Pregnancy is an exciting time. When you first found out, hundreds of giddy questions probably ran through your mind. “Is it a boy or a girl? Who will the baby look like? What kind and brand of crib, stroller, car seat, and other baby items should I buy?”

However, your excitement and happiness about your upcoming bundle of joy shouldn’t overshadow other important, more serious matters. Something as crucial as complete nutrition. Sadly, 1 in 4 pregnant women in the Philippines are at risk. They don’t get enough of one or more nutrients to ensure their health or their baby’s during this critical period. This can result not just in pregnancy complications, but also in birth defects and health issues for your baby.

The Risks of Being at Risk

Maternal Nutrient Deficiency, or MND, is a common occurrence in the Philippines. Based on the latest FNRI Nutritional Survey, 89.5% of pregnant Filipino women don’t meet their daily calcium requirements, 37.5% don’t get enough folate, and an alarming 99.2% don’t meet iron requirements. There are also 76.2% who don’t meet daily protein requirements, 21.5% who lack zinc, 27.3% who don’t have enough iodine, and 83.5% who don’t meet their energy needs. 

These numbers are extremely concerning, indeed. Even more so because many women aren’t aware that they’re actually at risk. If this trend continues, more moms and babies will be affected by preterm births, fetal growth retardation, and high risks of maternal mortality and morbidity.

What You Truly Need

Many pregnant women don’t realize that a proper diet is still necessary, even when eating for two. They sometimes choose dishes with excessive, yet empty calories or an abundance of sugar, which can result in problems like gestational diabetes and gaining excess weight. In truth, pregnant women only need an extra 300 calories and this is only during the second and third trimesters. What’s important is a balanced diet packed with complete pregnancy nutrition, such as calcium, folate, iron, protein, and zinc.

CALCIUM: A pregnant woman’s daily requirement is 800 milligrams. It ensures the proper development of your baby’s bones. It also regulates how your body uses and stores fluids. 

FOLATE or FOLIC ACID: The daily requirement is 600 micrograms. Folate is critical in the proper development of the neural tube. This, in turn, reduces the risk of your child developing defects that affect the brain and spinal cord.

IRON: The daily requirement is 27 micrograms for the first trimester up to 38 micrograms in the last trimester. Iron helps improve blood circulation and ensure that both you and your baby get an ample supply of oxygen.

PROTEIN: You need 66 grams of protein per day. Protein helps promote the proper growth of fetal tissue, including the baby’s brain. It also plays a role in developing healthy breast and uterine tissue while you’re pregnant. But more importantly, it helps increase blood supply and allows more blood to be sent to your baby in the womb.

ZINC: The daily requirement ranges from 5 to 10 milligrams during pregnancy, but should continue well into your breastfeeding journey. This nutrient is important in the development of cells and DNA. It plays a key role in tissue growth and proper cell division.

How Can Anmum Help

Many of the essential nutrients you need are found in common daily foods such as leafy greens, citrus fruits, nuts, liver, eggs, cheese, and milk. However, due to dietary restrictions, allergies, budget, and accessibility, you don’t always know if you’re getting the complete nutrition you need. Whether you like it or not, there are simply times when you don’t or can’t eat right or enough. This is why prenatal nutritional milk like Anmum is important in meeting these requirements.

With the help of Anmum, expectant mothers like you can get the complete nutrition you need for you and your baby. With just 2 glasses a day, Anmum can meet 100% of the daily nutritional requirement for folate, calcium, and zinc. In addition, 2 glasses of Anmum a day can provide 36% of the daily required amount of iron and 28% of the recommended daily intake of protein. 

What’s even better is that Anmum also contains Mind Q Plus. This is composed of DHA, GA, and SA, which are nutrients that help your child’s brain connections develop even while still inside your tummy.

A Final Word

Don’t let your happiness and excitement overshadow the most important thing while you’re pregnant: keeping yourself healthy. Remember that whatever you eat and drink are also what your baby gets for nourishment. If you don’t get all the required nutrients, you put both your own health and your baby’s at risk. 

The task sounds simple—eat a variety of healthy foods from all food groups—but it’s hardly ever as straightforward. Thankfully, Anmum can help you meet the increased nutritional requirements of pregnancy. With just 2 glasses a day, your pregnancy journey will be healthier from the first month on.

Additional References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/nutrition#1

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/here-are-5-nutrients-that-can-help-women-get-pregnant#1