Childbirth is a complex process both physically and emotionally. We need to prepare for this, because there is so much to come. You don't need to be afraid, you just need to tune in correctly. For expectant mothers, there are excellent techniques for preparing your body: with physical exercises, and even with instructions on how to relieve pain during contractions. But that's not all.

Throughout pregnancy, a woman needs to monitor her diet. It should be balanced, useful. The diet of the expectant mother should not contain highly allergenic foods, unhealthy foods, tobacco and alcohol. In order for the birth to go smoothly in all respects, the mother will need not only a positive attitude, physical and breathing exercises, but also special attention to nutrition these days.

By the 38th week, the baby is already fully formed and ready to be born. All this time, he received from his mother the most necessary for development and growth. And now the final stage has come: the last weeks before childbirth, when it is important for a woman to prepare the pelvic muscles for the passage of the baby. And the essence of the diet during this period is to choose a set of products that will make the pelvic muscles stronger, more elastic, without overloading the mother's body, and will not contribute to the baby's overweight. Let's talk about this: what is possible, what is not, and why.

Quantity Matters

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Starving or eating for two are extremes, and they certainly will not bring any benefit. Future mothers who are afraid of getting fat, gaining extra pounds limit themselves in food. What threatens such a "diet"? The body is depleted, because the baby eats "mother's reserves", and if they are not replenished, then problems with a lack of vital vitamins and microelements may arise in the future. This will definitely not bring beauty, but health will be shaken.

Eating for two is also not quite the right approach. Excessive load on the body can affect not only in the form of extra pounds. Excess weight negatively affects the spine and provokes tissue swelling, which is highly undesirable during pregnancy.

It will be correct like this: eat 4-5 times a day, but portions should be small (ideally, its size is how much fits in two palms). The calorie content of dishes should be sufficient - then the feeling of hunger will not constantly pursue.

What products will be useful

What is better to refuse

• Flour dishes, confectionery, white bread- all this is desirable to at least limit, but it is better to completely exclude from the diet. There will be no benefit from bakery products, and they will add extra weight.
• Fatty meats: pork, lamb, duck. Still, you should not completely refuse meat products, you can give preference to lean beef, diet chicken.
• White cabbage. The vegetable is undoubtedly useful, but not for pregnant women. Bloating, fermentation in the intestines - this is what causes raw cabbage, and boiled or stewed gives an extra load on the pancreas.
• Cereal porridge (wheat, oatmeal, rice) are hard to digest in the stomach, again, an unnecessary burden on the body. Rice porridge can contribute to constipation in the intestines. Buckwheat porridge is considered a dietary product, but you should not constantly include buckwheat in the menu either.

Examples of dishes for a daily diet:

• Fresh vegetable salad dressed with olive oil.
• Steamed vegetables: carrots, asparagus, green peas.
• Boiled vegetables: beets, potatoes (not mashed), as a side dish.
• First courses in vegetable or light meat broth.
• Meat: lean beef, boiled chicken breast, steam cutlets, meatballs.
• Fish: low-fat varieties of fish boil or steam. Exclude: salted, dried and fried fish.
• For dessert: fruit salad, homemade ice cream, dry biscuits (such as crackers), yogurt with fresh berries.

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What can you drink and how much

During childbirth, when the exciting process begins, water will come to the rescue! Leaning on food is still not recommended, although now doctors are more loyal to their wards. About twenty years ago, they were preparing for childbirth, as for a serious operation: women in labor were forbidden to eat or drink anything at all. And before entering the delivery room, a cleansing enema was a mandatory procedure.

10 days before the birth, only preparation is underway and, of course, the question arises: how much fluid should be consumed.

The day of childbirth, as a rule, will be prompted by the gynecologist at the last consultation. they will unmistakably inform you of an imminent meeting with your baby, especially if this is not your first pregnancy. Completely refuse food and only drink water is not worth it. An excess of water in the body can cause swelling - an extra burden on the kidneys. Everything should be in moderation, so focus on your well-being. Listen to yourself.

What you can drink: purified water (in no case carbonated to avoid gas formation), juices, weak tea. Coffee - you can not, with herbal decoctions you need to be more careful. For example, thyme herb can cause bleeding, linden puts a strain on the heart muscle, and mint is not as harmless as they say.

Here are some basic tips on how to prepare for childbirth. The most important meeting with the little man who will see this world for the first time will come soon. For the sake of this meeting, you need to try, carefully prepare your body for it - and then everything will be fine!

Reading 7 min. Views 3.3k. Published on 02.02.2019

This article will be of interest to those future mothers who are about a month away from giving birth. The baby is already preparing for the birth, and his mother needs to make sure that the birth goes smoothly. Obstetricians advise to train the muscles of the pelvic floor, master the technique of breathing, and tune in psychologically. And a special diet before childbirth will help you give birth easier.

Benefits of a prenatal diet

The diet of a pregnant woman is important throughout pregnancy - the health of the emerging man largely depends on it. But by the ninth month, the formation process is almost complete.

The main task of the ninth month is to prepare the woman and child for childbirth. Nutrition in the last weeks of pregnancy should solve the following tasks:

• prevent overfeeding the baby;
• unload the body of the woman in labor;
• increase the elasticity of muscle tissue.

Basic principles of nutrition before childbirth

By the end of pregnancy, a woman has a hard time. Massive belly, frequent trips to the toilet, swelling significantly complicate her life. Therefore, nutrition is built in such a way as to help the expectant mother as much as possible.

It is better to choose a fractional diet - often and little by little, to reduce the load on the gastrointestinal tract. It is optimal to eat 5 times a day at intervals of about 3 hours.

You should not eat at night, and drinking should be limited after seven in the evening - otherwise sleep will be interrupted by going to the toilet.

You should drink often, but provided that there are no problems with the withdrawal of liquid. With swelling, the doctor will probably advise you to limit drinking, as well as salty foods.

What not to eat before childbirth

In the last month, it is recommended to reduce or even remove meat products from the menu, including animal fats, the same applies to fish and eggs. This is due to the fact that animal protein negatively affects the elasticity of muscle tissue, including in the birth canal.

Calcium-rich foods are undesirable: cottage cheese, cheese and other dairy products.

The baby's skeleton is already formed, and excess calcium can cause excessive hardening of the bones, which will make childbirth difficult. An exception is made only for fermented milk products, because of their benefits for digestion.

What can you eat before childbirth

To make it easier to give birth, the diet before childbirth consists of cereals and vegetable dishes. With excessive weight gain, it is better to boil porridge in water; fruits can be added for taste.

For vegetables, frying is excluded from the cooking methods - we cook, bake, stew, steam. Salads made from raw vegetables with the addition of vegetable oil will be useful.

Vegetable oil must be included in the daily diet, about 1-2 tbsp. l. It regulates the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and also has a beneficial effect on the elasticity of muscle tissue. The most useful is olive or linseed, you can also sunflower.

The menu also includes fermented milk products: kefir, fermented baked milk, yoghurts - but without fillers.

Consider the nutritional features of the last month by week. The approaching birth dictates to lighten the diet, but relying only on intuitive decisions is unreasonable.

For 4 weeks

Animal proteins and dairy products are removed from the diet, with the exception of fermented milk products - on the contrary, you need to eat them every day.

Porridges on the water with dried fruits or fresh fruits, vegetable soups, baked and stewed vegetables, salads with vegetable oil, vegetable and fruit juices, herbal teas, gray and black bread - a fairly extensive range of products.

If you really want meat, you should not completely refuse it. Boiled chicken breast or steamed fish in reasonable quantities will not cause harm. But gradually it is better to eliminate them.

Under the ban - sweet and rich pastries. From the sweet, you can allow a little marshmallow or marshmallow, but it is better to refuse them. Sweet and rich provoke gas formation, which is highly undesirable in this period. And the extra calories that are inevitable with such a diet are also useless.

For 3 weeks

The menu becomes simpler. Meat and fish are best removed altogether.

In 2 weeks

This diet contains all the substances necessary for the body, and at the same time greatly facilitates the work of the digestive tract.

For 1 week

There are only a few days left before the birth. It is better for a future mother to temporarily be a vegetarian - sour-milk products are removed from the diet.

All that's left is plant food. This will allow the body to spend a minimum of energy on digesting food, focusing on preparing for childbirth.

If not a diet, then restrictions

But restrictions are still necessary. No need to eat pork three times a day, get by with a small piece of boiled or baked chicken. If you really crave sweets, eat but not biscuit cake with buttercream.

Believe me, excess weight and a stomach tired of heavy food are bad helpers during childbirth.

What to eat before childbirth

So, day X has arrived. If you feel the beginning of labor activity (water has broken, weak contractions), it is better to refuse food. During labor and childbirth, nausea is possible, which is easier to transfer to an empty stomach.

It is also better not to load the intestines, which is why an enema is done before childbirth. In addition, the first time after childbirth it will be difficult to empty the intestines, it will take time to recover.

Appetite before childbirth usually disappears. But you can drink - unsweetened drinking water, mineral water without gas, herbal teas. Be careful with herbal teas - their composition should not include herbs that affect the uterus - for example, thyme.

But if the appetite is still awakened, you can eat a small portion of light food even in the prenatal ward.

What to eat before childbirth:

• cracker;
• cheese with bread;
• boiled egg;
• dried fruits.

Eat a little and be sure to drink.

Teas and decoctions are prepared in advance and brought with you in a thermos or in bottles. You need to drink in small portions - too full stomach can lead to nausea.

Food during labor

If for some reason the birth is delayed, the appetite may appear. Yes, and the forces of the woman in labor need to be restored. Therefore, in this situation, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to eat during contractions is definitely “yes”.

Food should be easily digestible and well-replenishing energy. Experienced obstetricians recommend taking chocolate for childbirth, and not so long ago, scientists have identified another product that is useful for women in labor - dates.

Chocolate

We stipulate right away - we are talking only about bitter Milk, with fillers, white and other varieties are not suitable. Useful properties of chocolate are given by cocoa beans, the maximum amount of which is found in bitter varieties.

Chocolate is useful not only as a generally recognized energy restorer. It has the ability to stimulate the process of opening the cervix, and also reduces pain sensitivity.

But still, you should consult a doctor in advance - chocolate is one of the strongest allergens. And in any case, you should not eat the whole chocolate bar at once, it is better to feed your strength on a slice.

Dates

Another product that can restore the energy spent during contractions is dates. They are distinguished by a high content of healthy sugar, reaching up to 60%. It is fructose that will help the woman in labor quickly restore vitality.

But dates have other valuable properties for a woman giving birth. The oxytocin contained in them has a beneficial effect on labor activity, stimulating muscle contraction. The action of oxytocin continues after childbirth - it activates the production of breast milk.

Thus, dates before childbirth, due to their unique properties, will not only satisfy hunger, but also help to give birth easier.

Conclusion

Childbirth is a difficult test for the female body. Although the appearance of the baby justifies both the nine months of waiting and the pain of contractions, the expectant mother needs to do everything to make the birth as easy and painless as possible - both for her and for the baby.

Special nutrition in the last weeks of pregnancy is one of the effective measures that help women in labor to cope with the birth of a child more easily.

What is your opinion on this matter? What do you think, is a diet necessary in the last month and is it possible to eat before childbirth? We are waiting for your comments.

In the third trimester, closer to the date of birth, expectant mothers are already beginning to think about what has not yet been done for a successful delivery. All the prescribed ultrasound scans have been passed, the tests have been passed, the necessary purchases have been made. It remains only to wait and at the same time eat right to help the body cope with the most important task in life - to give birth to a long-awaited and desired child. So, more about the diet before childbirth.

The main principle of nutrition during pregnancy is simple and healthy food, rich in vitamins, proteins,. The absence of canned food, fatty and spicy food in the menu is also desirable. Indeed, during the period of bearing a child, a woman's body becomes vulnerable to loads that were previously tolerated normally, for example, to the use of fatty foods. During pregnancy, they can cause diarrhea, which is fraught with vitamin deficiencies and lack of nutrition for the baby in the womb.

1. 30 days before the expected due date. Nutritionists advise to “say goodbye” for a while to animal protein in the form of meat and fish, eggs and butter, as well as milk. Dairy products should be left in the diet. Yoghurts and cottage cheese, kefir and sour cream - one of these products should be on the menu every day. The emphasis should be on plant foods and cereals with brown bread, which can be served with fresh juices, fruits and dried fruits, herbal teas. But with herbs a month before childbirth, you should also be careful, because, for example, thyme stimulates uterine contractions. Therefore, it is better to remember such tea after childbirth.
2. Fourteen days before the expected birth. It is advisable to remove even cereals from the diet during this period, leaving only plant foods and sour-milk products. It can be a variety of vegetable salads with vegetable oil, potatoes and beans in moderation, yogurt and cottage cheese casseroles. Such food will help the intestines of the expectant mother to remain unloaded. And such restrictions are explained by the fact that the child in the womb of his mother is already too big, and her body is not easy to cope with the processing of heavy food.
3. Seven days before delivery. During this period, nutritionists advise pregnant women to exclude fermented milk products from the menu and leave only vegetable products, that is, temporarily become vegetarians. Juices and fruits, vegetables and salads with vegetable oils are allowed. Vegetables can be boiled and baked, fruit soufflés, jelly can be made.
4. On the day of the expected birth, if you feel the first contractions or your water has broken, it is better not to eat anything. This is explained by two factors. The first is that which occurs during contractions. The second is the need for the intestines to remain empty, because after childbirth it will be difficult for a woman to go to the toilet. It is recommended to do an enema at the beginning of childbirth, since it is less painful than in their process. When contractions begin, you can drink without gas with lemon. It is better if it is table water.
5. Diet. A month before giving birth, it is advisable for a woman to switch to fractional nutrition. It can be 4 or 5 times. In this case, the optimal interval between meals will be 3-3.5 hours. Eating little by little, but often, will greatly facilitate the work of both the stomach and intestines. It is better if you eat more high-calorie meals in the morning (cereals), and sour-milk products and fruits will become the basis of your dinner. Such a diet will make it easier for the expectant mother to sleep and move around, because some women even walk with great difficulty a month before giving birth. It is better not to drink juices after 19.00, otherwise the pressure of the uterus on the bladder and the diuretic effect that they have can make you get up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night.
6. Method of food preparation. A month before giving birth, it is better to cook vegetables by baking in the oven than by boiling. Such heat treatment will retain more vitamins and nutrients in them.

One of the most important moments in preparing for childbirth is the readiness of the female body for very strong physical exertion. What is meant? In this case, the elasticity of the muscles of the vagina. From this not obvious, hardly controlled quality, it depends whether a woman will have ruptures during childbirth or not.

Proper preparation for childbirth is, first of all, proper nutrition. How can nutrition affect the elasticity of intimate muscles and help avoid tearing during childbirth? The most direct. And we will show it now.

What should be the diet of the ninth month of pregnancy

The basic rules for the nutrition of a pregnant woman do not change even in the ninth month: a minimum of preservatives, dyes, flavor enhancers and other artificial food additives, no alcohol, a maximum of vegetables and fruits, regular consumption of fish as a source of unique food nutrients. However, in addition to these nutritional rules, new ones should also appear - contributing to an increase in the elasticity of the muscles of the perineum. It is also necessary to reduce or completely exclude from the diet foods that impair the elasticity of intimate muscles. What are these products?

What you can and cannot eat a couple of weeks before giving birth

• animal protein. in the ninth month of pregnancy, you need to drastically reduce the consumption of red meat - it makes the intimate muscles “hard” and can cause birth injuries in the baby due to difficult births. Therefore, meat should be reduced or completely eliminated, the consumption of fish and eggs should be minimized. This will allow the muscles of the birth canal to be more elastic, plastic, facilitate the progress of the child, which will serve as a prevention of ruptures in childbirth, birth injuries of the newborn.
• Hard cheeses are another product that is desirable to exclude from your diet. There is a lot of calcium in hard cheeses, which in the ninth month of pregnancy is not good, but harmful (it helps to harden the bones of the baby's skull). In addition, hard cheeses make digestion difficult, make the stool hard, problematic. And the same muscles are responsible for defecation and childbirth. And too much effort in the release of feces can even lead to premature birth, especially if this threat existed.
• Vegetable oils should be in the diet without fail. They are a good prevention of hemorrhoids, increase muscle elasticity, and prevent overdrying of the mucosa during childbirth.

• Vegetables and fruits. Before childbirth, you need to lean on carrots: it is rich in vitamin E, which maintains tissue tone and contributes to their speedy recovery after childbirth. Carrots are low in calories and are a source of essential vitamins and minerals. Pumpkin is also very useful - it contains a lot of pectins, which have a very beneficial effect on the health of the gastrointestinal tract. Zucchini, squash, cucumbers are very useful for the liver, which has to work very hard in the last month of pregnancy: the child has already grown up and requires more and more attention from the main organs of the mother.

Expectant mothers often notice how their culinary habits change in anticipation of the birth of a baby. Some are drawn to salty things, others to sweet things, and still others feel an unprecedented interest in such products that they could not stand before.

However, during the entire period of bearing a child, one should not forget that you need to eat right so that the baby receives all the necessary trace elements, and the woman's body can prepare for the upcoming birth. Just before this event, the menu should be especially carefully planned.

The last trimester of pregnancy is the most difficult for the expectant mother, because it becomes uncomfortable for her to lie down, it is difficult to walk and sit, she has a great tendency to edema, the fetus presses on all the internal organs of the abdominal cavity. And it is at this time that the body is fully concentrated on preparing for the upcoming birth. To make this task easier for him, you can use a special diet that will relieve the load from the gastrointestinal tract.

You need to eat on a diet in small portions 4-5 times a day. Before going to bed, it is best not to eat too much, so you will fall asleep easier, and the body will get rest, and not process food. Do not use foods that contain artificial colors, emulsifiers, or other chemicals for cooking. You should be careful with the use of exotic and allergenic foods, as doctors have proven that they affect the child even when he is in the womb.

Give preference to boiled, steamed or oven-baked food, it will be more useful and help reduce the burden on the digestive tract. However, do not forget that vegetables and fruits are best eaten fresh, they contain the most beneficial substances for the health of a woman and an unborn child.

It is important to know - if the swelling of a pregnant woman is very large, then it is best to reduce the amount of water and use salt to a minimum. This will help prevent fluid retention in the body.

Nutrition a month before childbirth

During this period, it is especially important to learn to listen to your body, as it enters the final phase of preparation for the birth of the baby. It will be easier to give birth if you revise your diet and minimize the use of animal proteins.

Poultry, fish, eggs and meat should be limited as much as possible, but such products as cereals cooked on water, vegetables and fruits, dairy products should be made dominant on your table.

Sample menu for the day:

• For breakfast, we eat toast from gray bread with honey, a portion of oatmeal boiled in water with the addition of dried fruits, and drink a cup of weak tea with lemon.
• For lunch, we have a snack with fresh fruits, preferably not citrus fruits.
• We dine with pumpkin cream soup, steamed fish fillet, rice with vegetables, eat marshmallow for dessert and drink a glass of cranberry juice.
• For lunch we eat cottage cheese casserole with tea.
• We have dinner with a vegetable casserole, white cabbage salad, drink fresh carrot juice with olive oil.

Meals for 3 weeks

During this period, you need to completely abandon sour-milk products, fish and meat, they will only overload the body. We leave whole grains, fruits and vegetables in the diet.

Sample menu for the expectant mother:

• For breakfast, we cook oatmeal in water without adding salt, eat whole-grain toast with jam, drink a cup of tea.
• We have apples for lunch.
• We have lunch with a light buckwheat soup, it is best to cook it in water or vegetable broth. For the second, we prepare rice with vegetables and a vegetable salad. We drink everything with dried fruit compote.
• We have an afternoon baked with honey and dried apples.
• We have dinner with millet porridge and a salad with fresh vegetables, for dessert you can cook a fruit smoothie.

Meals for 2 weeks

During this period, the probability of the birth of a child rises to a maximum, so you need to give the body the opportunity to concentrate all its forces on preparing for the decisive moment. We remove cereals, cereals and bread from the diet, we eat only food of plant origin.

Sample menu:

• For breakfast, we cook apple pancakes with weak tea.
• For lunch, we have a snack with fresh fruits or berries.
• We have lunch with a light vegetable soup, zucchini casserole, for dessert we prepare a fruit salad, drink a glass of apple juice.
• For an afternoon snack, you can eat a vegetable salad
• We have dinner with steamed vegetables seasoned with olive oil, salad with leafy vegetables and tomatoes with fragrant herbs, for dessert we eat natural fruit jelly, drink a cup of green tea.

Read the composition of herbal preparations carefully if you like to drink them. They may contain plants that stimulate uterine muscle contractions, and this can cause premature birth.

Before giving birth, women are generally not recommended to eat food, as this can worsen their condition. Too much pain during contractions is often accompanied by bouts of nausea, so it's best not to eat at all immediately after you realize that the baby is about to be born.

Reviews and results of young mothers confirm that the prenatal diet helps to give birth more easily. In addition, such a diet will be an excellent help for bringing the figure in order.

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