How to Increase Fetal Weight – When you are pregnant, it is not only yourself that you need to pay attention to, but also the baby you are carrying. When pregnant, the nutrients needed increase because you have to provide nutritional intake for the little one in the womb. It’s just that sometimes pregnant women find it difficult to meet their nutritional needs. Some pregnant women have experienced less than the recommended weight. This situation will certainly affect the weight of the fetus in the womb.
The weight of the fetus while still in the womb is important to note. For those of you who are underweight, as long as your little one is not born you still have the opportunity to improve the situation for you and the fetus in the womb.
Why is Baby Birth Weight Important?
The increase in maternal weight during pregnancy will certainly affect the weight of the fetus in the womb. In addition, this will also affect your little one’s weight at birth. Weight baby at birth is important as a predictor of infant health. If the baby has a low birth weight, it will be more difficult for him to fight infection, as well as difficulty in controlling body temperature when he is newborn. In addition, as adults, your little one is more likely to suffer from certain diseases.
Knowing like that, it is important for you to be able to gain weight when you are pregnant to a specified limit. You need to remember, gaining too much weight while pregnant is also not good. During the third trimester of pregnancy, the baby in the womb will experience accelerated weight gain. At that instant, your body weight will also increase, apart from the increasing weight of the fetus as well as the increased reserves of fat, amniotic fluid, fluids, blood volume, a larger placenta and uterus.
Therefore, during your pregnancy it is important to always consult a doctor to find out whether your weight is normal or not.
The risk of babies having less or more weight
Baby’s weight is low if it is less than 2,500 grams, while it is said to be large if it weighs more than 4,000 grams. Well, here are the risks if the baby weighs less or more than the normal limit. (Also read: Piracy of Fetus Towards Delivery )
Risk of Underweight Baby (LBW)
Newborns if they have low body weight have the risk of experiencing health problems as adults. Your little one can experience nutritional problems, as well as developmental problems early in life. Even if the baby is unable to fix the problem in the early years of life, the risk of developing health problems increases, such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. The reason is, the food consumed is not in accordance with what is needed by the body.
Health problems in low birth weight babies can be avoided by improving nutrition early in life. The problems faced by babies with low birth weight also depend on the cause, when the baby’s growth in the womb is limited, and how severe the level of LBW is. The smaller the baby’s birth weight, the faster the baby will be born, besides that, the greater the risk of your little one having health problems.
Big Baby Weight Risk
Babies born with a large body weight can also be caused by the size of their parents, and pregnant women have gained excess weight. In addition, it can also be caused by diabetes during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes will cause glucose in the mother’s blood that is circulated to the baby to increase so that the baby’s body in the womb will produce more insulin. Excess blood sugar and insulin production will cause the baby to grow bigger, the baby’s fat reserves will be more, as a result the baby’s weight is large.
The size of a large baby will make it difficult for the mother to give birth, maybe even by caesarean section. Big babies due to gestational diabetes will cause the baby to have problems with his body regarding glucose regulation, for example, the baby can have problems with low blood sugar at birth. Not only that, big babies will also cause difficulty breathing, increasing the risk of birth defects and jaundice.
How to increase fetal weight that is still less
Lack of weight during pregnancy will not only affect the mother, but also the fetus in the womb. The fetus may have small weight, limited growth and be born prematurely.
If you haven’t reached the weight you should be while pregnant, you can try to improve your diet. You can follow these tips to increase your weight during pregnancy, as well as how to increase fetal weight in the womb.
Increase Calorie Intake
If you have applied the right diet but are gaining a little weight, then you must increase the number of calories from food consumption. If you lose your appetite you have to focus on the number of calories in the food even if it’s small.
Protein
During pregnancy you are advised to consume protein as much as 90 to 100 grams per day. Protein is important for baby development, especially brain development. Some of the healthy sources of protein that you can consume are chicken, almonds, lean beef, dairy foods and fish. In addition, you can add peanut butter or low-fat cheese to your meal or snack menu. This will increase the growth of the fetus in the womb and increase the weight of the fetus.
Unsaturated Fat
Fat intake in your diet during pregnancy is important because it can maximize nutrient absorption. Fat intake during pregnancy is needed by the fetus to get the minerals and vitamins necessary for its development and growth. Even so, that doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want. A diet with added intake of unsaturated fats will help the growth of the fetus, as well as ensure that the placenta in your womb remains healthy.
To increase the intake of the required unsaturated fats you can get them from nuts, avocado, olive oil, seeds and fatty fish such as salmon.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends 2 to 3 servings of unsaturated fats per day, this will help increase fetal weight while you are pregnant.
Carbohydrate
You can get carbohydrates from food sources such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and legumes.
Calcium
Calcium is needed to build strong teeth and bones. Calcium will also allow the blood to clot normally, the heart to beat normally and the nerves to function properly.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pregnant and lactating women as much as 1,000 mg per day. You can get adequate calcium intake by drinking or eating four servings of dairy products every day. Dairy products are the best sources of calcium.
In addition, you can g
et a source of calcium from green vegetables, kale, watercress, bok choy, cauliflower, broccoli, orange juice, corn, almonds, and enriched sesame seeds.
Iron
In the second and third trimesters of gestation, iron is needed twice as much. During the first trimester of pregnancy the need for iron is minimal. Taking iron supplements during the first trimester of pregnancy will worsen morning sickness.
Iron is an important part of red blood cells. Iron will help the growth of the fetus and placenta. In addition, iron will also help you build resistance to illness and stress, and can prevent depression, fatigue, irritability and weakness. (See also: Food for Pregnant Women for Smart and Smart Children )
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pregnant women to consume 27 mg of iron daily between vitamins and food. Good sources of iron include dry flakes, whole grains, nuts, lean beef and green vegetables.
Sugar
During pregnancy, the healthy snacks you can consume are fresh fruit. In addition, consumption of healthy fruit will also provide you and the fetus with healthy sugar intake. You can also make dark chocolate a healthy snack. We recommend that you limit your consumption of sweeteners such as candy and other sweets. The reason is, the calories from this type of sugar can only increase the weight of the fetus a little.
Folic acid
Folic acid is a type of vitamin B. Consumption of folic acid before and during pregnancy will reduce the risk of the baby experiencing birth defects or neural tube defects.
Implementing a Healthy Lifestyle
In addition to applying the right diet, you should also adopt a healthy lifestyle that is beneficial for the health of you and the fetus you are carrying.
Avoid Consuming Junk Food
Even though you are advised to eat foods with high calorie content, it is also important to pay attention to the nutritional content of the food you consume. Junk food does contain high calories, it’s just a little nutritional content so it is not good for pregnant women to consume. Apart from junk food, you should also avoid eating foods that contain high fat and cholesterol, preservative foods, and fried foods. It is important to eat a balanced diet.
Enough rest
During pregnancy you should make it a habit to get enough sleep at night. Adequate rest time will provide energy and will keep the body fresh. If you feel tired easily during the day, you should reduce your activity. If possible you can take a nap.
Doing light exercise
To support health, you should do light exercise. You can take a leisurely walk in the morning or evening so that your body is more fit and fresh. You can consult your doctor about what sports are suitable for pregnant women.
Avoid Stress and Anxiety
When you feel anxious and excessively stressed, it may affect your diet. You can overeat or eat less. Of course it will affect you and your little one in the womb.
Thus, it is important to pay attention to body weight during pregnancy because it will affect the weight of the fetus in the womb. In addition to applying the right diet, you can also consult a doctor to find out the best steps as a way to gain fetal weight. Hope it is useful.
This article is reviewed by Midwife Pevi Revina sTR. Keb
