Pregnancy encyclopedia: Neonatal intensive care unit to Placenta previa

Neonatal intensive care unit

-- see Special care nursery

Nutrition -- postpartum

A nutritious postpartum diet

Food group	Recommended number of servings
	Non-nursing mother	Nursing mother
Dairy 1 cup milk 1 1/2 oz. cheese 1 cup pudding 1 1/2 to 2 cups ice cream 2 cups cottage cheese 6 oz. yogurt 1 cup milk	2-3	4
Meat 2 oz. cooked meat, fish, or poultry 2 eggs, 2 oz. cheese, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup dried beans	2	2-3
Fruit 1/2 cup juice 1 medium fruit 1/2 cup of canned or raw fruit (1 vitamin C fruit or juice daily)	2-4	2-4
Vegetable 1/2 cup cooked vegetables 1 cup raw vegetables (vitamin A source every other day)	3-5	3-5
Grain Whole grain, enriched 1 slice bread 3/4 to 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal 1/2 cup cooked cereal, pasta, or rice	6-11	6-11

Nutrition -- postpartum weight loss

Here are sensible guidelines for weight loss after giving birth. The diet (shown below) contains about 1,500-1,600 calories, but fewer than 35 grams of fat per day.

Breastfeeding mothers: You may be able to increase your daily intake by as much as 1,000 calories and probably still regain your pre-pregnancy figure in a few months. Ask your health care provider about which foods to add.

A nutritious postpartum weight loss diet

Breakfast	1 serving vitamin C fruit 1 serving protein 1 serving bread or cereal Low- or no-calorie beverage
Lunch	2 servings protein 2 servings bread, grains, or starchy vegetables 1 serving vitamin A vegetable Moderate portion of other vegetable 1 serving fruit Low- or no-calorie beverage
Dinner	2-4 servings protein 2 servings bread, grains, or starchy vegetables 1 serving vitamin A vegetable Reasonable amount other vegetable 1 serving fruit Low- or no-calorie beverage
Snack	1 serving fruit
Other daily foods eaten any time	2 servings milk 3 servings fat 6-8 glasses of water

Postpartum weight loss diet foods

Protein	1 oz. lean meat (up to 6 oz. daily), fish, or poultry 1 egg (up to 4 weekly) or 1 /4 cup egg substitute 2 oz. cottage cheese or lowfat ricotta cheese 1 oz. lowfat hard cheese (up to 4 oz. weekly) 2 oz. tofu 1 T peanut butter 1/2 cup cooked dried beans or peas
Breads, Cereals, Grains	1 oz. slice bread, 2 slices "lite" bread 1 oz. bagel, roll, pita, or matzo 1/2 English muffin Melba toast (6 rounds or 4 rectangles) 2 rice cakes or 2 (3/4 oz.) breadsticks 3/4 cup ready-to-eat cereal, not pre-sweetened 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, buckwheat, bulgur, or grits
Starchy vegetables	3 oz. potato 1/4 cup sweet potato 1/2 cup beans, corn, lima beans, plantain, pumpkin, or winter squash 1/2 cup cooked dried beans or peas 1/2 medium ear corn
Vitamin A vegetables	Broccoli, carrots, greens, leafy green vegetables
Other vegetables	Asparagus, beets, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes
Vitamin C fruits	1/4 cantaloupe 1/2 grapefruit 1/2 cup (4 oz.) grapefruit or orange juice 1 kiwi 1/2 medium mango 1 medium orange 1/2 medium papaya 1 large or 2 small tangerines 1 cup tomato juice
Other fruits	1 medium apple, peach, or nectarine 2-3 apricots, prunes, or plums 1 small banana or pear 12 cherries or grapes 1/2 cup grape or prune juice 1/4 small honeydew melon 1/2 cup pineapple 1/2 pomegranate 1 T raisins
Milk and milk substitutes	1 cup (8 oz.) skim milk, low-fat buttermilk, or plain nonfat yogurt 1/2 cup (4 oz.) evaporated skim milk 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
Fats	1 t oil, mayonnaise, margarine 2 t diet margarine, mayonnaise 1 1/2 t salad dressing 1 T low-calorie salad dressing
Low- or no-calorie beverages	Black coffee, tea, mineral water, seltzer, diet sodas
Moderate quantities	Bouillon, consommé, herbs, spices, condiments

Nutrition -- pregnancy

A nutritious pregnancy diet

Servings per day	Suggested serving size	Needed for
Dairy products 4 or more servings	1 cup milk 1 cup yogurt 1 cup pudding 2 oz. of cheese equals 1/4 cup of grated cheese	Building bones and teeth Source of calcium
Protein 3-4 servings	2 eggs 1/4 cup peanut butter 1 cup beans 2-3 oz. beef, fish, or chicken 1/2 cup nuts or seeds	Building new cells for mom and baby, especially your baby’s brain
Iron As much as possible	Red meat, beans, peas, lentils, enriched breads and cereals, dried fruit	Forming new red blood cells
Citrus fruits and vitamin C 2 servings	1 orange or kiwi 1/2 grapefruit 1/2 cup strawberries 1 tomato 6 oz. juice	Holding new cells together
Dark green and yellow vegetables 1-2 or more servings	1/2 cup spinach, broccoli, squash, or green pepper 1/2 cup raw carrots 1/3 cup cooked carrots	Preventing low iron and maintaining health Source of folic acid, vitamins, and minerals
Fruits and vegetables (the citrus fruits above, plus three or more servings of:)	1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw vegetables 1 medium piece of fruit or 1/2 cup fruit	Roughage and energy Source of starch, fiber, vitamins, and minerals
Breads and cereals 6 or more servings	1 slice bread 1/2 bagel, bun, or English muffin 1/2 to 3/4 cup pasta or rice 1 pancake or cookie 1 oz. cereal	Strengthens nervous system, causes weight gain, builds energy Source of carbohydrates, vitamin B, and fiber
Water and fluids 6-8 glasses of water in addition to other fluids		Carries nutrients to cells Carries waste products away Provides fluid for increased blood volume and body fluids

Pain scale

All patients have the right to have their pain managed. Treating pain is an important part of care and recovery. Everyone feels pain differently. You are the only one who knows how you are feeling and you are the only person who can accurately describe your pain. You have the right to ask for and get pain relief.

Use a number scale to rate your pain and let your health care team know how severe your pain is. For example, if you use a scale from 0 to 10, "0" means no pain, "4" or "5" means moderate pain and "10" means the worst possible pain.

Pelvic inflammatory disease

An infection that involves the uterus, the Fallopian tubes and nearby structures.

Perineum

The perineum is a medical term used to describe the vulva, vagina, and area covered by pubic hair. It does not include the anus.

PKU test

PKU stands for phenylketonuria. Your baby will be tested for PKU in the hospital or at your first visit to your baby's health care provider. This rare disease is caused by the body's not digesting protein normally. If the disease is detected right at birth, your baby's diet can be controlled so that the effects of the disease, primarily brain damage, will not occur.

Other tests done at the same time (all performed on the same blood removed from your baby's heel) are for

• galactosemia (a problem with digesting milk sugar that can cause brain and liver damage, eye problems and death)
• hypothyroidism (a disorder of the thyroid gland)
• hemoglobinopathy (sickle cell disease)
• adrenal hyperplasia (a disorder of the adrenal gland that can cause hormone problems and death)

All of these conditions can be treated if detected early enough.

Placenta

The spongy, blood-rich organ (sometimes called the "afterbirth") that is attached to the inside wall of your uterus and connected to your baby by the umbilical cord. It connects you and your baby inside your uterus. It brings nourishment and oxygen from your blood to your baby and removes wastes from your baby to be disposed of by your body.

Placenta previa

When the placenta forms during the first days of pregnancy, it attaches to the inside wall of the uterus. If it attaches close to or over the cervical opening, then during labor, as the cervix opens, the placenta will begin to separate from the wall of the uterus. It is important that the placenta stay attached to the uterine wall during labor -- this is your baby's source of oxygen and nutrients from your bloodstream.

Bright red bleeding is a sign to you and your health care provider that your placenta may be positioned in this way. Report it immediately to your health care provider. A Cesarean birth will be necessary for your baby's health.


 

First published: 10/04/2002
Last updated: 10/04/2002

Reviewed by: Allina Patient Education, experts