Pregnancy is that state in a woman’s life, when there is the growth and development of foetus in her body. A normal pregnancy lasts approximately for nine months.

It is the respon­sibility of the pregnant woman to provide nutri­tion to the foetus because foetus is dependent on the mother for all his nutri­tional requirements. Pregnant lady

It is the desire of every mother to give birth to a healthy baby. For this, mother’s good health is very essential. By taking proper diet neither the health of the foetus is ad­versely affected nor has mother to face much problem during the delivery of the child.

A malnourished mother delivers pre­mature child and even if the infant is mature at the time of birth, he may lack in proper growth and development of the body.

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Pregnancy is a period of great physiolo­gical as well as psychological stress for a woman. A number of changes occur in the body of the woman, like increase in body weight and the amount of liquids in the body. Basal metabolic rate also increases.

Growth of uterus, umbilical cord, and breasts take place and digestive system also undergoes important changes. The increased nutritional requirements during this phase are attributed to all these changes.