Pregnancy is a time that is filled with anticipation. The first time a woman feels her baby kick, she can’t help but feel a rush of excitement as she imagines her new baby’s personality, smile, tiny hands, tiny feet. With so much to think about, it is important to pay attention to proper nutrition. Your doctor should have made sure that you are taking enough folic acid, an extremely important part of your diet that is crucial in lowering the risk of birth defects in your baby. Most women take a daily prenatal vitamin to make sure that enough folic acid is in their diet. This is crucial in the first 12 weeks, because this is the time that small changes in your vitamin levels can have a big impact on your baby’s development. A prenatal vitamin typically contains Folic Acid and Iron, because a lot of women become iron deficient (anemic) due to their pregnancy.
Another excellent supplement that pregnant women should consider is a daily multivitamin. It has been shown in a recent scientific study involving a close analysis of 36,000 recent mothers, that those who took both a prenatal vitamin and a multivitamin were 17% less likely to have a baby with a low birth weight. It is well worth the cost of a daily supplement to ensure such an important health benefit for your baby.
There are many multivitamins on the market, it is important to consider aspects of your diet that may be leaving you deficient in important areas. For instance, if you are a vegetarian, it is very likely that you are low in Vitamin B12. This is a very important vitamin because it plays a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. At levels just slightly lower than normal, side effects such as fatigue, depression, and poor memory are common.
If you lack exposure to sunlight throughout the day, it is possible that you are deficient in Vitamin D. Your body naturally produces this vitamin when exposed to the sun, so as many in modern society spend much of their time indoors, it has become increasingly important to pay attention to your Vitamin D level. It is recommended to most to use a supplement by taking a multivitamin in order to ensure that the proper level is maintained. This vitamin can be found naturally in Salmon, Tuna, Eggs, and Beef liver, so it is also typically harder for vegetarians to get the proper daily level of Vitamin D. Women should also be particularly aware of the benefits of Vitamin D because it has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Calcium is also extremely important. Pregnant or not, women are recommended to take 1,000 mg of Calcium per day. Most fall far short of this goal. A baby has a particular need for calcium, so it is very important to make sure you’re getting enough of it each day. It can be found naturally in milk, cheese, yogurt, almonds, and spinach, but a good multivitamin can really help to ensure that your calcium level is high enough each day.
Overall, it is always important to first consult your doctor about taking vitamin supplements. For most pregnant women, it is an excellent way to ensure that you’re providing the right nutrients to yourself and your baby, to help keep both of you happy and healthy.
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