Pregnancy
Pregnancy Resources
We offer pregnancy resources to help expecting parents find information they can use. Maternal nutrition is a key influence on the course and outcome of pregnancy. Many physiological, biochemical, and hormonal changes occur during pregnancy that influence the need for nutrients and the efficiency with which the body uses nutrients. Several of these changes are apparent as early as the first couple of weeks of pregnancy, indicating that they are an integral part of the maternal-fetal system.
This maternal-fetal system aims at creating the most favorable environment possible for the developing child. Proper maternal nutrition is essential to regulate maternal metabolism, promote fetal growth, and prepare the mother for labor, birth, and delivery. Fortunately, statewide WIC programs have become accessible pregnancy resources in communities across the country.
Awareness of the importance of maternal nutrition stimulated the 1969 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health along with a number of national nutrition surveys. A proliferation of food and nutrition programs followed. The most significant of these is the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children, or the WIC program. This is a unique pregnancy resource in that it offers an array of benefits such as food vouchers, medical and nutritional assessment, and nutritional counseling at no cost. It also provides expectant mothers with specific nutritional supplements and foods and refers them to other community pregnancy resources. And, depending on individual circumstances, its benefits and resources may be accessed beyond the term of the pregnancy.
Pregnant, postpartum, and breast-feeding women as well as children up to age five are eligible for WIC resources if they meet certain income criteria and are individually determined to be at nutritional risk. They must also live within an approved catchment area and undergo a complete medical evaluation. Following this medical evaluation, pregnant women may be provided with iron and vitamin supplements as well as foods selected to meet their specific nutritional needs. In addition, pregnant women with special dietary needs such as food allergies may receive packages containing foods that do not contain the offending allergens. Infants up to three months of age receive iron-fortified formula and older infants up to twelve months of age receive formula, iron-fortified infant cereal, and fruit juices high in Vitamin C. Breast-feeding women and children up to the age of five receive fortified milk and/or cheese, eggs, hot or cold cereals, fruit and vegetable juices high in vitamin C, and either peanut butter, dry beans, or peas. Apart from supplements and foods, yet another vital resource for pregnant women and new mothers available at WIC centers is nutritional education. This service is designed to have a direct and practical relationship to participants’ nutritional needs, household situations, and cultural preferences. It also includes dissemination of information on how pregnant women and new mothers can select foods in supermarkets that are tailored to their specific needs and to the needs of newborn infants. We hope you enjoyed reading this pregnancy resource from Conceive.com