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Prenatal Vitamins 101: What You Need to Know

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Having a baby? Congratulations! Now that a baby is on the way, there are a million things you’d need to do before D-day. One of those things is making sure you get to eat healthy and stay fit throughout your pregnancy. Eating a healthy diet becomes even more important at this time. WebMD suggests regular intake of prenatal vitamins to help address any nutritional gaps you might have in your diet.

Are prenatal vitamins really necessary

Do you really need prenatal vitamins?

If you’re really sticking to your diet, then you probably have enough of what your body needs to stay healthy throughout this special nine-month period. However, for some expectant mommies, it’s not so easy to eat a healthy diet, especially if they’ve got full-time work. Since a lot of pregnant women work up to the day they deliver, it may be tough to eat a healthy diet given a hectic work schedule. That’s where prenatal vitamins come in, says Baby Center. When it’s tough to get the nutrients you need, when you’re pressed for time and just haven’t got enough hours in the day to make sure your diet includes the right food, then these vitamins for mommies to be have your needs covered.

What’s in them?

Prenatal supplements for moms-to-be carry a lot of vitamins as well as minerals. However, the most crucial of those are folic acid, iron, iodine and calcium. Here’s why:

  1. Folic acid. It helps the development of the fetus, lowering the risk of neural tube defects so your baby won’t have to be born with anencephaly or spina bifida. Also, the body processes the synthetic version of folic acid much better than natural ones so prenatal supplements are a better choice than natural sources of folic acid. The sooner your system can process the folic acid, after all, the faster the nutrients get to your baby, ensuring optimum infant growth and health.
  1. Calcium is also important because it helps prevent bone loss. The baby will depend on you to supply the calcium necessary for bone growth so you’ll need to have plenty of calcium to spare. Otherwise, you’ll end up compromising your bone density or your baby’s bone growth and that’s the last thing you want. What you do want is for your child to grow up with healthy and strong bones and teeth. So get yourself enough calcium to make that happen.
  1. Iodine helps keep your thyroid healthy throughout the pregnancy. Low iodine levels in is also a factor in miscarriage as well as stillbirth so make sure your intake is sufficient.
  1. This is a staple in a pregnant woman’s diet because it increases oxygen levels in the blood for you and your baby. Also, with enough iron, you won’t run the risk of getting iron deficiency anemia. This type of anemia could lead to preterm delivery. It can also cause low birth weight and in extreme cases, infant death. So making sure you’ve got enough in your system is the best way to keep your baby healthy and safe inside the womb.

Have more questions about taking prenatal supplements? Here are some great tips from Fit Pregnancy to help you out:

When Do You Take Them?

The best time to get the vitamins into your system would be around 3 months before you start trying for a baby. To make sure you only get the right formulation of natural nutrients, order your prenatal vitamins from companies that insist on using organic ingredients which are safe from pesticides and contaminants. Choosing to go for The Honest company’s prenatal vitamins would be a good decision.

Aren’t All Vitamins the Same?

Not at all! Some have a little bit of everything and some have only one nutrient, which is handy if you’re low on iron or calcium. You can get iron or calcium supplements easily enough to ensure you and your baby stay healthy throughout the pregnancy.

Nauseous About Vitamins?

One trick to this is taking your vitamins during the night. That way, you can sleep through the nausea.

Are Prenatal Vitamins Dangerous

If that doesn’t work though and you still find yourself nauseous about taking vitamins, then ask your doctor for help on what prenatal supplements might work better for you. You may also consider chewable or liquid vitamins.

Should I Consult My Doctor?

Always. Before you take anything, even an iron supplement that someone from your mommy circle has recommended, don’t do it without telling your doctor first and getting the go signal. If you’ve got a special heart condition or other health issues and concerns, you’ll need to ask your doctor for the right vitamins for you. Otherwise, you could end up overdosing on a particular supplement. Don’t take that risk. It’s really best to consult your doctor every step of the way.

Taking prenatal supplements is one way to cover all your bases, ensuring you get the nutrients you and your growing baby needs during the pregnancy. For an added safety measure, consult your doctor before you take anything.

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