoes - two medium-sized One pint of clabbered milk

Dinner

Vegetable soup

Any two fresh vegetables named in the list above

A potato

Milk or a very small portion of fish

If constipated, take wheat bran at both the morning and the evening meal.

Summer Menu. For The Pregnant Woman

Breakfast

Cantaloup

Three or four egg whites and one yolk Whole wheat, boiled; serve with butter or cream

A glass or two of milk

Luncheon

String beans, peas, or asparagus

Tender corn or a potato

Milk

Dinner

Vegetable soup

Two green vegetables; selection from list given above

Corn, lima beans, or a potato

Milk or tender fish

A small portion of ice-cream (optional)

Fall Menu. For The Pregnant Woman

Breakfast

Cantaloup or pears

Rice, with cream

Milk

Two tablespoonfuls of wheat bran

Luncheon

Celery-Turnips or cauliflower Fish or fowl A potato

Dinner

A light vegetable soup Lettuce, or celery, with nuts Two fresh vegetables A baked potato Cheese, raisins, and nuts

Winter Menu. For The Pregnant Woman

Breakfast

Two or three baked bananas, with cream (See recipe, p. 677) Two eggs or two glasses of milk Oatmeal - a small portion

Luncheon

A sweet potato

Two or three glasses of milk

Dinner

Cream of rice soup

Two fresh vegetables

A potato or bran meal gems

Milk or cheese

Nuts and raisins