~Food Requirements of Prospective Mother.~--The food requirements of the prospective mother are not materially affected during the first four months of gestation, and even after this, when the infant is developing rapidly, and up to the date of its birth, the mother's requirements are only increased about 20%. The amount of food necessary to cover the body needs, for maintenance and energy of a woman living a sedentary or moderately active life, plus 20% for building materials for the growing child, will be adequate for the pregnant woman. Thus, if her needs are ordinarily from 2,000 to 2,400 calories per day, after the fourth month they will probably be increased to 2,400 or 2,800 calories a day and will rarely ever be more than 3,000 calories a day.
~Dietetic Treatment of Normal Pregnancy.~--The peculiar conditions surrounding the woman at this particular time must be taken into consideration in arranging her diet. The building foods which are necessary for the developing child must be given in the simplest form, milk and eggs being used liberally and meat sparingly to obviate any unnecessary tax being placed upon the kidneys. The use of fruit and green vegetables to supplement the milk and eggs is urged. It has been found advisable at such times to give small meals frequently rather than the regular meal three times a day. The feeling of "fullness" which often occurs during the last two or three months of gestation makes it more comfortable for the pregnant woman to eat less at a time and oftener. If, for example, she be given a glass of rich milk or a nutrient beverage, either of enforced malted milk, albumenized orange juice, buttermilk, zoolak, or koumiss, at about eleven o'clock in the morning and again about four o'clock in the afternoon, she will have taken sufficient nourishment to meet the new requirements without taxing her digestion or imposing extra work upon the kidneys.
~Abnormal Symptoms.~--The chief point to keep in mind is any abnormal symptom which may develop. The chief of these is albumen in the urine. The urine must be examined frequently and measures taken immediately to overcome albuminuria should it occur. It is wise, as has already been stated, to restrict the meat in the diet, and in cases where albumen is found in the urine even when the meats are restricted, it may be necessary to place the patient upon a milk diet for a time until the urine clears up.