From Baby to Adulthood - The Influence of A Mother-to-be

The effects on a baby's health by the mother's activities and emotions during pregnancy would carry on right into adulthood, reveal new studies.

The food and drink she consumes, the emotions and stresses she feels, the exercise she takes, and even the job she does - is shared in some fashion with her unborn child.

Psychological Changes in Pregnancy - How to Deal - FAQs - Reference
Pregnancy is an experience of growth, change, enrichment and challenge. During the 40 weeks of pregnancy, the expectant mother will go through several physical and emotional changes.

Project Viva, a Harvard Medical School study of 2,670 pregnant women, which began in 1999, has made some remarkable discoveries.

A mother's diet affects the chances of her baby's obesity - and this relationship persists into the child's adolescent years, reports the Daily Mail.

Stephanie Bayol and her colleagues at the Royal Veterinary College, in London, found that offspring of pregnant mums who were fed junk food were 95 per cent more likely to overeat than those whose mothers had eaten healthy food.

Pregnancy and Diet/Diet during Pregnancy – Healthy Foods, Foods to Avoid
Pregnant women should pay special attention to their diet. The diet before and during pregnancy should be rich in calories, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Another experiment showed that children of pregnant women who were fed carrot juice in the third trimester were more likely to like the taste of carrot-flavoured cereal than those who did not.

Sadly the same is true for opposite effects.

Pregnancy and Antenatal Care
What is Antenatal care and its importance during pregnancy for mother and baby, with details on the medical test preformed during the first visit to the doctor.

Mothers who conceived during the Nazis' starvation of the Netherlands in 1944 survived on just 400-to-800 calories a day, increasing their babies' risk for heart diseases and diabetes.

Studies have also shown that how a mother's psychology can actually affect a baby.

Exercises, Massages and Relaxing Techniques for Pregnant Women
Pregnancy exercises are instrumental in carving a healthy pregnancy journey. Pregnancy massages can aid in relaxation and reduce discomfort.

Researchers at Columbia University, in the U.S., asked pregnant mothers to take intelligence tests while their unborn babies were scanned. All the mothers' heart rates went up as they tried to pass the tests. In women who were depressed or anxious, their foetuses' heart rates also rose.

"That difference suggests that these foetuses are already more sensitive to stress. It could be that the foetuses' nervous systems are already being shaped by their mothers' emotional states," said Professor Caroline Monk.

Source-ANI