Your Nutrition
(Week 38)
Key nutrients
During the last few weeks of pregnancy
you should build on the preceding
months of healthy eating so that you
are prepared for the rigors of labor.
Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting
prevent hemorrhaging and help to heal
the placental site. It is derived
naturally from the mother's gut and
supplemented from foods such as broccoli,
beans, spinach, avocado, cabbage,
cauliflower, lettuce. An infant depends
on its mother for vitamin K, before
birth via the placenta and after birth
through breast milk. (babies may be
given vitamin K orally at birth).
Zinc is another important mineral
required for hormone production and
healing after birth.
Producing energy
To maintain energy you need to keep
your blood sugar level constant by
eating complex carbohydrates, which
break down gradually and release sugar
content slowly. Eat lots of vegetables,
grains and pulses to stock up on complex
carbohydrates during the two weeks
before birth. Additionally, enzymes
are needed; these are dependant on
vitamins and minerals. Enzyme deficiency
will prevent you from maximizing your
energy potential. To convert glucose
into energy you need:
B vitamins (B1, B2, B4, B6,
B12).
Sources: meat, poultry, milk, eggs,
vegetables, pulses, nuts, wholegrains.
B vitamins include folate.
Sources: broccoli, spinach, wheatgerm,
seeds, nuts
Vitamin C
Sources: citrus fruits, blackcurrants,
tomatoes, broccoli
Iron
Sources: prunes, nuts, pumpkin seeds,
apricots
Choline
Sources: eggs, fish, Soya beans, wholegrains,
nuts, pulses
Calcium & Magnesium
Sources: cheese, milk, beans, nuts,
raisins
Chromium
Sources: potatoes, wholemeal bread,
eggs, chicken
Co-enzyme Q10
Sources: meat, fish, eggs, Soya beans,
spinach, broccoli, alfalfa
