The Telegraph reports that mothers with postnatal depression are being failed by the NHS because only 3 per cent of health organisations offer help with the condition. The figures from the @National Childbirth Trust (NCT) found 97 per cent of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) had no mental health strategy for new mothers and 60 per cent said they did not have plans to put one in place. The Food Doctor says sometimes nature plays some strange tricks with us -the days following the birth of a baby should be filled with joy and love, but instead many women are hit by depression or melancholy. Although they may not feel like it, this is an important time to ensure that new mums get their nutrition right and to eat as well as they can. Being Prepared In the last few months of pregnancy the baby will have a high demand for vitamins and minerals which it needs to grow and develop, and the only place it can get them from is the mother. If the mother’s diet is poor then the baby will use up her reserves, particularly of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. It is also important to be nutritionally prepared for breast feeding, and being depleted in essential nutrients may make breast feeding a further drain on a new mother’s resources. In the last trimester of pregnancy a women needs on average an additional 200 calories per day, which should be obtained from a balanced diet of protein, such as chicken, turkey, or oily fish, as well as plenty of additional fruit and vegetables and whole grains such as brown rice or oats. It is particularly important to increase the amount of folic acid in the diet as this has been shown to prevent neural defects such as spina bifida. Food sources of folic acid include spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, beetroot, nuts and seeds. Recent research has supported the taking of specialist supplements containing the right levels of folic acid and other vitamins and minerals before and throughout pregnancy for additional support.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 12:00:00 +0000