Introduction
Nutrition is important for all of us no matter what stage of life we are in, but for those women who are pregnant, looking to become pregnant or have just had a baby, nutrition is even more important. What women eat and what a woman puts into her body affects not only her but it can also affect her baby in many different ways. While a woman is trying to get pregnant, nutrition plays a role in her fertility and in her chances of getting pregnant.
1 After a woman has become pregnant her nutrition can affect the health and growth of her baby. Finally, after the baby is born, nutrition is important not only for the growth of baby, but also for the new mom especially if she is going to be breastfeeding.
The intervention program that I am looking to develop is one that will make sure that all women who are pregnant, looking to get pregnant or who have just had a baby know about the nutrition services that are available to them. Those that qualify for government services will be provided with the help that they need to get the services that they qualify for and those who don't qualify for government services will be provided with services though my program to help make sure that they are getting the proper nutrition that they need. This program will work to provide information on several different levels, first information will be provided via a blog to all individuals on the importance of being healthy before, during and after their pregnancy.
Secondly, information will be provided to those who qualify for government services on what programs there are for them and how to get those services.
Body of Evidence
When a woman is trying to get pregnant, her nutrition can play a major role in how long it takes her to conceive. The nutrition that is needed to make sure that a woman's eggs are functioning at the optimal level include folate which is a B vitamin. Folate can be found in leafy greens, broccoli and even in wholegrain toast.
1
According to Clark, "the medical director of
Fertility First in Hurstville, says the contribution of lifestyle factors, including diet, is underrated when it comes to successful conception."
1
Once a woman has become pregnant, her nutritional needs increase, though not at a rapid rate because of the slow rate that the fetus grows.
2
As with women who are trying to conceive, pregnant women need to make sure that they are getting the right amounts of folate as well as the other B vitamins.
2 Many times just eating leafy greens and other green vegetables is enough for this, but sometimes women need to take extra vitamins to make sure that they are getting enough.
2
Those that are vegetarians may need to take supplements to make sure that they are getting enough of the needed vitamins also.
2
Obesity is something that has affected the American people at a rapidly growing rate over the years, and for those women who are pregnant or who want to become pregnant, this can cause them sever issues. In 2000 the prevalence of obesity was up to 30.5% up from 22.9% in
1994.
3
For women who are obese and who become pregnant, their chances of early miscarriage and/or repeat miscarriage are greatly increased.
3
"There are increased rates of gestational hypertension, pregnancy-induced hyper-tension, and preeclampsia in obese and overweight women during pregnancy." 3 By eating right and getting regular exercise both before and during pregnancy, women can decrease their chances of getting these diseases while they are pregnant.
Even the slightest decrease in weight can help to decrease the chances of birth defects and miscarriage as well as decrease the chances of developing gestational diabetes.
3
Many times when a women gets pregnant, she is already overweight because we live in a society that has let our dietary habits deteriorate over the years.
4
There have been many studies done over the years to show the adverse affects that being overweight can have on pregnancy and

the fetus to include still birth, early miscarriage and delivery complications.
4
One of the biggest factors in the increase in weight is the amount of sugar that is consumed on a daily basis. We are in a society that drinks more soda than any other country and this is one of the biggest ways that we take in sugar. As found in the articles before this one, women who are pregnant and overweight have an increased risk in getting gestational diabetes as well as hypertension and preeclampsia.
4 Not only is the lack in proper nutrition bad for women when they are pregnant, but there is also an increased risk of health problems later in life for both the mother and child.
4
After a woman has her baby, she needs to continue to focus on her nutrition as this has a direct role to play on her ability to breastfeed. "Energy requirements for women who breastfeed are proportional to the quality of milk produced."
5
In order to properly increase the amount of milk that a woman is producing, she needs to make sure that she is getting the right amount of nutrients everyday.
5
Getting the proper amount of nutrients during breastfeeding is even more important than during pregnancy.
5 One of the best ways that a woman can get the needed energy to be able to continue to breastfeed is through the intake of carbohydrates.
5
Programs such as
WIC are there to be able to help women who are lower income and would not otherwise be able to get the vitamins and nutrients that they need to be able to properly breastfeed their new infant.
6
WIC is also available for those women who are lower income while they are pregnant so that they can get the proper nutrition that they need.
6
The health of an infant is also one the depends on the nutrition of their mother if they are breastfeeding. The best way to provide the needed nutrition for an infant is to breastfeed them till they are at least 6 month of age.
7
According to the Center for Disease Control, "in the United
States only 14.8% of infants are exclusively breastfed for the first 6, despite this being the gold standard of infant nutrition and the recommendation of all professional organizations, including the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Association of
Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nursing."
8
If a woman is making sure that she is getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals, then she doesn't need to worry that her baby isn't getting enough, the baby will eat when they are hungry and her body will adapt to the schedule of the baby.
9
"Some classes of breast-milk nutrients - long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (prevalent components of the central nervous system), nucleotides (with widespread effects, notably on the immune system) and oligosaccharides (the third most prevalent nutrient category after fat and lactose) - have only recently been considered for inclusion in milk formulas."
10
This shows us that not only is breastfeeding a bonding thing between mother and baby, but it is also more beneficial than formula for the health of the infant.
Summary and Conclusion
Through the articles that I have read and summarized, I have found that there is a general consensus as to the need for proper nutrition for not only mother but also for baby. When a woman is pregnant she needs to focus on her health so that she can have a healthy baby and so that she can help to reduce her risk for health problems during and after pregnancy. Obesity is a growing problem in our society and this has caused there to be a growth in the amount of miscarriages and stillbirths that happen. Through proper nutrition and getting adequate physical activity, women can help to reduce the risk of this happening to them.
The articles that I have referred to throughout this paper have all taken the same approach of telling us that nutrition is a key to having a healthy pregnancy as well as being able to conceive and being able to breastfeed after having their baby. The federal government has stepped in to help those who are low income to be able to provide for their family so that they can get the proper nutrition. Without the help from WIC, many women may not be able to afford

the food that they need as they might have to resort to what is cheap and fast and this can end up not being good for their family. Through my intervention program of helping women to be able to know about the services out there that they qualify for as well as providing them with information on proper nutrition, I hope to be able to decrease the number of women who have health problems due to their weight during their pregnancy.
References
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