Proper Diet During Pregnancy

The US Department of Agriculture offers many great resources for moms and health through pregnancy.  One great site is http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramidmoms/, which provides a menu planner for moms and advice for proper nutrition.

When you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you have special nutritional needs. MyPyramid.gov is designed just for you. It has advice you need to help you and your baby stay healthy.

First — visit your health care provider if you haven’t already. Every pregnant woman needs to visit a health care provider regularly. He or she can make

sure both you and your baby are healthy. Your provider can also prescribe a safe vitamin and mineral supplement, and anything else you may need.

Next — get your own MyPyramid Plan for Moms. Your Plan will show you the foods and amounts that are right for you. Enter your information for a quick estimate of what and how much you need to eat. Or, go to the MyPyramid Menu Planner For Moms to see how your food choices compare to what you need.

Then — learn more by choosing a topic from their article menu. The “Sources of Information” will take you straight to the government’s best advice on pregnancy and breastfeeding. To get your own MyPyramid Plan for Moms, the site offers an auto-information quiz. If you are expecting twins, triplets or more than one baby, you should discuss what and how much to eat with your health care provider.  Your nutrient and calorie needs are higher than the needs of women carrying one baby.

Nutritional needs during pregnancy

When you are pregnant, you have a higher need for some vitamins and minerals. Follow your new food plans for moms to meet most of these increased needs. In each food group, choose foods that have the vitamins and minerals you need. Research the best sources of these vitamins and minerals.

Choose these foods often to make sure you meet your nutrient needs while you are pregnant. Some examples are:

Also make choices that are low in “extras.” Extras are added sugars and solid fats in foods like soft drinks, desserts, fried foods, cheese, whole milk, and fatty meats. Look for choices that are low-fat, fat-free, unsweetened, or with no-added-sugars. They have fewer “extras.”

Vitamin and mineral supplements cannot replace a healthy diet. Most doctors recommend that pregnant women take a prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement every day in addition to eating a healthy diet.Taking a supplement ensures that you and your baby get enough important nutrients like folic acid and iron. But don’t overdo it. Taking extra can be harmful for you and your baby. Click here for more information about taking supplements while you are pregnant.

Pregnant women and women who may become pregnant should not drink alcohol. Drinks containing alcohol include beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks, malt beverages, etc. Even moderate drinking during pregnancy can cause behavioral or developmental problems for a baby. Heavy drinking during pregnancy can result in serious problems for the baby, including malformation and mental retardation.

NOTE: If you need assistance to get the foods you need for a healthy diet, visit the USDA’s WIC Program and Food Stamp Program sites.

Acne During Pregnancy

One woman writes on babycenter.com “I’m 13 weeks pregnant and having the worst time with acne. It’s affecting my relationship with my husband — I feel like I look so terrible, I want to avoid him and everyone else. My doctor told me not to use over-the-counter medications. What can I do?”

A doctor reposnded: “Hello Michelle! I am a skin care therapist and have studied acne quite intensively throughout my schooling. There is Hope! Whatever you do, do not try Proactiv! The long term effects of proactiv will have a much more negative effect on your skin than the symptoms you are experiencing now. Acne during pregnancy is hormonal, which is good news, because once the hormones are regulated, this usually means that the skin will normalize. In the mean time however, there are other ways to treating skin diseases such as acne, other than topically. Adjusting your diet will help tremendously. Foods that contain antioxidants (good guys) help fight off free radicals (bad guys) which causes diseases like acne. Foods like salmon, dark green veggies, olives, berries, strawberries, cantaloupe, and xtra virgin olive oil all contain powerful antioxidants. Not only will your skin begin to look better, but this kind of diet will also be beneficial for the baby! Good Luck!”

So you are pregnant. Great news! Got acne. Not great but that’s ok, quite common. Acne is common in pregnancy.You do not have to rush to the doctor in most cases as the above response shows. What you can do along with maintaining a healthy diet is, use topical counter products available in stores. If you feel that they are not effective then you can consult your gynecologist. If you decide to consult a dermatologist, make sure that you tell them you are pregnant if you aren’t already showing. Any medications that will be prescribed should be as safe as possible.

Most of the hormonal changes that take place in the body lead to acne. Along with pregnancy, there are a number of new hormones that are generated. This hormonal haywire causes acne. This is not a serious problem. You do not have to run to the doctor, if it is not that serious you can try lotions and gels that are available in the market. Most of these topical solutions will be useful during pregnancy for treating acne. Be aware of ingredients always and try to choose organic natural products if possiblele. You can take advice of your dermatologist for the same.

However, taking oral medications like antibiotics during pregnancy for acne is highly risky. It can seriously affect the fetus and the child may be born with serious birth defects.

Pregnancy acne is most prominent during the second trimester and fades further in the third trimester due to immense hormonal changes. However your skin’s texture may also be improved by this time and the pregnancy “glow” may be observed. Starting with fruits and veggies, will give glow to your skin. Make sure you have enough of water to keep the skin hydrated. Above all, remember, pregnancy acne is nothing to worry about. It is a sign that your body is changing and is trying to get adapted to new physical alterations. This is a positive thing. The hormones change for better. It is a temporary condition rather than a true skin disorder.

Its Normal – Pregnancy Can Change Your Skin

Chloasma or the “Mask of Pregnancy” can cause blotchy discoloration on your face and splashes of darkened skin that may appear on the forehead, nose, and cheeks in a mask-like configuration on some pregnant women – more often in dark-skinned women.

What causes chloasma: Those mischievous pregnancy hormones are toying with you again, causing hyperpigmentation on many parts of your body. You might have noticed your freckles and moles are darker now, there’s probably a dark line down the center of your abdomen (the linea nigra), and your areolas are probably a deeper shade as well. (You might as well decide this is sexy.) Dark-skinned women usually notice such hyperpigmentation more, but light-skinned women aren’t off the hook completely – they too will get their fair share of darkening skin, though it may not be as noticeable.
Despite have clear skin most of their lives, many women find another “new experience” awaiting them once they discover a pregnancy. The beginning stages can be small and unnoticeable pimples – usually showing around the jaw line or forehead due to hormonal fluctuations.

Three main factors contribute to acne: increased oil production, clogged pores, and a bacteria called P-acnes. First, oil causes the dead skin cells to stick together, leading to a clogged pore, which is called a blackhead or a whitehead. Bacteria then moves into the pore, producing inflammation, which manifests as redness and pus. Addressing acne requires medications or treatments that decrease oil secretion, unclog pores, and kill bacteria.

As the pregnancy progresses, the acne will worsen. It is at this point, many women may frantically search for cures in their local drugstore or try home remedies. Perhaps they feel overwhelmed by the choices or confused by the long list of ingredients and decide to give up finding a solution. In some cases, the acne can grow to included pigmented or “age” spots as well.

All of these changes typically last the duration of the pregnancy and are due to hormonal changes and increased oil production, resulting in acne, while higher estrogen levels will activate skin color cells to make dark spots. This occurrence is so common in pregnancy that it’s been given the name “mask of pregnancy.” Sun exposure will exacerbate the issue further without a good sunscreen or sun protection, try to use organic sunblock.

Like many others, when facial skin suddenly becomes oily, the first reaction is to take away all moisture or anything ‘greasy’ that can increase the feel of oil on the skin layer.

Never fear, these again are temporary problems with easy fixes. First, stop using anything oil-based and switch to gel-based or water based sunscreens and lotion for the time being. Treat you skin as if it were the acne-prone, pigmented type and finally ask your doctor or dermatologist for a baby-safe acne treatment if the situation is really uncomfortable. Your skin should return to its previous condition soon after your baby is born.

• In the meantime – Eat foods that contain folic acid (you’ll also get plenty in your prenatal supplement), since studies have shown that a folate deficiency can be related to hyperpigmentation. Good choices include green leafy vegetables, oranges, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain cereal.
• Stay out of the sun as much as possible and wear a natrual sunscreen of at least SPF 15 (sunlight can also intensify hyperpigmentation). A hat and long sleeves are a good idea if you’re fair-skinned, headed to the beach, or have a historically sensitive complexion.
• If you like, use a good concealer to cover particularly pesky spots, but skip bleaches or other chemically based lightening treatments until after you give birth. No peels or lasers, either.