According to the Coalition for Positive Outcomes in Pregnancy, before becoming pregnant a woman needs at least four months to recover from exposure to harmful substances and to build a good nutritional supply. For example, the risk of spina bifida, caused by a defective closing of the neural tube, is greatly reduced when the expectant mother has an ample supply of folic acid.

Since the embryo's neural tube closes between the 24th and 28th day after conception-long before many women realize that they are pregnant-some women who are planning to become pregnant take folic acid.

Another crucial nutrient is iron. Indeed, a woman's iron requirement doubles during pregnancy. If her reserve is low-which is true of many women in developing countries-she can come to have iron-deficiency anemia. This condition can be worsened by repeated pregnancies, as the woman may not have time between them to replenish her iron reserve.

Making Your Pregnancy Safer

A pregnant woman should avoid extremes. According to Krause's Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy, a low-birth-weight baby's risk of death is 40 times greater than that of a normal-weight newborn. On the other hand, eating for two only promotes obesity. Proper weight gain-more evident from the second trimester on-indicates that the expectant mother is eating the right amount for her increased demands.

Some sources of folic acid and iron are liver, legumes, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and fortified cereals. For absorbing iron-rich foods, it may help to combine them with sources of vitamin C, such as fresh fruits.

The recommended gain for a woman who begins pregnancy with a healthy weight is between 20 and 25 pounds [9 and 12 kg] by the end of gestation. Nevertheless, adolescents or undernourished women should gain between 25 and 30 pounds [12 and 15 kg], while those who are overweight should gain only between 15 and 20 pounds [7 and 9 kg].

According to the Coalition for Positive Outcomes in Pregnancy, before becoming pregnant a woman needs at least four months to recover from exposure to harmful substances and to build a good nutritional supply. For example, the risk of spina bifida, caused by a defective closing of the neural tube, is greatly reduced when the expectant mother has an ample supply of folic acid.

Since the embryo's neural tube closes between the 24th and 28th day after conception-long before many women realize that they are pregnant-some women who are planning to become pregnant take folic acid.

Another crucial nutrient is iron. Indeed, a woman's iron requirement doubles during pregnancy. If her reserve is low-which is true of many women in developing countries-she can come to have iron-deficiency anemia. This condition can be worsened by repeated pregnancies, as the woman may not have time between them to replenish her iron reserve.

Making Your Pregnancy Safer

A pregnant woman should avoid extremes. According to Krause's Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy, a low-birth-weight baby's risk of death is 40 times greater than that of a normal-weight newborn. On the other hand, eating for two only promotes obesity. Proper weight gain-more evident from the second trimester on-indicates that the expectant mother is eating the right amount for her increased demands.

Some sources of folic acid and iron are liver, legumes, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and fortified cereals. For absorbing iron-rich foods, it may help to combine them with sources of vitamin C, such as fresh fruits.

The recommended gain for a woman who begins pregnancy with a healthy weight is between 20 and 25 pounds [9 and 12 kg] by the end of gestation. Nevertheless, adolescents or undernourished women should gain between 25 and 30 pounds [12 and 15 kg], while those who are overweight should gain only between 15 and 20 pounds [7 and 9 kg].