Maternal milks can provide an important source of nutrition for Mums even before pregnancy

Planning for pregnancy is more than just trying to conceive. It's a matter of preparing mentally and emotionally for changes that will come with having a baby. Preparing your body physically is equally as important as you ready yourself for the growth of your family.

Of the many things you need to pay attention to besides your ovulation cycle, you also need to address your nutritional intake to make sure that your body is ready to nurture the little one you will soon have inside you, even before conception. 

Before getting pregnant, you must remember these things:

• One in every four Filipina pregnant women is nutritionally at risk. This means that they are not getting the vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy pregnancy. Pre-conception nutrition is a vital part of preparing for pregnancy. What you eat and how tall you are compared to how much you weigh, can seriously affect the growth of your baby.

• There is a direct connection to your pre-pregnancy weight and your child's birth weight.

• It is very important to eat healthy and nutritious food even before pregnancy to help your body to meet the demands of a growing baby.

• Women who are trying to get pregnant need to take an additional 400mcg-800mcg of folic acid daily for at least a month before conception. Folic acid is particularly important in aiding your baby’s proper brain development. It helps decrease mom’s risk of bearing a child with neural tube defects. Even after you conceive you should still continue to take folic acid during your pregnancy for at least three months.

• The daily recommended amount of calcium for a woman to take is 750mg but you will need to increase that to 800mg for your first to third trimester according to RENI 2002. Though you only need a slight increase in your calcium needs, most women only take 50% of their daily calcium needs before conception so you need to make sure you have enough for you and your baby before you decide on getting pregnant.

• Iron deficiency in Filipino women is quite high. To help in healthy brain development for your baby, it is important to monitor your iron intake prior to becoming pregnant.

• It is well established that iron-deficient babies develop more slowly and show brain abnormalities such as slow language learning and behavioural problems.

• Having a pre pregnancy check up with your doctor, and determining where you need to increase your food intake to achieve the recommended daily vitamins and minerals so you can meet the demands of conceiving and carrying to the birth of your baby is a wise decision.

• Achieving an optimal weight that is appropriate for your height and build can help your baby develop properly, and make it easier for you to deliver naturally.

To support your nutritional needs, for a healthy pregnancy, we recommend Anmum Materna, the only maternal milk with clinically tested Folate and is most prescribed by doctors. Just two (2) glasses of Anmum dailly can help you fulfill your daily vitamins and nutrients.  

At only 150 calories per serving of Anmum Materna, you are already getting help in fulfilling the recommended nutritional intake of the following:

• Folate

• Calcium

• Zinc

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin B12

Combined with a healthy, proper diet, exercise and a balanced lifestyle, Anmum can provide you with many benefits for you and your baby. 

Caring of your baby starts as early as the desire to become pregnant. Consider preparing your body for conception the same as preparing the baby's nursery for her arrival. You must meet your daily requirement of nutrients and vitamins to have a healthy pregnancy and to be able to nurture the proper brain and body development of your baby.

Sources:

http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10293
http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/holistic-pregnancy-childbirth/how-can-i-best-prepare-pregnancy-and-childbi
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/index.cfm?id=3150
http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/images/stories/7thNNS/nns_Result.pdf