Vitamins are a central part of a healthy pregnancy. Vitamins not only support the health of your growing baby but also help provide your body with the essential nutrients it needs. Supporting an infant is hard work for your body---you must ensure that you and your baby get the nutrients you need. Multivitamins are available with a prescription or over the counter. You shouldn't take just any multivitamin because pregnant women require nutrients in specific amounts.
Choosing a Multivitamin
When choosing a multvitamin to take during pregnancy, you should be picky. Choose one that is specifically formulated for a pregnant woman. During pregnancy you and your baby need certain nutrients in abundance, nutrients that an average vitamin may not provide, such as folic acid, iron and calcium. For the safest supplementation, get all of the nutrition you need in one multivitamin instead of pairing a multivitamin with additional supplements.
Folic Acid
Any woman of child-bearing age should be taking a daily multivitamin that contains 600 mcg of folic acid---folic acid is that essential for a healthy pregnancy. Inadequate intake of folic acid is associated with neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly in the fetus. Most neural tube defects occur in the first weeks of pregnancy, so any woman that has even a chance of becoming pregnant would be wise to take folic acid. During pregnancy you should be sure your multivitamin provides an intake of at least 600 mcg of folic acid.
Calcium
Calcium is a building block of bone and teeth for your infant, and the multivitamin that you take during pregnancy should provide it in adequate amounts. Recommendations for calcium during pregnancy and breast-feeding are between 1,000 and 1,500 mg per day. Although even a prenatal vitamin won't provide all of the calcium you need, it will help you get most of the mineral. You should provide the rest of your calcium intake through your diet.
Iron
When you are pregnant, your blood volume increases dramatically. Iron works in your bloodstream by helping your red blood cells carry oxygen. Without enough iron you risk developing anemia. Iron also helps form tissue in your baby and your placenta. Your body needs 30 mg of iron per day during pregnancy, which is double the recommended amount for a normal adult. You should choose a multivitamin that provides most of the extra iron you and your baby need.
References
- American Pregnancy Association: Prenatal Vitamins
- "Mayo Clinic Guide to A Healthy Pregnancy"; Roger W. Harms, M.D.; 2004
Member Comments