Your diet and nutrition during pregnancy directly affects your developing baby. It is important to get the necessary vitamins and minerals during your pregnancy for your own health as well. If you are deficient in magnesium, your doctor can help you find ways to meet your needs.
Magnesium Benefits
Magnesium helps to build and repair your body's tissues, regulates insulin and works with calcium to strengthen your bones and teeth. A pregnancy deficiency of magnesium can lead to pre-eclampsia, poor fetal growth and infant mortality. According to Baby Center, proper levels of magnesium in pregnancy may help keep your uterus from contracting prematurely.
Needs
If you are pregnant and between the ages of 19 and 30 years, you need 350mg of magnesium a day. If you are 18 years or younger, you need 400mg daily, and you need 360mg a day if you are 31 years of age or older. Rather than trying to get the exact recommended amount every day, Baby Center recommends aiming for a daily average of the recommended amount over the course of one week. It is not difficult to get the correct amount of magnesium in a healthy and varied diet. For example, you can get magnesium from foods such as soybeans, black beans, peanut butter, seeds, almonds, whole grains, leafy greens and legumes. However, you can talk to your doctor if you think that you may not be getting enough.
Types of Supplements
You may already be taking a prenatal vitamin that contains magnesium, or your doctor might recommend a tablet, capsule, liquid or powder supplement. If you are severely deficient in magnesium, your doctor may give you magnesium supplement injections.
Safety
Follow your doctor's instructions when taking a magnesium supplement. Taking too much of the supplement can harm your developing baby. Taking a magnesium supplement on an empty stomach can cause diarrhea, so take your supplement with a meal.
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