The Pregnancy Life Stage Essays - Nutrition, Biomolecules, Midwifery

The Pregnancy Life Stage Essays - Nutrition, Biomolecules, Midwifery The Pregnancy Life Stage Running head: PREGNANCY LIFE STAGE Pregnancy Life Stage 1 Pregnancy Life Stage SCI/160 University of Phoenix July 25, 2000 Melissa Dolewa Pregnancy Life Stage Does nutrition status affect fertility? Good overall nutrition, rather than eating any specific food, greatly improves your chances of conceiving a child. For women, nutrient deficiencies and low-calorie diets at one extreme, and obesity at the other, can disrupt ovulation. Poor nutrition can also have an impact on male fertility. In order to get pregnant, doctors recommend that both women and men eat healthy, exercise and keep a positive mental attitude to increase chances of fertilization. Eating healthy, exercise and keeping a positive mental attitude are equally important during pregnancy and after pregnancy. According to www.familyinternet.com, carrying a baby for nine months and then providing it with breast milk afterward is a major nutritional stress on a womans body. Food intake increases only 15-20%, but requirements for specific nutrients such as folic acid, zinc, and certain B vitamins may increase by 30-100%. In addition, less than optimal nutrition can result in low-birth weight babies with increased risk of heart disease and non-insulin-dependent diabetes as adults. (www.childbirth-connections.com). Both over-eating and under-eating can adversely affect the qualities and quantities of breast milk, which is explained further under Dietary Requirements During Pregnancy. During pregnancy, nutrients are passed from mother to fetus through the placenta, and after birth, through breast-milk. The main vitamins and nutrients needed by mother and fetus is explained in the chart below: Nutrient/Vitamin Amount Needed Benefit Source Protein Need for pregnant women is increased by 10 to 15 grams daily (1 glass of milk contains 8 grams of protein). Forms structural basis for all new cells and tissues for both the mother and fetus www.tdh.tx.us (Texas Department of Health) Carbohydrates 50-100 g/daily Prevents ketosis, which, during pregnancy, can cause brain damage to the fetus. www.tdh.tx.us Pregnancy Life Stage Nutrient/Vitamin Amount Needed Benefit Source Folate 400-800 micrograms daily Prevents anemia during pregnancy, may prevent miscarriage, preserves the integrity of genetic material, and lowers risk of neural tube defects like spina-bifuda www.familyinternet.com Calcium 1000-1500 mg/daily Milk production and growing bones www.familyinternet.com Iron 30 mg beginning 12th week of pregnancy Binds oxygen to hemoglobin and prevent iron-deficiency anemia Nutrition During Pregnancy, National Academy of Sciences Vitamin D Adequate sun exposure, or 10 mg/daily for complete vegetarians and 5 mg/daily for woman who dont eat vitamin D-fortified foods (dairy products) Promotes fetal growth, bone formation, tooth enamel formation and the proper utilization of calcium www.familyinternet.com Vitamin B-6 2-5 mg/day during 1st higher doses may shut off milk production Manufacture of hormones, hemoglobin, neurotransmitters, many enzymes, and amino acids. www.familyinternet.com Vitamin E 200 IU Decreases risk of premature babies and low-birth weight infants and may lower the risk of miscarriage. www.familyinternet.com Vitamin A Follow the RDA of 2700 IU daily Provides baby with vitamin A reserves and sustains adequate breast-mil concentrations. www.familyinternet.com Zinc 10-30 mg daily is sufficient and considered safe; excessive intake of zinc can lower HDL-cholesterol. Reduces risk of miscarriage, labor complications, neural tube defects and low-birth babies www.familyinternet.com Food plays a major role in promoting a healthy life. However, during the pregnancy cycle, nutrition is of even greater importance because of the effects on both the mother and baby. Many people have said that a pregnant mother is eating for two, which in fact is correct. The mother needs a certain amount of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, water and fiber in the diet each day. Pregnancy Life Stage One suggested food plan, developed by FamilyWeb.com, suggests that during the first 2 to 3 months of pregnancy, a woman should try eating small amounts frequently throughout the day to keep the energy higher. If the mother only eats larger amounts of food less frequently, she may experience discomfort due to her energy levels reaching highs and lows. The food plan also recommends that the mother eat raw vegetables, fruits, juices, milk, breads and cereals in between meals as a way to keep the metabolic rate and energy steady. Each food group has recommended or suggested serving amounts for a pregnant woman. An outline of the serving amounts for each food group is as follows: The Five Food Groups Suggested Number of Servings Fruits and

5 Tips for Writing an Executive Summary

5 Tips for Writing an Executive Summary 5 Tips for Writing an Executive Summary Whenever you write an in-depth business document, you should include an executive summary. This, as the name suggests, is a brief summary of the report itself. But how exactly do you write one? Check out our tips on writing an executive summary below to find out. 1. What to Include in an Executive Summary The exact format of an executive summary will depend on what you are summarizing. However, as a general guideline, try to include: A brief explanation of the subject matter and why it is important The results or findings of the report (plus methods used if applicable) Any conclusions that can be drawn from the findings Any recommendations or proposals for what to do next Keep in mind that the executive summary needs to make sense by itself, as you cannot assume that the reader will find time to read the full report. 2. Know Who You’re Writing For Given the space available in an executive summary, it can help to tailor your writing to the person who will be reading it. Before you begin, then, ask yourself a few questions: Who will be reading this? What do they already know about the issue? Are you simply summarizing an issue or are you recommending an action? How did you gather the information? Were your methods limited at all? What are the key details you need people to take away from the summary? These questions will help you narrow down what to include in the summary. If you are writing a report that many people will read, or you do not know who will read the summary yet, think about what the average person in your industry would need to know. 3. Keep It Short! The key word in â€Å"executive summary† is â€Å"summary.† As such, try to make yours as clear and concise as possible. Think about it as being like the written version of an elevator pitch. The idea is to communicate the vital details and, ideally, to convince the reader to read the full report. As such, make sure that your summary is no more than 10% as long as the overall report. 4. Format for Skim Reading If possible, include charts, graphs, or bullet points in the summary. These can highlight key details so that skim readers do not miss anything important. It also helps to break up the summary into sections with clear headings, which will help readers find information at a glance. 5. Avoid Unnecessary Jargon When you’re trying to make your point clearly and concisely, industry jargon will get in the way. This isn’t to say that you can’t use technical language when necessary. But, whenever possible, try to express your ideas in simple terms (the complicated stuff can go in the full report). Summary: 5 Tips for Writing an Executive Summary If you are writing an executive summary for a business report, keep the following in mind: Make sure your executive summary makes sense by itself, and that it includes all of the key details you need your reader to take away. Think about who will read the summary and tailor it accordingly. Make sure it is no more than 10% as long as the overall report. Use formatting, bullet points, and section headings to boost readability. Keep the language used simple and avoid jargon wherever possible. Finally, make sure to get it proofread before you finish. That way, you can be 100% sure it is typo free and ready to use!