What foods to eat before childbirth. Diet before childbirth - rational nutrition. bowel problems in pregnancy

The last month of pregnancy for a woman is the most exciting and long-awaited: the baby is formed, and it is worth preparing for his imminent appearance. The ninth month is important not only for the growth and health of the baby in the womb, but for the preparation female body to childbirth. To make childbirth easier and safer, pregnant women in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy are recommended by gynecologists to perform various exercises for the muscles. pelvic floor, train to breathe correctly in childbirth and adhere to special diet. A woman should strictly monitor her diet, it should be balanced, healthy, not contain alcohol. But before childbirth, the composition of food changes dramatically.

By the 37th week, the baby is already fully formed, viable and ready to be born. Over the previous 8 months, he received everything he needed to develop. The last month should be aimed at preparing the pelvic muscles for the passage of the child. The essence of the diet is to unload the body of a woman, not to overfeed the baby and pick up a set of products that will strengthen the muscles of the pelvis, make them more elastic.

Which foods to exclude and which to add

  1. Animal. Reduce or minimize the consumption of fish and eggs. 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 trauma newborn.
  2. Foods rich in . They are rich in milk, cottage cheese, cheeses, dairy products, fish. Calcium is not needed before childbirth - it helps to harden the bones of the baby's skull, and this makes it difficult for him to pass through birth canal. Completely abandon fermented milk drinks would be a mistake, they best products for normal operation intestines, maintenance healthy microflora. But if the birth is scheduled for a certain date, it will be C-section, then the restriction is lifted.
  3. . You can opt for olive and linseed oils if you like something else - please. 1-2 tablespoons per day will be enough. Vegetable oil can be added to soups, season them vegetable salads. Oils will serve as a prevention of hemorrhoids, increase muscle elasticity, and prevent overdrying of the mucous membrane during childbirth. But animal fats must be abandoned: they reduce the elasticity of tissues, which leads to muscle ruptures during childbirth.
  4. Carrot. Must be present in the diet future mother. It is rich, which maintains the tone of tissues, contributes to their speedy recovery after childbirth. Carrots are low in calories and are a source of essential vitamins, minerals.

In addition to the above recommendations on products, one should not forget about the five meals a day, small snacks. Do not eat before bed, especially foods that provoke heartburn and belching. Observe drinking regimen: if the fluid in the body does not stagnate - drink 2 liters per day, if the gynecologist recommended limiting fluid and salt intake, then follow these rules.

Menu before childbirth

Raw, boiled or baked vegetables must be present in the diet of a woman preparing for childbirth.

The menu of a woman before childbirth should consist of dairy-free cereals, stewed, fried, boiled and baked vegetables, dried fruits, and raw. On the day you can eat one of the fermented milk products: sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese or kefir.

10 days before the expected date of birth, it is advisable to exclude even cereals from the diet, leaving only vegetables and fruits.

Examples of dishes that can be prepared before childbirth

Many do not know the entire range of possible vegetable dishes. Here are some examples, and you can cook, starting from these ideas, what is more to your taste.

  • Soups without meat broth, holodnik, or cold borscht, okroshka.
  • Vegetable casserole, potatoes baked with vegetables and sour cream in the oven. Baked apples.
  • Vegetable stew.
  • Vegetables in batter.
  • Cabbage rolls without meat, peppers stuffed with rice.
  • Potato pancakes, pancakes from or zucchini.
  • Rice and zucchini casserole.
  • Salads.
  • Common or asparagus beans cooked with onions, tomatoes and carrots.
  • with white sauce, stewed cabbage, saltwort.
  • Vegetable cutlets.
  • Stewed carrots with sour cream.
  • Braised eggplant, squash caviar.
  • Pumpkin porridge.
  • Compotes. Kiseli.

day of birth

The day of childbirth will be indicated at the last consultation by a gynecologist. Harbingers of the onset of labor will be minor contractions, leakage of water. If childbirth occurs, then it is better not to eat anything - this can cause vomiting, belching, it will take some of the energy to digest food, and they need to be saved for childbirth.

On the day of childbirth, it is better not to eat, but to drink more. It is more beneficial for muscles to drink non-carbonated or drinking water, teas from mint, lemon balm, currant, raspberry. But if you really want to eat, then you can satisfy your hunger with a small portion. light meal, which does not cause nausea and disgust. The main thing is not to eat up, not to choose foods that cause thirst.

It is best to refrain from eating, because after childbirth, the intestines do not work, and food can remain in it long time, which enhances the processes of decay and fermentation.

Remember: a diet should not exhaust a woman.

If she is constantly hungry, due to refusing to certain products became nervous, capricious, does not sleep well, then the diet can be adjusted and sometimes allow yourself to eat what you want.


To bear a child, vital substances are needed to ensure the full development of the fetus. Nutrition before childbirth is selected carefully so that the pregnant woman has enough strength and energy for the birth of the baby. Proper Diet in recent weeks will relieve complications in the upcoming process.

When a woman in the last trimester begins to eat "for two", she makes a mistake. normal development fetus does not imply an abundance of food, but balanced diet, which contains necessary elements– minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, protein, fibers.

Basic rules of nutrition before childbirth:

  1. closer to childbirth, food is consumed light, but healthy;
  2. harmful foods are removed from the diet;
  3. vegetable oils in daily menu make the uterus elastic;
  4. recommended to go to fractional nutrition- in small portions 6 times a day;
  5. it is better not to combine plant and animal foods in one meal, switching to separate meals;
  6. the main rule is not to overeat (especially at night);
  7. high-calorie food prevails in the morning, light - in the afternoon.

A woman needs to eat right before giving birth in order to give birth well. Special attention is given to vitamins and minerals that contribute to the normalization of functional processes in the body. Fruits are best eaten fresh. heat treatment destroys part useful elements. Vegetables are recommended not only fresh, but also stewed.

The fibers included in some foods normalize digestion and help avoid constipation, which often affects pregnant women. Energy in childbirth will provide carbohydrates, but they must be unrefined.

The amount of fluid in the last weeks of pregnancy should be increased in order to amniotic sac there was enough water. This will ensure the normal passage of the child through the birth canal. Additional fluid is also needed to maintain blood flow, which increases in the last weeks of pregnancy.

Approved Products

A woman often changes during pregnancy taste preferences, but it should not deviate from a balanced menu. When choosing products before childbirth, the expectant mother includes only healthy food which will not harm her or the baby.

What can you eat before childbirth:

  • the basis of the diet is the gifts of nature and juices from them;
  • dairy;
  • cereals, pasta and whole grain bread;
  • vegetable oils;
  • in a small amount fish and meat.

Food before childbirth should be varied so that the woman's metabolic processes do not go astray in the body. It is important to properly distribute products throughout the day. For breakfast, they take high-calorie foods rich in carbohydrates (cereals, pasta), as well as cottage cheese. Fish and meat dishes eat for breakfast and lunch, limiting their number. As for the first courses, it is recommended vegetable soups, lean fish soup and chicken broth.

Dinner should be exceptionally light - a little porridge, vegetable salads, low-fat sour-milk products. Between main meals, snacks are required, including dried fruits and fresh fruits, as well as juices without concentrates.

The closer the date of birth, the lighter the diet becomes. At the last stage, preference is given to vegetable fats. Oils contribute to the elasticity of the uterine muscles, prevent dryness of the birth canal and the development of hemorrhoids after attempts.

Fresh carrots should be on a woman's menu every day - this is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals (especially tocopherol) necessary for quick recovery tissue after childbirth. A vegetable allows the body to be in good shape, which contributes to the appearance of a child without complications.

Harmful menu

In addition to the restrictions on the pregnant menu, there are contraindications to some products. At any time, smoked meats, sausages, offal, canned food, fast foods are not recommended, and in the last weeks before childbirth they are even prohibited. Fatty, spicy, hard-to-digest foods are excluded.

Closer to the appointed date, the woman needs to remove animal fats from the diet. The use of protein foods - fish and eggs is limited, as they strengthen the intestines, which is undesirable before childbirth. The same applies to meat, if it is impossible without it, then you should leave some veal for breakfast.

Protein food reduces the elasticity, plasticity of the uterus and birth canal, which leads to ruptures during the birth of the baby.

An excess of calcium is undesirable, therefore, in the last days, pregnant women reduce the consumption of dairy products to a minimum, eliminating hard cheeses, fatty cottage cheese and milk. The bones of the skeleton of a child and the pelvis of a woman must be elastic so that the fetus does not get injured when passing through the birth canal.

The body needs carbohydrates for final stages pregnancy, but getting them is not from desserts. The menu excludes sweets, muffins, White bread, potatoes, taboo is imposed on alcoholic and highly carbonated drinks (especially with dyes).

Despite the fact that honey is a very valuable product, you should not get carried away with it during pregnancy, so as not to provoke premature birth and allergies in the baby. In the last weeks, chocolate is excluded, which can tone the uterus, complicating the birth process.

diets

Women during pregnancy overly lean on food, fearing that the child will not have enough nutrients. As a result, a large fruit, and this is accompanied by severe tears or leads to the need to cut the perineum. An overeating woman gets confused metabolic process, which is reflected in the figure, childbirth takes place with complications, and it is more difficult to recover.

There is another category of pregnant women who limit themselves in everything, trying not to gain excess weight. But, taking care of her own figure, the expectant mother reduces the intake nutrients to the fetus. After hearing stories about difficult childbirth a large child, some even go hungry in the last trimester.

When it comes to diets for pregnant women, this does not mean fasting - just a woman needs to eat more rationally, balanced and varied before giving birth. The menu takes into account the features of the development of the fetus, depending on the timing, as well as the state of the body of the pregnant woman.

special diets

First of all, nutrition is selected before childbirth for muscle elasticity. Therefore, on last days animal fats are excluded from the diet, unrefined carbohydrates are introduced (especially vegetable oils for salad dressing), as well as fortified food.

When selecting rational menu the nutritional principles of the mother are taken into account. If she is a vegetarian and does not eat fish, meat, then you can compensate for the lack of useful elements with the help of legumes, grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy products.

Vegetarians completely refuse not only meat, fish products- they do not consume eggs, milk and its derivatives. AT this case in the diet should be a variety of cereals and gifts of nature.

Some moms are overly sensitive to the gluten found in cereals. Then women should leave dairy and herbal products, brown rice, eat beans and lentils, introduce potatoes into the diet in a small amount (it should be consumed in the morning).

Some women are lactose intolerant, so dairy diets are not suitable here. The diet should be more green vegetables, dried fruits, nuts (peanuts or almonds), sesame seeds. Fish recommended are salmon and sardines.

Menu for the 3rd trimester

The closer the due date, the more worried the pregnant woman. Someone experiences sweets, others begin to feel nauseous. But the balance of nutrition should be maintained throughout the trimester. Abrupt changes should not be on the menu, it is recommended to gradually transfer the diet from protein foods to carbohydrate foods.

One month before birth. The nutrition of a pregnant woman changes dramatically a month before childbirth. During this period, animal food is phased out of the menu, and priorities are given to cereals, fermented milk products, plant foods, juices. It is advisable to bake vegetables in the oven - so they will be easier to digest by the intestines. The baby still continues to rest against the mother's stomach, heavy food will be difficult to digest.

3 weeks before delivery. From the 37th week, meat is already completely removed from the diet, the use of dairy products (cottage cheese, sour cream and cheeses) is limited. Vegetable oil is not only seasoned with salads, but it is recommended to use the product separately, drinking 1-2 tbsp. in a day.

2 weeks before delivery. Nutrition 2 weeks before childbirth is reduced to limiting the use of cereals, or they are completely excluded. Of the dairy products in the diet, only kefir, light bio-yogurts and a little low-fat cottage cheese for breakfast remain. Bakery products it is better to remove from the diet, but the abundance of vegetables, fruits and juices is a must.

One week before birth. Nutrition a week before childbirth is aimed at taking care of muscle elasticity, so calcium-containing foods (that is, dairy) are excluded from the diet. Removed from the menu and porridge, as they contain proteins. It is better to eat more fortified food (vegetables and fruits) before childbirth.

The day before. Labor activity is accompanied by bowel movements. Therefore, it is advisable to take care in advance that it is not filled before the process. The day before the birth, it is better to eat something easily digestible in small quantities. At this stage, it is allowed to starve. The use of liquids should be given more attention, leaning on green teas, juices, mineral water.

The upcoming appearance of a child requires energy, so the nutrition of a pregnant woman before childbirth should be balanced. The menu is compiled in such a way that the expectant mother does not gain excess weight, but the body has enough strength for delivery. On the last month pregnancy main goal proper diet- care for the plasticity of the muscles of the uterus and the elasticity of the birth canal.

Nutrition issues are usually very worrying for all expectant mothers, and the closer to childbirth, the more excitement. Unrest is completely different, and related to nutrition as well. There is an opinion that what exactly the birth will be depends on the nutrition of the mother. Today we’ll talk in more detail about nutrition before childbirth, what to eat and drink for easy childbirth.

Nutrition before childbirth: two opinions

There are two opposing opinions regarding the organization of nutrition before childbirth. Some experts strongly recommend sticking to strict diet a week or two before birth. It is usually understood that the diet of the expectant mother before childbirth should become lighter, that is, it is worth limiting the consumption of meat, fatty, sweet, and focusing on vegetables and fruits.

Other experts say that if the mother good analyzes, she is gaining weight normally, then there is no need to somehow limit herself in nutrition before childbirth. It is recommended to eat what you want.

Which one to choose depends on your health condition, your doctor's recommendations, and your desires.

But no matter what you choose, there are several important recommendations, which will help to properly organize nutrition before childbirth:

1. Don't eat a lot, especially in the evening., it is better to eat more often, but less. This mode will help to avoid heaviness in the stomach, discomfort during sleep, bloating, excessive thirst and other troubles.

2. Make sure to eat enough vegetables, fruits and dried fruits every day. These foods help in the digestion of food. Prevent constipation, which is very important for you now.

3. Drink enough water. Drinking enough during pregnancy is very important. pure water without gas, water is a building material for the baby's body. In the first trimester and the beginning of the second trimester, it is recommended to drink 2-2.5 liters of fluid per day. Starting from the 20th week of pregnancy, it is advisable to drink a little less - 1-1.5 liters per day, and during this period it is very important to exclude salt from the diet if possible.

Drinking enough throughout your pregnancy and before giving birth will help reduce the workload on your heart and kidneys, help prevent constipation, and just make you feel better.

It is very important to carefully choose the water to drink during pregnancy. Experts advise focusing on bottled baby water recommended for use during pregnancy and lactation. For example, baby water "Malyatko" is perfect. This brand has been a leader in the children's water market for many years, it is trusted by many current and future mothers, thousands of children have grown up on this water.

Children's water "Malyatko" meets all the requirements for children's water recommended for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is clean, safe, high-quality, low-mineralized. This water is ideal for pregnant women, as it was created specifically for expectant mothers and babies, taking into account the needs of their bodies!

Choose the best for you and your baby!

Good day, my beautiful readers! If you have opened this article, you may already have contractions. Congratulations! I keep my fingers crossed for you. Let everythnig will be alright! Or maybe you want to find out in advance about all the nuances of nutrition during this period. In any case, you need to know them.

So, regular contractions have appeared, but you are still at home. And before leaving for the hospital, you want to eat. But the question stops: is it possible to eat before childbirth? More precisely, in childbirth - after all, they have already begun.

Now I will tell you everything I know about it.

I will say right away that there is no consensus among doctors. Only person who can accurately answer your question is the doctor who will deliver the baby.

Therefore, it is better to discuss this with your doctor in advance if you already know with whom you will give birth. If you do not know, then the article will be useful to you.

Your stomach and common sense speak for a snack. And you and the baby will not hurt the extra portion of energy. After all, childbirth lasts from 6 to 18 hours.

Supporters are also in favor of eating natural childbirth. For example, in the book The Art of Breastfeeding by the La Leche League, a woman in labor is allowed to eat “as much as she likes.”

Cochrane, an organization that has been collecting reliable medical data for 20 years, has summarized the results of 6 large studies. It turned out that the well-being of children and the course of childbirth in women do not depend on whether they ate or not.

Obstetricians and gynecologists oppose food during childbirth. And that's why:

  1. The mother may need general anesthesia. And then the contents of the stomach will enter the trachea and bronchi. This can lead to pneumonia. This is a severe complication.
  2. When the contractions become active, a full stomach will provoke vomiting.

Let's discuss the first argument.

Only in 5% of cases, caesarean section is performed under general anesthesia. it emergency operations, which was impossible to foresee at the beginning of labor. But even then, anesthesiologists have tricks to prevent the reflux of gastric contents into the lungs.

In 95% of cases, spinal or epidural anesthesia is used. With these methods, the sensitivity of only the lower half of the body disappears.

The woman does not lose consciousness, and the contents of the stomach cannot enter the lungs.

Inactive painless contractions in the first stage of labor last 5-6 hours. During this time, the food will have time to travel from the stomach to the intestines.

So is or is not

Let's summarize. You are probably ok to eat if:

  • You normal pregnancy without any deviation.
  • You are pregnant with one child.
  • You have a head presentation, that is, the child is positioned head down.
  • Childbirth began on time: from 37 to 41 weeks.
  • The waters haven't broken yet.
  • You are not bleeding.

Just don't confuse a light snack with lunch. A full stomach will prevent you from giving birth!

  • You were being prepared for a planned caesarean section, and the birth began earlier.
  • Childbirth did not start on time.
  • You have more than one baby in your belly.
  • Do you have any abnormalities during your pregnancy? For example, low position placenta, breech presentation, large fetus, narrow pelvis, high pressure, swelling.
  • The waters have receded.
  • You are bleeding (scarlet blood).

In all these cases, not before drinking tea. Call an ambulance immediately! You may need surgery.

What can be refreshed

For a snack, food that is quickly evacuated from the stomach is suitable for you. Choose:

You should not eat bread, porridge, nuts, meat, dairy products now. The time of their digestion in the stomach is from 1.5 to 6 hours.

Don't skimp on sweets. sweet food causes nausea and increases pain sensitivity. And you don't need it right now.

I wish you an easy birth and strong healthy babies!

I hug

Anastasia Smolinets

Enough time during Soviet power, thought that if a girl starts having contractions, then there will be no time or desire to think about food, and you can’t eat at all. Let's see if it's true or not that you can't eat during childbirth. We have this opportunity because times have changed and hospitals are no longer so categorical.

Let's find out why doctors are against lunch? most main reason The reason why doctors tell their patients not to eat before giving birth is because they are taking care of their intestines. It must be completely empty before and after childbirth. And why? Yes, think for yourself, how can you push on the table, while having a completely stuffed intestine with food? For this reason, all patients are given an enema before childbirth, although this procedure is not mandatory, but still, it is needed: when the intestines are empty, the birth process itself will be easier, and the baby will be born in more hygienic conditions.

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that quite often childbirth is accompanied by tears and incisions, after which it is quite painful to go to the toilet. And because the intestines are empty, it will not provoke the body to empty, and this will give you a few days to rest. The intestine itself resumes its work precisely on the third day after childbirth. Also quite an important argument to be touched upon is nausea during childbirth when the stomach is full. But an experiment was conducted by scientists from France, who said that women in labor who ate simple vegetables and fruits before giving birth felt pretty good compared to hungry women in labor. And what is most surprising, they did not feel sick.

At the expense of the rules of nutrition during childbirth. It may also be that childbirth can last up to 12 hours. And if the water has not yet departed, then you can even eat a little. It is very important that it is a snack that needs to be done, and not eat up with anything. It is best to pay attention to energy food, which is absorbed very quickly. It may also be that there is a feeling of hunger, which is most often the result of experiences. If you are still at home, and the contractions are just beginning, then you can even refresh yourself. There will also be no way out just to sit and suffer from hunger, because more strength will be needed in order to give birth when the contractions begin much stronger. At such moments, there will definitely not be time for food, and desires too.

To make childbirth fairly easy. Some doctors say what to take during pregnancy vegetable oil, it is even healthier than olive oil. You need to swallow it once a day on an empty stomach, just one teaspoon. They can be seasoned with salads and cereals. It is also quite often advised to eat foods such as apricots, which contain vitamins E and A, as well as buckwheat and carrots.

Snack in the birth block. Most often, expectant mothers come to delivery rooms lightly. It is clear that there should be no more food. You can only take your phone and a bottle of water with you. It is best to take plain still water and add a little lemon juice. When childbirth takes place, the throat often dries up. I'm very thirsty and acidic water, just what you need.

Thus, each mother must decide for herself whether to eat during childbirth or not. It has already become clear that there are no big bans on food, but this issue must be approached wisely. It is clear that you do not need to starve, but overeating is also not desirable. You can listen to your body, but you should not follow it blindly either. It is necessary to remember that in front of you, on this moment, worth the most the main task- it's normal to give birth, not to eat.

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