The mother's diet influences the health of the baby in the short and perhaps even in the long term. Being a healthy body weight is important before pregnancy. Being underweight can make it more difficult to conceive. It can also make it more likely that the baby will have a low birth weight and as a result have a greater risk of ill health. Being very overweight increases the risk of complications such as high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy.
Foods containing folate are important for women of child bearing age.
The vitamin folate is particularly important before conception and during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Extra folate at this time reduces the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida. This is because the vitamin is important at a time when many women do not realise that they are pregnant. It is also important to consume foods that are naturally good sources of folate eg. green vegetables, oranges, and foods that have been fortified with folic acid eg some bread and breakfast cereals. During the first 6 months of pregnancy, most women do not need to eat more food than normal.