Essay Sample on Nutritional Risks the Client (Pregnant Mother)

Introduction

Nutritional risks factors which the client might be exposed to include weight loss during pregnancy, high maternal weight gain, low birth weight, preterm delivery, low maternal weight gain, low hemoglobin/hematocrit level, overweight prior to pregnancy, and underweight prior to pregnancy.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Interventions

Interventions for energy needs include ensuring that the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) prior to conception is 2200. Additional 300 calories (2500 cal) will be required after conception to provide more energy required by the fetus and increased mother's metabolic rate. Calories should be obtained from complex carbohydrates whose digestion is low to control glucose and insulin. Start the day using healthy snacks like carrot sticks, cheese, and crackers.

Interventions for protein needs include DRI of 46g/d to meet the overall nutritional needs. The client should take complete protein products such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, yogurt, and milk to ensure that the nine essential amino acids are supplied in the diet. However, in an event of hypercholesterolemia, it would be advisable for the client to consume lean meat, olive oil, and poultry.

Interventions for fat needs include ensuring that fatty acids which cannot be manufactured by the body such as linoleic acid are supplied by other sources like vegetable oils by consuming olive, corn, and safflower. The client should avoid animal fats such as butter and instead take more of omega-3 oils from fish, fortified eggs, and spreads.

Intervention for vitamins includes taking foods rich in vitamin D to enhance calcium absorption and improve fetal bone density. The client should take plenty of fruits and vegetables to meet the daily vitamin requirements. The client will be advised not to use mineral oils from laxative because such minerals would prevent the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. However, the client will be advised to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables to supply folic acid required for the production of red blood cells.

Minerals intervention will include the consumption of calcium and phosphorus to help in teeth formation. She should also ingest iodine from seafood to help in effect functioning of thyroid gland. Salt should be added in the food to provide sodium required to maintain body fluid unless restricted.

Fluid and fiber intake would also be critical for the client. Plenty of fruits and green vegetables will provide fiber thus prevent constipation and lower the levels of cholesterol. The client should drink plenty of water and 2 to 3 glasses of fluid on a daily basis to enhance kidney function.

Expected Outcomes

Firstly, the client should realize a weight gain of between 11.2 to 15.9 kg during pregnancy. Secondly, she should realize a weight gain of about 0.4 kg per month for the first trimester. Lastly, the client should realize a weight gain of about 0.4 kg per week during the last two trimesters.

Goals of Medical Nutritional Therapy for the Client

• To prevent underweight and overweight prior to pregnancy thus ensure readiness for childbearing before conception.
• To ensure that the patient gains appropriate weight at every stage of pregnancy.
• To ensure that the patient takes the right nutrients in the right proportion thus prevent complications during pregnancy.
• To ensure that the patient takes the right nutrients in the right proportion to supply the fetus with appropriate nutrients required for an effective brain, bone, and general development before birth.

Overall, the client requires a dietary modification for her regular deity. However, enteral feeding by tube is not necessary because the patient has no difficulty with eating. The recommended method for nutrient administration, in this case, is to encourage the patient to take foods through normal feeding.

Task 2

The nutrition education teaching session with the patient or family member will focus on the woman's nutritional status. I would first appreciate that the woman might feel discomfort towards eating especially during the early stages of the pregnancy. Thereafter, I will emphasize that the woman's nutrition should not be taken for granted because the fetus' life is dependent on the mother. Next, I will outline the area of our discussion as divided into three: the recommended weight gain for a pregnant woman, the nutrition for a pregnant woman, and the healthy signs of good nutrition. The teaching session will run for a period of two weeks composed of 1-hour session each day from Monday to Friday. It hourly sessions will be slotted during the first meeting based on the time which is convenient to the patient.

The teaching method I will use with the patient or family member is the discussion. It will stimulate the patient's critical thought, enhance rapport, and demonstrate an appreciation of the patient's contribution. I will also use the discussion to challenge the patient to think deeply and articulate ideas clearly. Finally, the method will allow both parties to ask questions to measure the extent of learning and further exploration of ideas.

Specific Points About the Patient’s New Diet

Firstly, I will teach the patient about the need to take her new diet seriously. Eating is usually hard and characterized by discomfort during the early stages of pregnancy. However, the patient's nutrition is crucial and should not be taken for granted because the fetus' life is dependent on the mother. Secondly, the patient should adhere to the recommended weight gain at every trimester. This weight gain should occur naturally because of fetal growth and accumulation of maternal stores and not because of additional calories consumed. Thirdly, the patient's nutrition (nutrition for a pregnant woman) should constitution of energy, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, fluids, and fiber in the right proportion.

The most effective tip to avoid potential herb/nutrient/drug interactions is for the patient to know why, how, and when to take each medication.