The diet during pregnancy should be mainly vegetables, fruit, salad,
rice, tapioca, milk, eggs in moderation, and a small amount of
wholemeal bread. A little meat or fish once a day is allowable for
those whom it suits, but rich, spicy dishes, pastry, strong tea, coffee
and all alcoholic drinks are very injurious. Three meals a day with no
"snacks" of any kind between, are sufficient. For those who have reason
to dread a hard confinement, oatmeal is best avoided. To avoid fluids
while eating is important, especially for those who have a weak
digestion. One may drink half-an-hour before meals or three hours
after, but if plenty of fruit and salad is eaten and little salt used
with the food there will be little thirst. Too much fluid should not be
drunk, if thirst is felt, water very slowly sipped will quench it
better than copious draughts. During pregnancy there is often a craving
for acid fruits, this is nature's call for what is needful at such a
time. Fruits and green vegetables supply a large quantity of most
valuable salts which go to make good blood and build up all parts of
the body. Never force the appetite. Food that is neither relished nor
digested will do more harm than good.
It must never be forgotten that the blood of the child is being
directly derived from that of the mother, consequently if the diet is
of such a nature as to induce over-abundance of fat, the child will be
born too fat. This does not mean a healthy child by any means, and it
may mean considerable extra pain for the mother. A mother inclined to
thinness need not fear that this diet will reduce her. The taking of
cream, eggs, bacon and other fat foods often has the opposite effect
from that desired. A thin person adopting the above light diet will
generally get into good condition.
Under the head of _exercise_, the first we would recommend is general
housework, provided windows are kept open, avoiding the more laborious
parts, and always being careful not to get over-fatigued. Light
gardening, walks, if not too long, and light gymnastic exercises are
all beneficial. The exercises described in the appendix, practised for
ten minutes at a time, once or twice a day, are quite suitable for the
expectant mother, while deep breathing (_see_ Breathing, Correct Method
of) is most valuable.
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