Authorities agree that nutritional care for pregnant about to be pregnant and nursing women can prevent health problems that are costly in terms of both dollars and quality of life Yet many women still receive little guidance regarding maternal nutrition Now health care professionals can turn to a handy practical guide for help in smoothly integrating maternal nutritional care into their practices Nutrition During Pregnancy and Lactation provides physicians nurses primary care providers and midwives with a ready made step by step program for helping new mothers The guide based on the two most authoritative volumes available on the topic both from the Institute of Medicine Nutrition During Pregnancy 1990 and Nutrition During Lactation 1991 makes the findings and recommendations detailed in these books readily accessible for daily use In keeping with recommendations by the U S Surgeon General the guide promotes breastfeeding and includes practical information for mothers on how to breastfeed Providing background details resource lists and a toolbox of materials this implementation guide makes nutritional care simple and straightforward Part I walks the health care professional through the process of providing nutritional advice for new mothers from the prepregnancy questionnaire to the final postpartum visit It includes helpful tools such as weight charts and checklists to follow during each patient visit It also offers suggestions on encouraging nutritional eating habits and helping patients with problems such as nausea and nursing twins Part II offers a wide range of practical information and guidelines on important topics such as serving culturally diverse populations making dietary assessments throughout pregnancy and lactation and providing dietary advice in understandable day to day terms The guide explains how to determine if patients need vitamin mineral supplements and what regimens to recommend And it includes information on referring patients to federal food and nutrition programs The guide is tabbed for quick reference and each page is designed for the reader to find information easily