Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childbirth

Making good nutritional choices can mean women optimise the outcomes of their birthing experience and offer their babies the best possible start in life. To support this, all health professionals who work with women during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period need to have an appropriate knowledge of nutrition, healthy eating and other food related issues. This evidence-based text provides an informative and accessible introduction to nutrition in pregnancy and childbirth. As well as allowing readers to recognise when nutritional deficiency may be creating challenges, it explores the psychosocial and cultural context of food and considers their relevance for women's eating behaviour. Finally, important emerging issues, such as eating during labour, food supplements and maternal obesity, are discussed. An important reference for health professionals working in midwifery or public health contexts especially, this book is also the ideal companion for a course on nutrition in pregnancy and childbirth.

Lorna Davies is a principal Lecturer in Midwifery at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, NZ and a part time lecturer for the New Zealand College of Midwives. Ruth Deery is Professor in Maternal Health at the University of the West of Scotland, UK. She holds a joint appointment with the University of the West of Scotland and NHS Ayrshire & Arran.

Foreword Barbara Katz Rothman Part 1: Healthy Eating and Nutrition in Childbirth 1. So What's For Dinner? Ruth Deery 2. Macronutrients in Preconception and Perinatal Health Colin R. Martin, Anne Mullen and Lorna Davies 3. Examining Micronutrients in Pregnancy and Lactation Anne Mullen, Colin R. Martin and Jade Wratten 4. Nutritional Needs for Lactation Victoria Hall Moran Part 2: Context and Cultural Issues 5. Nourishment: Food, Culture and Identities Rea Daellenbach 6. Caring for Women with Eating Disorders: From Conception to Birth and Beyond Lydia Jade Turner 7. Vegetarian and Vegan Pregnancy Emma Derbyshire 8. Food Talk with Young Pregnant Women Ruth Martis Part 3: Debates and Controversies 9. Sustainability, Food and Chidlbirth Lorna Davies 10. Baby-Led Feeding - The Best Start to Life Gill Rapley 11. Nutrition for Labour and Birth Penny Champion 12. Childbirth in a Fat-Phobic World Clara Miriam 13. Health at Every Size® Through Informed Midwifery Practice Jenni Brady, Lucy Aphramor and Jacqui Gingras Part 4: Practical Application and the Way Forward 14. Conversations about Food - Nutritional Assessment and Counselling Lorna Davies and Ruth Deery