What Is The Best Diet For Multiple Pregnancy?
It is often said that pregnant women should eat for two. While this is a totally false idea in terms of portions, to some extent it is certainly plausible. Every mother needs a consistent supply of vitamins and minerals, which will be transmitted to the newborn without however generating imbalances. If you are going through a multiple pregnancy, be aware that your daily requirement will increase considerably. To help you with nutrition, here is a complete guide to a multiple pregnancy diet.
Why the multiple pregnancy diet is important
The multiple pregnancy diet is not very different from the one for those who will give birth to only one child. It is estimated that the mother should increase her intake by 400 calories per day, obviously in the healthiest way possible. This means that the increase will occur thanks to greater quantities of proteins, vegetables and fruits whose supply of nutrients is guaranteed. Therefore, this increase should never concern, for example, processed foods.
In addition, the episodes of nausea or vomiting will increase and will be very intense, because the hormonal changes will turn the organism of new mothers upside down. All these aspects go hand in hand, so a tailor-made multiple pregnancy diet is needed, planned by an experienced specialist.
Nutrients needed for a twin pregnancy
Doctors recommend that every mother eat healthily. If you are pregnant, therefore, you should increase your consumption of vegetables, fruits and vegetables, as we indicated a few lines ago. Even more so in the multiple or twin pregnancy diet. However, there are nutrients that are particularly important to ensure the proper development of two or more babies within the womb. Let’s see together what they are:
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The need for calcium increases significantly in the case of multiple pregnancies. This is because a lot is excreted through the urine. Therefore, mothers should consume around 1200 mg of calcium per day. It is possible to get this chemical from healthy sources such as milk, cheese and low-fat yogurt. Also juice from oranges, broccoli, sardines, eggs, nuts, among others.
Folic acid
Folic acid is another essential element during pregnancy, especially if you have twins. Thanks to this pteroyl glutamic acid (also known as vitamin M, vitamin B9 or folacin), you can significantly reduce the risk of your baby suffering from neural tube defects. You can consume it as a supplement or increase your consumption of green leafy vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, lettuce or broccoli, for example.
Iron
Iron is another essential element in the diet of mothers during multiple pregnancies. This is because it promotes the transport of oxygen to all tissue cells. The intake of this mineral is even more urgent when it comes to two fetuses, since any insufficiency could cause anemia.
In addition to consuming the supplements recommended by your doctor, you will need to include red meats, eggs and fish in your daily diet. It is also advisable to drink orange juice, because vitamin C helps to absorb iron and make the most of it.
Proteins
Furthermore, they intervene in the formation of the placenta and any deficiency would have serious consequences. The consumption of these biological macromolecules will have to increase slightly and be of good quality, to supply the essential amino acids. Let’s talk about fish, chicken, beans, rice or oats, for example.
Vitamins
In multiple pregnancies, the consumption of vitamins B6, D and C, as well as minerals such as zinc and copper, should also be monitored. Dosage in supplement form, in general, is the same as for a single pregnancy, but must be supplemented with foods rich in these nutrients. If you are about to have twins, you should always keep a good amount of nuts, chickpeas, liver and lots of fruit at home.
Weight gain during multiple pregnancy
The amount of weight you will have to gain is directly related to the value recorded before pregnancy, in addition to the type of physical structure of the mother. Therefore, a mother who is expecting twins can increase up to 15-18 kg, while those who have twins can push up to 22 kg. To do this, avoid excess carbohydrates and meet your needs with plenty of vegetables and proteins. As you have seen, it is they who will provide you with the nutrients you need for an optimal pregnancy, without risk to your health and that of the little ones you will give birth.
