Dietary Behavior During Pregnancy Essay

A woman's dietary behavior during her pregnancy can greatly impact the baby's development. In the nine months of carrying the baby, it is crucial to the infant that the mother practice healthy habits. The consumption of alcoholic beverages, the food a woman eats, and the intake of nutrients all positively or negatively affect a fetus.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy has proven to have tremendously negative effects on the fetus. Bad habits like an alcohol addiction that are continued into the mother's pregnancy can be harmful. An article on the Mayo Clinic website states that “no level of alcohol has been prov[en] safe” (Pregnancy Week by Week 13). They go on to elaborate by saying mothers should “consider the risks” of a possible “miscarriage and still birth”. This includes the chance of the fetus contracting “fetal alcohol syndrome” (Pregnancy Week by Week 14). The risk of physical and mental defects is greater when drinking while pregnant. Consuming alcohol is unhealthy because the alcohol being drank is going to the mother’s and the baby's blood which can be damaging when the baby is trying to grow. In order to make sure the baby is healthy, a woman should practice proper dietary behavior. She can do this by supplying her

Although not always the first choice, some food that is recommended during pregnancy are lean meats, leafy greens, and fish. According to “Foods to avoid or limit during pregnancy”, they talk about how fish consumed should “have small amounts of mercury” this is because mercury can be detrimental to the fetus’ growth (Foods to avoid or limit during pregnancy 5). Eating these will help the baby develop and grow properly. Not only is a healthy diet critical to the child's development but may also help with pregnancy symptoms. Knowing what foods to eat are important so that the baby is getting the nutrients it