When you're pregnant, your body's primary focus is building a new little body, using nutrients from your diet and supplements as building blocks. Stuart Prenatal vitamins will not replace healthy eating habits, but if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends taking a complete prenatal multivitamin to supplement nutrients that may be lacking in your diet. When combined with well-balanced meals, exercise and rest, the vitamins and minerals in Stuart Prenatal can help you maintain your health and the health of your baby.
Folic Acid
Stuart Prenatal provides folic acid, an essential B vitamin that may prevent neural tube defects during the first month of pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes, neural tube defects result in improper spine, spinal cord, brain and skull development. The March of Dimes estimates that in the United States, 70 percent of these defects could be prevented if women of childbearing age took 400 mcg of folic acid daily, and this is now recommended by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Vitamin A
According to StuartPrenatal.com, the Vitamin A in its prenatal multivitamin is supplied as beta carotene. The beta carotene form of vitamin A is found in foods and will not cause toxicity, according to nutritionist Allison Gamble in the article "Prenatal Vitamins: Are Prenatal Vitamins Really Needed?" on the Pregnancy Today website. Vitamin A is vital for development of the embryo's heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes and bones, and for the respiratory, circulatory and central nervous systems. It also helps with infection resistance, fat metabolism and postpartum tissue repair.
B Vitamins
The B vitamins in Stuart Prenatal include folic acid, thiamin or B1, riboflavin or B2, niacin and vitamins B6 and B12. Vitamin B6 keeps skin healthy, helps build tissue and aids in brain function. B6 is key to protein synthesis and metabolizing amino acids. It may reduce nausea and vomiting. Vitamin B12 interacts with folic acid, helps enzyme and biochemical systems work properly and is involved in cell division. Riboflavin, niacin and thiamin help release energy from food and keep appetite and digestion balanced. B vitamins also help the pregnant woman's nervous system function properly.
Vitamin C
The vitamin C in Stuart Prenatal helps create the material in a woman's body that holds cells together. It makes blood vessel walls firm, helps heal wounds and prevent fatigue and helps pregnant women resist infection.
Vitamin D
Stuart Prenatal contains vitamin D, which maintains your body's calcium balance by helping absorb calcium from your digestive tract and helping build calcium into your bones. Many prenatal vitamins do not contain enough vitamin D, so some doctors suggest women drink vitamin D-fortified milk or other calcium-rich foods containing vitamin D, in addition to taking prenatal vitamins. A guide to prenatal vitamins on MayoClinic.com emphasizes that vitamin D is most important during the third trimester, when the need for calcium increases.
Calcium
The calcium in Stuart Prenatal multivitamins helps build strong bones and teeth for mother and baby. It helps delay fatigue, aids in the recovery of tired muscles, facilitates blood clotting and helps maintain circulatory and nervous system health. When a pregnant woman doesn't absorb enough calcium from her diet, her body uses the calcium from her bones for her growing baby, according to the March of Dimes.
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Iron
Iron is an important ingredient in Stuart Prenatal vitamins. During the last half of pregnancy, your body makes more red blood cells in order to supply enough for you and your baby, and red blood cells use iron. Your body may not absorb enough iron from food to meet its needs during pregnancy, and this can lead to anemia, according to the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. The National Institutes of Health explains that iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy causes premature deliveries and low birth weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet on Iron recommends all pregnant women take regular low-dose iron supplements beginning with their first prenatal visit.
References
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Nutrition During Pregnancy
- MayoClinic.com: Prenatal vitamins: Give your baby the best start
- March of Dimes: Folic Acid
- Pregnancy Today: Prenatal Vitamins
- University of California San Francisco: Anemia and Pregnancy
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Iron
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