A woman who eats well and takes good care of her body is much more likely to
have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. In fact, the ways to stay healthy listed
in this chapter can be used by women and their families to stay well throughout
their whole lives.
Eating well
Eating well means eating enough food and eating
a variety of healthy foods.
Eating well:
• helps a woman resist illness and stay healthy.
• keeps a woman’s teeth and bones strong.
• gives a woman strength to work.
• helps the baby grow well in the mother’s womb.
• helps prevent heavy bleeding after birth.
• helps a mother recover her strength quickly
after birth.
Eating well helps a
woman and her baby stay
healthy and strong.
Problems from poor nutrition (not eating well)
Poor nutrition can cause tiredness, weakness, difficulty
fighting infections, and other serious health problems.
Poor nutrition during pregnancy is especially
dangerous. It can cause miscarriage or cause a baby to be
born very small or with birth defects. It also increases the
chances of a baby or a mother dying during or after birth.
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