So we meet again to discuss the second rebirth and the most complex of the three, pregnancy going hand-in-hand with lactation. This is some of the most difficult transitions for a woman. The mother’s immune system has to compromise itself to let the foreign chromosome grow in and at the cost of itself. Thus the susceptibility to a myriad of viral infections. The uterus which is usually a pelvic organ grows in huge dimensions and occupy the abdominal cavity, thereby compressing the intestines, the urinary system and the blood vessels in the abdomen. This can lead to constipation, swelling of feet, back pains etc. The stomach is almost pushed into the esophagus around the second half of the third trimester leading to severe reflux.
The entire nutritional focus of the mother’s body is geared towards a healthy development of the baby. The baby they say, is an ideal parasite, it sucks out all the nutrition it needs from the mother especially the calcium from her bones. Hence the chubby babies of malnourished mothers in the under privileged sections of the society.
So if you are having morning sickness leading to vomiting and thereby low consumption in the first trimester, don’t be too anxious. Your baby is still growing. (Tip: keep a piece of ginger in your mouth and bite on it slowly. This helps reduce the nausea and vomiting).
As you can see, the main nutritional focus of pregnancy should be iron, calcium, folic acid and good fats.
Iron –
This is the main source of the baby’s energy and post-delivery source. We have discussed the sources of iron at length in our article on puberty. But just to quickly recap – all green leafy vegetables, beet root, sea vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Calcium –
This too has been discussed at length in the previous article. But once again, I would like stress on its importance for replenishing the depleting supplies of the mother and for the healthy bones and teeth of the growing baby. Common Sources of calcium are dark green leafy veggies, broccoli, cooked dried beans, Chinese cabbage, nuts, seeds, figs, etc.
Folic acid –
This helps in healthy cell division and the mother’s stores have to be replenished from the time a couple plans conception. Some of the easily available and the richest sources of folic acid are – dark green leafy veggies, beans, avocado, wheat germ, peanuts, soya beans, etc.
Good fats –
These help in the development of the baby’s brain and are richly found in tender coconut, avocado and olives. So if you want a little Einstein, just reach out for the avocado!
As you can see, a green leafy vegetable should be an essential part of a pregnant woman’s daily meal to give her a steady supply of iron calcium and folic acid, as well as much needed roughage, to prevent the pregnancy induced constipation
Let us now look at the three healthy recipes for the three trimesters.
Trimester 1: Berri-Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
4 – 5 strawberries or 10-12 blue-berries
1 banana
½ cup water
Procedure
– Wash the berries thoroughly (if they are not organic then wash with a vegetable wash)
– Blend the berries into a soft pulp.
– Peel and chop the banana and add it to the berry pulp, top it with water and blend it into a smooth and tasty smoothie
– Best time to have – first thing in the morning
Benefits
– Great source of energy, folic acid, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium and much needed roughage.
– Being an instant alkalaniser, it helps in reducing morning sickness. But please have it as soon as it is made, or the pectin in the banana will hasten the oxidation process.
Trimester 2: Home-made Almond milk
Ingredients
Half cup almonds, 1 ½ cup water
Procedure
– Wash the almonds thoroughly and soak them in the water overnight.
– Blend the almonds into a smooth paste. Then top up the remaining water. You can add more water and blend till a milky consistency is reached.
– Simmer on slow fire. Let it cool and then strain through a fine strainer.
– The residue can be used as a soup thickener and the milk can be had with a dash of honey or sugar.
Benefits
Good source of protein, calcium and iron, for strengthening the uterine muscles of the mother as well as the muscles and organ development of the baby.
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Trimester 3: Super Soup
Ingredients
1 cup peeled, cut pumpkin
1 cup peeled cut carrots
¼ cup peeled, cut beetroot
1 medium sized tomato
2 walnuts, 2 pecan nuts
Procedure
– Steam-cook all the ingredients except the nuts in a pressure cooker for two whistles, or a steamer for 7-10 mins till the pumpkin is tender.
– While cooking, cut the tomato into two, so as to peel away the skin easily after cooking.
– First blend the walnuts and pecan nuts with a little water into a fine paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend into a smooth consistency.
– Bring to a quick boil, garnish with mint and squeeze lemon before serving.
– Serve it with toasted whole-meal bread smeared with extra-virgin olive cold pressed olive oil.
Benefits
– This soup is a complete meal in itself, with adequate amount of carbohydrates, protein,good fats, minerals, vitamins and roughage.
– Since in the third trimester as discussed earlier, the reflux increases, the stomach cannot retain too much and too heavy food. This super soup which is a complete meal in itself can be had in small quantities, 2-3 times a day.
A lot to digest isn’t it, so lets savour it slowly and touch base again in the next month to focus our attention on lactation and its benefits.so long then……
