MARLTON, NJ The Delaware Valley Institute of Fertility & Genetics (DVIF&G;) headquartered in Marlton, NJ, just launched a new program to help ensure optimal nutrition for its pregnant patients and their growing babies. Called The Stork’ s Nutrition Program®, it provides medical nutrition therapy to optimize the health outcomes of both mother and child. By helping a woman make sound nutritional choices, she can achieve a healthier weight and improve metabolic control both important factors in conception. Research also has found that healthy eating during pregnancy will help ensure a healthy baby later by reducing his or her risk for certain diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and many kinds of cancer.
The Stork’ s Nutrition Program® has five key components: 1. to include a variety of foods in meal planning 2. to gain the appropriate amount of weight 3. to supplement diet with the right amounts of vitamins and minerals 4. to avoid alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful substances and 5. to handle food safely.
Developed by Melissa Bennett, RD, CDE, a medical nutrition therapist at DVIF&G;, the Stork’ s Nutrition Program® also encourages pregnant women to walk for 30 minutes with their physician’ s permission, to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water, to eat three servings of low-fat foods rich in calcium, and to limit caffeine to 300 milligrams per day (about two 8-ounce cups of coffee) on a daily basis.
“ Moms-to-be who follow the program have a healthier pregnancy. When you eat healthier, you feel better,” says Ms. Bennett. “ A healthy weight gain promotes a healthy pregnancy and decreases the risk of complications during delivery. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy increases a woman’ s risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and back pain. Not gaining enough weight can deprive the fetus of much-needed nutrients for normal development.”
Founded in 1994, the Delaware Valley Institute of Fertility & Genetics (DVIF&G;) is one of the leading fertility practices in South Jersey. Headquartered in Marlton, the Institute has two other locations in Lawrenceville and Vineland.
