Women who are pregnant: The woman may already be malnourished (underweight and lacking in

certain micronutrients) when she becomes pregnant. She now has to give the fetus some of her
already meager nutritional reserves. If there is no improvement in dietary intake, this may result in
depletion of these stores and/or deficiencies. Women who are lactating: If a woman enters lactation
and breastfeeding after giving birth already undernourished (underweight and with micronutrient
deficiencies), it could cause further depletion of her nutrient reserves and/or deficiencies, particularly
if her dietary intake is not improved. the elderly, as the majority of them have diminished physical
functioning and are not the focus of interventions.

The birth weight of a baby is directly correlated with a woman's pre-pregnancy weight. Body mass
index (BMI) before pregnancy is a key indicator of how the pregnancy will turn out because both low
and high pre-pregnancy BMI are linked to a higher risk of an unfavorable pregnancy outcome. Even if
she gains the same amount of weight during pregnancy as a woman of normal weight, a woman who
is underweight has a higher likelihood of giving birth to underweight children. Weight prior to
conception also affects lactation. This is due to the fact that pre-existing fat reserves frequently serve
as part of the reserves for milk production following delivery. However, this does not imply that
women should be overweight prior to conception; on the contrary.

Pregnancy complications like prolonged labor, gestational diabetes, and high blood pressure are
typically more likely in overweight women. Additionally, her baby is typically more likely to grow up
overweight and suffer from chronic illnesses. It is advised that the woman increases her intake of
whole grains (brown rice, oats, and whole wheat bread), pulses, legumes, fruits, and vegetables to
provide a nutrient dense source of calories in order to control body weight and blood sugar.

Contraceptives are typically used by many women as a method of birth control. When a woman
decides to stop taking them and becomes pregnant, these can occasionally affect fertility.
Additionally, some techniques affect nutritional status because they frequently obstruct nutrient
absorption and utilization. Therefore, before becoming pregnant, women who use contraceptives—
especially hormonal ones—should stockpile enough nutrients to offset their effects. It's possible that
recent pregnancies depleted the nutrient reserves. In order to accumulate enough nutrients for the
anticipated pregnancy, women must space out their pregnancies.

The nutrient reserves of a woman are affected by eating disorders like Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia
nervosa, and Binge eating disorders. They also affect the woman's weight before getting pregnant.
Therefore, before getting pregnant, women with these disorders should have their nutrient levels
checked and adjusted. Fibre: It's crucial to consume both soluble and insoluble fiber, which can be
found in oats, cereal bran, lentils, pulses, prunes, fruits, and vegetables. The balance of hormones and
blood sugar depend on fiber. Magnesium: This mineral is necessary for a healthy hormonal balance
and stress resistance. Kales (Sukuma Wiki), broccoli, spinach, okra, peas, sunflower seeds, sesame
seeds, almonds, and lentils are a few examples of foods high in magnesium.