Key nutrients

During the last few weeks of pregnancy you should build on the preceding months of healthy eating so that you are prepared for the rigors of labor. Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting prevent hemorrhaging and help to heal the placental site. It is derived naturally from the mother's gut and supplemented from foods such as broccoli, beans, spinach, avocado, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce. An infant depends on its mother for vitamin K, before birth via the placenta and after birth through breast milk. (babies may be given vitamin K orally at birth). Zinc is another important mineral required for hormone production and healing after birth.


Producing energy

To maintain energy you need to keep your blood sugar level constant by eating complex carbohydrates, which break down gradually and release sugar content slowly. Eat lots of vegetables, grains and pulses to stock up on complex carbohydrates during the two weeks before birth. Additionally, enzymes are needed; these are dependant on vitamins and minerals. Enzyme deficiency will prevent you from maximizing your energy potential. To convert glucose into energy you need:



B vitamins (B1, B2, B4, B6, B12).


Sources: meat, poultry, milk, eggs, vegetables, pulses, nuts, wholegrains. B vitamins include folate.
Sources: broccoli, spinach, wheatgerm, seeds, nuts



Vitamin C

Sources: citrus fruits, blackcurrants, tomatoes, broccoli



Iron

Sources: prunes, nuts, pumpkin seeds, apricots



Choline

Sources: eggs, fish, Soya beans, wholegrains, nuts, pulses



Calcium & Magnesium

Sources: cheese, milk, beans, nuts, raisins



Chromium

Sources: potatoes, wholemeal bread, eggs, chicken



Co-enzyme Q10

Sources: meat, fish, eggs, Soya beans, spinach, broccoli, alfalfa