Pregnancy is a time when women, in general, tend to think more about their health status out of concern for their unborn baby. Women who have been taking good care of their health before pregnancy may not have much to be concerned about. Chances are, they may already know what to do to remain healthy for their special nine months.
If you haven’t been taking good care of your health before pregnancy however, it’s still not too late to do so. Other than ditching bad habits such as smoking or alcohol consumption, for example, you might also want to pay extra attention to your diet and nutrition. Read on…
Eating the right foods during pregnancy is important, for they’ll provide you with the proper nutrients your body will need for the healthy growth and development of your growing baby inside you. However, not every pregnant woman can have daily access to nutritious foods. This is where a good prenatal supplement, one that includes all the important vitamins and minerals, can save the day (and rescue your entire pregnancy!). Here’s what a good prenatal supplement should contain.
Folic Acid
Folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, is probably the most important ingredient in a prenatal supplement. It’s a vitamin that is known to prevent birth defects of the brain and spine (called neural tube defects) in newborn babies. Doctors, as well as health experts all over the world, recommend that all women of childbearing age get 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. Once you become pregnant, you should increase the amount to 600 micrograms. If your prenatal supplement has more than that amount, it’s alright. Note too, that depending on food to meet the daily folate requirement can be tricky for a pregnant woman, not to mention, risky too.
Iron
Prenatal vitamins with iron should be a top priority. During her pregnancy, a woman will need twice as much of this mineral. Iron helps in making the extra blood to accommodate the needs of the mom and her fetus. Pregnant women should be getting no less than 27 milligrams of iron each day and needless to say, it’s not an easy amount to get from food alone!
Calcium
A calcium deficiency is not something any pregnant woman would want to experience! This important mineral is vital for the development of a baby’s bones, teeth, heart, muscles, and nerves, whereby 1,000 milligrams a day is the recommended dosage during pregnancy. Getting enough calcium should be a priority for every pregnant woman, for a lack of it could lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis later in life. It’s important to realise too, that what the fetus doesn’t get through the diet, will be taken out of mom’s bones. That’s why a supplement that contains enough calcium will protect a pregnant mom from a deficiency.
Vitamin D
This vitamin helps you absorb calcium and is important for your baby’s bones, teeth, eyes, and skin. Pregnant women should ideally be getting 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D a day – and many doctors recommend even more—800 or 1,000 IU—because many people are deficient without even knowing it. Low birth weight, pre-eclampsia, neonatal hypocalcemia, bone fragility as well as poor postnatal growth have been linked to low vitamin D levels during pregnancy. There is also a heightened risk of developing autoimmune diseases.
Iodine
During pregnancy, you need 220 micrograms of iodine every day to help your baby’s brain and nervous system, whereby a prenatal supplement should contain at least 150 micrograms (more if you are vegetarian or vegan and do not consume foods like fish and dairy). Severe iodine deficiency is associated with an array of adverse effects, including goiter, cretinism, neonatal hypothyroidism, growth retardation, and increased risks of pregnancy loss and infant mortality.
