Abstract
BackgroundPregnancy and the first year after giving birth are marked by physiological and psychological changes. While it is well known that energy requirements change during this time, the question of how a woman’s diet actually changes from pregnancy until 1 year postpartum has been left virtually unexplored. The present study employs a longitudinal design to investigate these changes.MethodsData were collected within the framework of the LIFE Child study (Leipzig, Germany). The diet composition and culture of eating of 110 women were assessed at 3 time points: in the 24th week of pregnancy, 3 months after giving birth (breastfeeding period), and 12 months after giving birth (after weaning). We assessed differences in nutritional health (Nutritional Health Score, NHS) and the consumption of different food items at each of these time points. We also investigated associations between nutritional health and age, socio-economic status (SES), BMI before pregnancy, and previous births at all three time points.ResultsThe analyses revealed high correlations in the NHS values between the three time points (rhot0/t1 = .55, rhot0/t2 = .60). On average, nutritional health was lower in the breastfeeding period than during pregnancy. In more detail, women reported less healthy levels of treats and white bread consumption and a higher frequency of snacking in the breastfeeding period than during pregnancy. In contrast, overall nutritional health did not differ significantly between pregnancy and the time after weaning. Increased age was associated with a healthier diet during pregnancy, and a high SES was associated with healthier diet after weaning. Furthermore, the increase in nutritional health from the breastfeeding period to the time after weaning was significantly stronger in women with a higher BMI. We observed no significant associations between dietary nutritional health and previous births.ConclusionsThe present findings suggest that higher energy requirements in the breastfeeding period are met by consuming high-calorie and unhealthy food products rather than healthy and nutrient-rich food. Young mothers should be supported in taking care of their own nutritional health during the challenging time of breastfeeding and caring for a newborn child.
Highlights
Pregnancy and the first year after giving birth are marked by physiological and psychological changes
Data for all women who completed the questionnaire on diet composition and culture of eating (CoCu) at three specific time points were eligible for inclusion in the present study
The median of the Nutritional Health Score (NHS) at t0, t1, and t2 were 50 (IQR = 32.5–67.5), 40 (IQR = 30–60), and 50 (IQR = 30–70), respectively, indicating that the ratio of healthy to unhealthy diets was positive at all time points
Summary
Pregnancy and the first year after giving birth are marked by physiological and psychological changes. A healthy diet is important during pregnancy and breastfeeding, for the (expectant) mother, and for the (unborn) child. A healthy diet before or during pregnancy, for example, has been associated with a lower risk of gestational diabetes [1, 2] and a healthier birthweight [3, 4], and healthy nutrition during breastfeeding has been associated with beneficial metabolic development in infants [5]. A relevant consideration is that, for the mother, the periods of pregnancy and the first year after giving birth are characterized by hormonal changes [6] and by new emotional experiences [7, 8]. In a more general sense, it is important that the diet during these periods is based on recommendations for healthy adults, e.g., plenty of fruit and vegetables and limited consumption of fatty or sweet foods [9]
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