 Eating the right foods during pregnancy is very important for both a mother and her baby. Even before a baby is born, his body is built from the foods his mother eats. Also, if the mother eats the right foods during pregnancy, it will be easier for her to stay healthy and feel good throughout her pregnancy and birth. Eating the right things during pregnancy even helps the mother to recover more quickly after giving birth. When a mother is breastfeeding, it's also important for her to eat the right foods because the nutrition in her breast milk comes from the foods she eats. When a mother eats too little or when the foods she chooses provide little nutrition, the baby can't grow strong inside his mother's womb. This is often called malnutrition and it can hurt both a mother and her baby. If a mother is malnourished, she has less energy and she is more likely to get sick with infections that can harm both mother and child. Eating too much food during pregnancy is also unhealthy for a mother and her growing baby. This is especially true when too many unhealthy foods are eaten, like highly processed and packaged foods, sweets and sugary drinks. It's normal for a pregnant mother to gain weight during pregnancy, but too many unhealthy foods can make a mother gain too much weight. Mothers who are overweight or obese during pregnancy can develop serious health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure. In some cases, obesity makes it more difficult for the mother to deliver her baby naturally and she has a higher risk of needing a caesarean delivery. When a mother is obese during pregnancy, it's also more difficult for her baby to grow into a healthy child. The baby may be born too early or he may be born with health problems that make it more difficult for his mother to care for him. Being a mother is one of the most important jobs in the world. From long before a baby is born, his mother has the power to steer her family towards good health.