Pregnancy is a special time when one must pay attention to a healthy and balanced diet in order to reduce the risk of micronutrient deficiencies. In this case, vitamins and minerals play their roles and contribute their importance for the proper conduct of the pregnancy. Women who want to get a child, be sure to do well to look at a sufficiently high intake of vitamin B9, also called folates, and if necessary takes supplements. A deficiency of vitamin B9 at the time of conception and in the very early stage of pregnancy increases the risk of growth retardation because of severe deformity.

Vitamin D is not the only vitamin required for proper development of the baby. A new study shows that vitamin D is very important and it is the main factor that causes the giving birth of babies with low birth weight.

It is relatively easy to demonstrate this. The researchers carried out an experiment on a group of pregnant women where their daily consumption of milk was recorded. Then, the birth weight of their babies was also recorded after giving birth.

It was remarkable that the weight of babies for the women who drank milk during pregnancy was higher. The mothers with less milk consumed per day (250 ml), averaged 110 g less compared with mothers consumed with more milk. The study even noted that with each additional glass of milk a day, the weight of the newborn was 41 g increased.

This effect is due to the vitamin D in milk and not to other components mainly from specific proteins and calcium exists in the body. The pregnant women are recommended to drink enough milk during pregnancy. If necessary, they are advised to discuss with their doctor whether or not they need a supplement. On top of that, regular milk drinking habit at the time of menopause is also favorable. This is because vitamin also contributes to the strength of calcium in the bones and protects against the risk of osteoporosis.

Many pregnant women are concerning about their pregnancy. A question has been brought up in a discussion :

I’ve been eating cheese and yogurt… and that seems to be fine to eat.
but milk and ice cream kill me!!!
Do I have to make myself drink it for the baby?

Here are the comments and suggestions :

1. If you are lactose intolerant, you can buy soy milk, etc. I also hated milk, not because of intolerance, but just didn’t like it. My Dr. said a quart a day–my solution was to buy something like Nestles Quick and put in my milk. The chocolate taste made it taste good enough for me to drink. It is important for you to get enough calcium while you are pregnant because the baby will take what he/she needs and you could come up short to protect your own bones, teeth, etc. You can also check with your OB/GYN to see if he has any suggestions like taking a calcium supplement, etc.
2. No. You can get calcium from other sources. The reason that cheese and yogurt sit better is because they have enzymes in them that aid in digestion. Pasturized milk and ice cream do not. There are over the counter products that temporarily give you those enzymes and will help you if you want to eat ice cream or drink milk.
   There are some good natural supplements that give you way more calcium than milk. Look up spirulina…it’s an awesome source of calcium!
   P.S. Chocolate and caffiene interfere with your body’s ability to absorb calcium, so if you’re concerned about not getting enough, avoid those.
3. Don’t force yourself to drink milk if you’re lactose intolerant. The yogurt and cheese will help as sources of calcium. You can check with your pracitioner to see if you’re getting enough calcium or not. If not, he/she can prescribe a calcium supplement for you. The biggest problem with too much cheese is constipation.
   Also, Natrel makes a lactose free milk in homo, 1 and 2 percent and skim milk if you’re very concerned about your milk intake.
4. I am lactose intolerant…. you can get lactose free milk if you like it, that being said, I couldn’t even take milk in my TEA (decaf) when I was pregnant – the dairy killed me – lactose intolerance aside, it made me completely nauseous. Go for other calcium rich foods, some vegetables and fruits are loaded with it, and when all else failed (and I could eat again) mac & cheese or grilled cheese sandwiches or yogurt with granola all stood in for milk in a rather large way…
5. No, of course you don’t have to drink milk. (There are many cultures in which animal milk isn’t used at all. Vegans never drink milk.) Making yourself sick by eating a food you can’t tolerate doesn’t help your baby in any way.
   Eat a balanced diet. Include in it whatever dairy products you CAN tolerate (yogurt is usually good for LI folks). If you like milk, you can drink the lactose free type, or take the lactaid pills. But if you don’t like it, a varied diet and your prenatal vitamins will cover all your bases.
   (And, just to clear up one myth, the fact that you are LI doesn’t mean that your baby will be. Infants are never lactose intolerant, so if baby has difficulty with your breastmilk, or with a standard formula, don’t let anyone try to tell you that it’s becuase he’s LI. )
6. No, you don’t. What baby (and you) need is what is found in the milk and ice cream, not the products themselves. Calcium is important for building strong bones in both your quickly growing little one and yourself, but you certainly don’t need to make yourself sick in order to make sure you get enough. Aside from yogurt and cheese (both excellent sources of Calcium), you can take a Calcium supplement. Just be sure to O.K. it with your doctor first. Congratulations on your baby!
7. I’m 36 weeks pregnant and haven’t had cow’s milk for a loooong time =) I do eat cheese and when i can, ice-cream, but i’m a little sensitive to Lactose.. Baby is growing fine and i’ve had no problems at all. I guess the only thing is the calcium. You can get Calcium enriched Soymilk which is what i drink, otherwise i’d say take suppliment pills because your bones/teeth get really weak while pregnant >.< Good luck!
8. Don’t eat something that you have an intolerance to! Stressing your body is the worst possible thing you can do for the baby!
   I would speak to your doctor and maybe have an allergy test. It might be that goats milk works for you. But really, all you need to eat is your normal healthy diet.
9. Cheese and yogurt are a great addition to support your growing fetus. Instead of milk try drinking soy milk. It taste better and it has just about if more nutrients like calcium and vitamin D. Most importantly its great for lactose and tolerant people.
10. You can get calcium from plenty of other sources. Cheese, yogurt, fortified soy milk, fortified tofu, broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables and fortified orange juice all have enough calcium.

Many parents are concerning about their babies. A question has been brought up in a discussion :

Like did you give them rice cereal at morning and night? How many jars of baby food a day did you give them and at what times, do you still give bottles and how many times a day. My doc said shes old enough now to eat rice cereal and then fruits and veggies, but I don’t know the process of how to do it. Please tell me your babys experience, and she is 4 months old.

Here are the comments and suggestions :

1. We started at about 5 1/2 months old with our twins. We did a few spoons of rice cereal mixed with formula at night. We did it about an hour before their last bottle of the day. We did this for a few weeks.
   At 6 months, we added a few spoonfuls (about 1/2 a jar) of veggies to the rice cereal. We started with sweet potatoes, then green beans, squash, peas, carrots . . . alternating our orange and green vegetables. We also stayed with the same vegetable for 3 – 4 days to be sure that there was not an allergic reaction. Our pediatrician actually told us to start with vegetables. Not all kids, but some kids, do not like the vegetables once they have acquired a taste for the sweet fruits.
   After getting through the vegetables and feeling secure that they were not allergic, we added another solid feeding. At noon, which is between their 2nd and 3rd bottle of the day, they have a bit of rice cereal with fruit. We did the same thing with the fruits – tried the same one for 3 – 4 days in a row.
   Some people skip the cereal but our kids like it and it seems to thicken the very watery stage 1 foods.
   Here is their current schedule:
   6:30AM Bottle
   10:00AM Bottle
   Noon – fruit and rice cereal
   2:00PM Bottle
   5:30PM Bottle
   7:30PM – veggies and rice cereal
   8:30PM Bottle and off to bed.
   I would start with one feeding for a while and work your way up to two. We did not discontinue any of their bottles as babies up to a year old should be getting most of their nutrients from either breastmilk or formula.
   Hope this helps!
2. I know that you know that all babies are different and Dr guidelines are well to me just a general outline.
   (My daughter started eating cereal off a spoon at 3 months and at 7 1/2 months she is already on graduates and 3rd.)
   I give her a bottle 4 times a day still. 8oz in the morning when she wakes and right before bed. 6oz thru out the day, and cereal for lunch with a 4 oz bottle and a fruit and veggie. At dinner I let her finish her fruit/veggie (around 5-6) followed with that 8oz around 8pm. She is growing great. And she has fruit juice 2 times a day (3oz)
   I dont do the rice, she does not like it… she seems to like the single grain oatmeal (try if the baby wont take to the rice or mix the cereal with some juice)
   When you do start, wait 4-5 days before introducing new foods, to make sure no allergies. But honestly (Im not gonna say dont listen to the Dr) but I noticed my baby stayed hungry from their guides.
   7 1/2 months old 16lbs.
   *at 5 months I introduced a juice sippy*
   Good luck.
3. I would feed my baby as often as he seemed hungry. I actually made sure that I waited until he was able to hold up his head on his own in order to start giving him cereal and stage 1 baby foods in order to make sure he didn’t choke and as soon as I noticed that he was eating so much food and not having any problem swallowing or digesting it (also making sure you notice any changes in the stool/or pee-pee; just incase some specific thing that I was giving him doesn’t cause diarrhea or he could possibly have an allergy to the food I was giving him.
   My baby is now 8 months old and he should be able to eat stage 3 food, but for whatever reason he doesn’t like the chunks within the baby food, but he loves chunks of actual food and whatever he sees us eating he looks at us and almost pouts and opens his mouth like to say “what about me” I am ready to eat too. Kids will usually give you signs and cues that they are ready or not ready for new food/things and also if something causes them either an allergic reaction or makes them sick too.
   I still give my baby bottles to help him go to sleep, but to mix things up, I put a bit of chocolate or strawberry syrup in his bottle of formula, but as soon as he really started showing interest in food, he really started not wanting the bottle and he prefers drinking from an open cup, not a sippy cup (and I bought the best sippy cup, the flexible plastic easy grip gerber sippy cup that is leak proof, but he still prefers an open cup). As for the fruits, what I did for my son and all of my kids (I have 5 children), I took a semi-ripe banana and scraped the banana off onto a soft baby spoon and put it near his mouth and if he was interested, he would open his mouth and that also usually means that the baby’s body/digestive system is also ready to start softer easier to digest things like baby cereal, fruits and vegetables. The only vegetable that should be avoided until a baby until they are at least 6 months are carrots because of the beta carotene, but other than that everything else is fine when your baby is ready.
   I tried to give my baby, baby cereals and all the fancy ones that have yogurt and fruit and cream and such, but my baby (as many of my other children) just didn’t fancy the taste and I just supplement the grain in other fruits, vegetables and foods.
   Kids don’t come with instructions and all are different and if you pretty much listen to your specific baby’s needs and wants (within reason) then you should be just fine. Usually the foods that have known to cause allergies in babies are milk, some grains, soy in some children, peanuts, fish (other seafood) and eggs, therefore, these such foods should be avoided as long as they can be (grain, soy and milk should be fine, unless a baby is like lactose intolerant, soy intolerant, or grain intolerant and their body will let you know; usually too much (excessive vomiting) or diarrhea way too often which can be dangerous in excess because it can cause severe dehydration.
   Well I hope this helped some,,,
   Good luck to you and your angel.

Many parents are concerning about their babies. A question has been brought up in a discussion :

How come your not supposed to give a baby salt, but you could give them things such as cheese, which is you look at the ingredients salt is an added ingredient, and its loaded with it? some insight please thanks a million!

Here are the comments and suggestions :

1. Personally I would not give my baby cheese, at least not large amounts. Baby’s drink breast milk or formula till a year! I always wait till a year old to start things like milk, cheese and treats like ice cream. I would think it might make their stomach upset along with causing some constipation for baby. Constipation for baby is bad too. Nothing is worse then a baby who cant go number 2 other then maybe colic. They get cranky , fussy and it just plain hurts! As far as salt I believe it has more to do with introducing food without added flavoring. That way they will begin to like foods for what they taste like and eat things like green beans. Otherwise a baby would possibly begin to only like food with additives such as salt, pepper, and sugar. They even could develop a preference and decide they do not want to eat the vegetables and babies need the vitamins for growing and having strong bones! Hope that helps and good luck!
2. I just talked to my pediatric specialist about this earlier today since my son is 7 months old (premie). And he explained that a babies stomach is unable to digest Milk or derivatives of milk, and can cause bleeding otherwise know as an occult, not sure if that’s how you spell it. He also told me that in his 44 yrs of work that it is ok after they are 8 months and 1 week (he has never seen a child past that age suffer from one) to then give them milk products but not milk alone. This allows the digestive system to get used to the enzymes and breakdown the food. Milk alone shouldn’t be given until the baby is 12 months or older. Hope this helps!!
3. Good point! The thing is with cheese is a little goes a long way, and it’s a dairy product that is okay for under 12 months – but yes cheese has a lot of salt, but a whole lot less then canned vegetables or chips.
4. They need it for the calcium.that is toddlers not babies.you give a baby cheese and you might constipate them.their system isn’t able to process it yet.not to mention the choke factor.
5. I thought babies weren’t supposed to have any dairy products until they are at least 1 year old because the stomach can’t handle digesting it…

Many pregnant women are concerning about their pregnancy. A question has been brought up in a discussion :

I’m 11 weeks pregnant and for the past three weeks, I have been throwing up everyday. Everything I eat. Especially when I eat meat. I’m trying to eat everything I can to support my baby nutrition but my stomach can’t handle any food. Is there anything I can do from throwing. Is my baby going to be okay?

Here are the comments and suggestions :

1. Your baby will be fine….make sure you are not getting dehydrated and are drinking alot also try small meals at first its good to try and eat healthy but try eating what sounds good not what you think is the best choice for the baby this does not mean just cookies and cakes but you will be surprised how you will pick something that is healthy with my last daughter all i wanted was beans and cheese at first and this is full of protein and calcium and i ate it everyday for like 3 weeks my Doctor said it was fine and my baby was great and as the throwing up got less and less i added in all the other foods! so try what sounds good and hopefully it will work!! good luck.
2. welcome to pregnancy.. you baby will be fine though eat a lot of fruit and crackers!
3. I don’t usually recomend meds but I was sick like you too, I threw up at LEAST 10 times a day and unfortunately if you are that sick it can be harmful to the baby because if you are not getting enough nutrition neither is the baby. Ask your doctor about a medicine called Zofran. It really worked wonders for me and I didn’t throw up once after I got on it. It is also very important that you take your pre-natal vitamins and if they make you sick like they did me take them at night with a small snack. Also try eating foods that are high in floic acid, cereal has alot of folic acid in it. It is VITAL for a baby to develope. Just a tip – grapes really made my stomache feel better.
4. Ok several things you could try. Keep in mind though that it is different for every woman who is pregnant.
   1. Anything that is ginger or mint. I ate those andes mints all the time for my nausea and they really helped. Or tea.
   2. Try eating something really plain like crakers or bread before you get out of bed in the morning. This puts something in your stomache to help fight the nausea. Sometimes, morning sickness is just because your stomache is completely empty.
   3. Try toning down the spices and variety of your food. A certain spice may be making the nausea worse. Sometimes its something like milk that could be causing it.
   4. Avoid strong smells. Not just strong food smells either. Whenever I smelled a hint of Pine-Sol, I got sick.
   5. Eat something right before bed and take your prenatal vitamin then.
   6. Graze all day. Don’t eat “meals”, just kind of munch all the time. Basically, spread your food out throughout the day. This will help when you get farther along and have less room for your stomache. After a few bites my last few weeks I felt like I swallowed a rock. I got very used to constantly eating.
   If it gets really bad, where you can’t keep anything down, then go to your doctor. You need to keep hydrated and get enough nutrients right now. This is one of the key times during the pregnanacy where the baby is growing by leaps and bounds. So you need to keep yourself healthy. I also ate tums all the time. Should have invested in them when I was pregnant. They are one of the very few medicines you can take, and they give you extra calcium too!
5. You might have a condition called ‘hypermesis gravidarum’. http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/naus… Has more information about it that might help you. I’m sure your baby will be fine.
6. I had morning sickness the first 5 1/2 months of pregnancy and the only thing that helped with the nausea was ginger ale and sour patch kids. Keep taking your pre-natal vitamin at a time when you feel the least amount of nausea.
   I was told that any food in the beginning is better than no food at all and not to worry too much about the nutritious content. This is because the baby is first priority in your body and any kind of nutrients from any food will go to your baby first and you will be the one who is deprived from the nutrients.
   Also keep drinking your water too. Hope this helps!
7. Ahhh… the joys of ‘morning sickness’. I had it really bad in my first trimester too. The good news is that it usually wears off by the second trimester, although not always. Have you talked to the doctor? Mine ended up writing me a prescription because I was getting dehydrated. Also, is it possible that you had an urinary tract infection? Pregnant women are more susceptible to them and they can make you throw up alot too. Good Luck!
   Oh and by the way, the baby will be fine. My doctor said its common for women to actually lose weight during the first trimester and that the baby will get everything it needs from you.
8. The baby gets everything he needs from you, he doesn’t care whether or not you are eating well …. you have all the vitamins and minerals stored in your body and he will just suck it up. That is what my doctor told me, I was sick for the most of my pregnancy and I kept loosing weight, although I tried to eat well, I couldn’t keep anything besides crackers.. and the baby is completely fine {and big, too!}. So good luck, hope it won’t last as long as mine sicknesses did…

There has been a lot of information in the press regarding the lack of omega 3 fatty acids in our diet. Omega 3’s are present in oily fish such as tuna, mackerel, salmon and sardines. These fatty acids are essential, as the body cannot produce them itself and has to obtain them from dietary sources. They are particularly important in the last 3 months of pregnancy for the healthy development of baby’s brain, eyes, immune system and nervous system. Some researchers also maintain that a lack of Omega 3’s during pregnancy can increase the chances of suffering from postpartum depression or the baby blues after baby is born.

The benefits of fish oil for the baby’s brain development do not end with childbirth, either. Many very well-controlled, double-blind studies have confirmed that babies who receive breastmilk enhanced with the brain-buillding omega-3 fat, DHA, will have higher IQs and a much lower incidence of learning disabilities, including autism and mental retardation, compared to babies who consume only “standard” breastmilk. The lack of DHA in infant formula is also believed to be the primary cause of higher rates of cognitive delay among formula-fed babies.

For the best growth and development of our babies, pregnant and nursing women need adequate amounts of omega-3s. This means encouraging pregnant and nursing women to eat fish regularly. It also means that young children need to consume foods with omega-3s. Infant and baby foods must include a source of omega-3s.

There is an enzyme called lactase which is responsible for breaking down the lactose. Many people have a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which is normally made by cells lining the small intestine. Without this enzyme they can’t break down milk sugar into simpler forms that can be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Lactose intolerance is not very common in toddlers under two years of age, unless the toddler has a lactase deficiency because of an injury to the small intestine. A rare cause of lactose intolerance is called congenital lactase deficiency. Toddlers with this condition do not produce any lactase.

Your toddler may need to take a calcium supplement if he/she doesn’t get enough of it from the diet, since milk and foods made with milk are the most common source of calcium for most people. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium, therefore, your toddler’s diet should provide an adequate supply of vitamin D.

There are many of nondairy foods that are rich in calcium. These include :

• Green vegetables such as broccoli and kale.

• Fish such as salmon and sardines.

• Yogurt

Sources of vitamin D include eggs and liver. Sunlight is also a good source of vitamin D.

How should we help our toddlers to relieve constipation? One of the solutions is to add more fiber foods to your toddler’s diet. Here are some of the high fiber foods recommended for your toddler.

1. Apples – Apples are rich in vitamin C and consists of about 5g of fiber for an unpeeled whole apple. Bear in mind that do not peel the apple for your toddler as this will cause it loses about half of its fiber.
2. Whole Grain Cereal – Whole grain cereal would be a great choice as a breakfast cereal for your toddler. In this case, you should choose whole grain cereal that is calcium fortified and has added fiber.
3. Vegetables – Most vegetables are good sources of fiber. Vegetables like cooked carrots, corn, peas, baked potatoes are high in fiber and are good in helping constipation relief.
4. Oatmeal – Oatmeal is a high fiber food that is good for your toddler. In this case, you should make some oatmeal foods and snacks such as oatmeal cookies and oatmeal bars for them.

In conclusion, you should try to make a good habit for your toddler to take more high fiber foods instead of high fat foods. This will prevent he/she from suffering obesity problem when he/she grows up.

If you’d like to entice your baby to consume some of those greens and other healthy options, there are a few things you can do to alter the presentation to hopefully find that magic preparation that gets them to change their mind.

1. If your baby won’t eat the pureed vegetables you’ve prepared for their meals, try stirring reasonable amounts of it into some other food items that they like such as pasta, soups or cereals.

2. Instead of preparing your baby’s food with water, try a tastier broth like chicken stock.  It should both smell and taste more appetizing, increasing the likelihood they’ll take to it.

3. If your baby likes muffins or similar soft breads, try using grated vegetables as part of the baking ingredients.

4. Babies love finger foods – it’s plenty of fun, after all, to take food yourself and pop it down your mouth.  You can try slicing your cooked veggies into bite sized pieces and serve them before their actual meals.  Let them play with it a couple of times and see what happens.

5. Top vegetable meals with grated (even melted) cheese.  Babies usually enjoy the taste of cheese (perhaps  a few of your other dressings will work as well) and might be persuaded to eat their veggies that way.

When you find your baby taking well to a particular vegetable preparation, don’t keep serving them the same thing. Babies greatly benefit from experiencing and learning about different tastes and textures so do provide them with variety occasionally.

Babies like it too.  Most cheese products come with a rich and full flavor, allowing it to be incorporated into many tasty meals.  Even better, it’s very easy to prepare.  You can:

• cut up firm cheeses and serve as finger food or mix them into meals
• grate it and stir into rice, pasta, soups, cereals and other dishes
• grill it and serve with bread
• mash it and mix with fruit purees like avocado
• incorporate when baking soft snacks like cookies and muffins

Most babies should be able to handle cheese made from pasteurized milk as early as the sixth month.  If a history of dairy allergy is present in your family, however, make sure to consult your child’s pediatrician first.  Bear in mind, though, that cheese is usually free from the milk protein that causes dairy allergy so it might not even be that big a concern.

Great cheeses you may want to consider for your baby’s diet includes swiss cheese, cheddar, parmesan, romano, colby, mozzarella, cream cheese, cottage cheese and romano.   Heavily processed cheese products found in groceries, while fine, usually has plenty of emulsifiers, additives and enhancers.  During their early years, it might be best to focus their diet on full-flavored “real” cheeses.