Define crucial periods of a woman's life - pregnancy and lactation?

In this unit, we studied about the most crucial periods of a woman's life, pregnancy and lactation, especially from a nutritional point of view. We got to how that good nutritional care and a well-balanced diet can help to ensure that the mother herself and the infant will be healthy. Maternal nutrition has an impact on the health and nutritional status of the infant's growth and development.

We learnt about the role of various nutrients and the corresponding increase in their RDA in order to meet the increased needs. Generally, the requirements for energy and most of the nutrients are increased during pregnancy and lactation especially for adolescents and women with multiple pregnancies. Adequate monitoring and care has a crucial role in ensuring satisfactory health of the mother. Dietary restriction for weight loss is contra indicated especially during pregnancy, if the mother is obese.

In our next section on lactation, we got to know the role of adequate nutrition during lactation. We also discussed about the composition of human milk and potential benefits of breast feeding. Finally, we learnt about the different disease conditions and their effect on the process of breastfeeding.