When you are two months pregnant, your body and your baby need several nutrients to continue developing properly throughout your pregnancy. The best way to get these nutrients is through a prenatal vitamin and possibly some additional supplements. Work with your physician to find out what nutrients you specifically need during your pregnancy.
Prenatal Vitamin
The most important vitamin to take when you are two months pregnant is a prenatal vitamin. You and your baby have specific nutritional needs during pregnancy that your diet may not be able to provide. A prenatal vitamin should contain all of the necessary nutrients your body needs to sustain you during pregnancy, as well as the vitamins your developing baby needs to grow. You can find prenatal vitamins that are only taken once a day or several times a day, chewable or liquid. The most important thing to do is remember to take your prenatal vitamin every day.
Minerals
A prenatal vitamin contains certain levels of minerals critical to the health of you and your growing baby, especially calcium, iodine and iron. Your prenatal vitamin should contain enough calcium, when combined with your diet, to meet the recommended 1,000 mg each day. Iodine in your prenatal vitamin will help your baby's thyroid develop. The other crucial mineral is iron, of which you need 30 to 40 mg a day.
Vitamins
Some vitamins are extremely important during your baby's development, such as folic acid, also called B9. You need at least 400 mcg folic acid to prevent birth defects in your baby, such as anencephaly, cleft lip, cleft palate, some heart defects and spina bifida. The folic acid you get in food is not absorbed as easily as the synthetic version available in prenatal vitamins. Vitamin A needs to be regulated if it comes from animal products because, in high doses, it can cause birth defects. When vitamin A is derived from beta carotene, it is considered to be very safe. Your prenatal vitamin should contain 4,000 to 5,000 mg of vitamin A from beta carotene. If you are experiencing morning sickness, vitamin B6, which is included in your prenatal, may help.
Additional Supplementation
The prenatal vitamin that you choose to take may not contain everything that your body needs during your pregnancy. For example, calcium is a bulky mineral that takes up a lot of space, making vitamins very large. Some companies only put a small amount into the prenatal vitamin to keep it a reasonable size. If you do not consume enough calcium in your diet, you may need to take an additional calcium supplement so that you are receiving 1,000 mg each day. If you are anemic or in danger of becoming anemic, you may need an additional iron supplement. Check with your physician to see if you may need more iron during your pregnancy. Other additional supplements to consider are essential fatty acids, like fish oils and DHA, and vitamin D. Fish oil or DHA supplements help your baby's eyes, brain and nerves develop. Vitamin D helps your baby grow healthy bones and teeth, while maintaining healthy levels of calcium and phosphorus.
