Advice and Restrictions During Pregnancy

Abstract

This idea underlies traditional care during pregnancy. It may be true that in pregnancy a woman has more access to food and other things. But, communities have ways to oversee foetal growth and development. They subject women to restrictions and recommendations regarding diet and activities. Much of the time such advice help to improve the health of the woman, too. But this is not always so, particularly when the health of a woman is already compromised by poverty, over-work and gender-discrimination.

When pregnancies are frequent, food too little, and work heavy, women don't get enough time for their health to recoup. Nutritional stress leads to loss of iron, protein and fat stores entailing numerous problems and complications. Not enough food throughout childhood and youth leaves women stunted, putting them at risk of obstructed child-birth. For fear of this, food is further restricted during pregnancy.