Your decision to take prenatal vitamins can greatly impact your baby's growth and development, potentially giving her a head start in life. Many Americans suffer from various vitamin deficiencies, but they can be particularly harmful during your pregnancy, potentially increasing the risk of birth defects or causing health problems for you or the baby.
Folic Acid
Your baby uses folic acid in a number of ways, including to make red blood cells. Your baby also needs folic acid to develop a healthy brain. According to BabyCenter.com, folic acid reduces a baby's risk of developing neural tube defects by up to 70 percent, which affects around 3,000 pregnancies annually in America. You should try to consume 400 to 600 mcg -- or 4 to 6 mg -- of folic acid daily, especially during your efforts to conceive and early in your pregnancy.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is actually a vitamin your body makes when your skin absorbs ultraviolet rays. Vitamin D plays an important part in your body's absorption of calcium, which your baby needs to develop a strong skeleton. This is particularly important during the third trimester, when your baby's skeleton grows exponentially. Many milks and cereals are fortified with the vitamin, and a supplemental prenatal vitamin pill should offer at least 400 IUs of the vitamin. You can also absorb small amounts of sunlight daily to help supplement your vitamin D requirement.
Minerals
While not technically vitamins, many prenatal vitamin supplements include important minerals like iron and calcium. Iron is an essential nutrient, especially in the movement of oxygen throughout your blood. During pregnancy, you need more of this nutrient because the amount of blood in your body actually multiplies by almost 50 percent. During your pregnancy, aim for 27 mg iron daily, 9 mg more than a woman who is not pregnant. Calcium is also crucial to your baby's healthy development of bones, heart, nerves and muscles. While the daily amount does not increase from the 1,000 mg recommended for any adult woman, most women in the United States have a calcium deficiency. However, if you do not consume enough calcium, your body will take it from your bones to give to the baby, leaving you at a greater risk of osteoporosis later in life.
Supplementation
While you can normally get these nutrients through a well-balanced diet, it can be difficult to consume enough during your pregnancy. A special prenatal multivitamin can provide the boost you need to get sufficient amounts of folic acid, vitamin D, iron and calcium. According to the Cleveland Clinic, you should aim for a prenatal vitamin with 800 to 1,000 mcg folic acid, 400 IU vitamin D, 200 to 300 mg calcium and 30 mg iron. However, make sure to check with your doctor or obstetrician before starting a new prenatal supplement.
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