Pregnancy and Supplements: What Vitamins Do You Need?
As women, we have a varied and delicate hormone profile that relies heavily on our diet and lifestyle. This balance becomes even more crucial when our bodies are nurturing another life, requiring us to make decisions that affect both ourselves and our growing baby. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by this responsibility, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. In this article, you’ll find expert advice on the best supplements to keep you nourished and support the healthy growth of your baby.
But first, let’s address the elephant in the room.
Is a prenatal vitamin the same as a regular vitamin?
To explain the difference between a prenatal vitamin and a regular vitamin, Dr. Sherry Ross, MD, OB/GYN and women’s health expert at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, says:
“Your calorie and nutrient requirements increase during pregnancy and the average diet can leave gaps in your pregnancy nutritional requirements. This means you are missing out on vital nutrients your body and growing need to function and develop properly. Taking a complete prenatal vitamin is a perfect insurance policy, ensuring you get what is missing from your diet and satisfy the additional nutrient recommendations needed during pregnancy.”
Knowing to shop specifically for prenatal vitamins will help reduce any overwhelm you feel when navigating the supplement aisle. Now to answer your burning questions: What vitamins or minerals should I source for? What are the recommended daily intake values or safe doses for these vitamins?
What Are the Best Vitamins for Pregnancy?
Folic acid (Vitamin B9)
There are eight B-group vitamins; Folate (also known as vitamin B9 or folacin) is the 7th and one of the most important vitamins for pregnancy. It is abundant in foods, including black-eyed peas, beans, citrus fruits, and leafy greens such as broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, and asparagus.
Folic acid is a synthetic (man-made) form of folate. It is used in supplements and prenatal vitamins and added to packaged foods such as breakfast cereals, bread, and milk. However, the terms folate and folic acid are often used interchangeably.
Taking folic acid during pregnancy can help prevent a type of birth defect known as neural tube defects (NTDs), which affects the brain, spinal cord, and spine in the first month of pregnancy shortly after the fetus begins to form. It also helps lower the risk of having a miscarriage.
It is recommended by both the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Health Service (NHS) for women to take at least 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day before pregnancy—once they are of childbearing age, in fact—until the 12th week of pregnancy (i.e., end of the first trimester). “It’s best for women to start taking folic acid three months before conception,” says Dr. Ross.
Folic acid is the one prenatal vitamin that healthcare professionals emphasize should be taken once a woman can conceive because pregnancy is usually unplanned and birth defects can happen before you even start experiencing pregnancy symptoms.
If you didn’t already start taking folic acid before you got pregnant, you can start today to take folic acid supplements in addition to working folate-rich foods into your diet. If you are an expectant mother of twins, MedlinePlus states that you should have up to 1000 mcg a day.
Some women have a higher risk of their babies being affected by neural tube defects. This is usually the case if they (or their partner) are genetically predisposed, have diabetes, use antiretroviral or anti-epilepsy medication, or have had a previous pregnancy with NTDs. If this is the case for you and you are worried about your child being affected, you should take a higher dose of folic acid - around 5000 mcg or 5 milligrams (mg) daily.
We strongly advise you to consult with your doctor on the exact dose of folic acid to take during pregnancy or while planning your pregnancy.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin because of our skin’s ability to produce it when exposed to sunlight. It can also be found in foods such as fatty fish, beef liver, egg yolk, mushroom, and cheese and added to foods like cereals, margarine, and plant-based milk.
You might be wondering: ‘Why is vitamin D important during pregnancy?’ “A deficiency in Vitamin D increases your risk of preterm labor, gestational diabetes and the need for a cesarean section,” says Dr. Ross. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, contributing to the growth and health of the bones, teeth, muscles, and nails. It also supports healthy muscle function and promotes brain and immune health.
As a pregnant woman, you need up to 10 to 15 mcg (~400 - 600 IU) every day. Unfortunately, there are some limitations when it comes to reaching this recommended daily intake value, making it possible for people to suffer from vitamin D deficiency. These limitations are centered around sunlight exposure and the skin’s ability to produce enough vitamin D. They may include:
Having dark skin.
Using sunscreen.
Winter months or months with less sunlight.
Living a sedentary, homebody lifestyle.
Covering much of your skin when you are outside.
We encourage you to get your daily dose of vitamin D by spending up to 10 minutes outside when it is midday (between 10 am and 3 pm), eating vitamin D-rich foods, and, most importantly, taking a supplement.
Iron
Iron is a mineral that serves as a building block; it is used by the body to produce hemoglobin in the bone marrow and myoglobin in the muscle cells. Hemoglobin is a protein in your red blood cells that transports oxygen from your lungs throughout your body. On the other hand, myoglobin stores oxygen in your muscles for when there’s increased activity or an injury.
Iron can be found abundantly in red meat, fish, and poultry, but it can also be sourced from plant-based foods like leafy green vegetables, beans, chickpeas, nuts, lentils, etc. When pregnant, you should take up to 27 milligrams (mg) of iron and 9 mg when breastfeeding. This quota can be met by eating iron-rich food and taking a prenatal vitamin.
“Having an adequate amount of iron is important in carrying additional oxygen to a growing fetus and placenta. A woman’s blood volume increases by up to 50% during pregnancy, so iron supplementation is critical,” says Dr. Ross.
Being mildly anemic (i.e., not having enough red blood cells to move oxygen to all your body’s tissue) is quite common during pregnancy because of increased blood volume. However, if you don’t get enough iron and become severely anemic, you might experience symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, brain fog, headaches, and more. Worse, you’ll run the risk of having a preterm delivery and your infant becoming anemic in their infant years.
Other important supplements for pregnancy include:
Vitamin C for strengthening your immune system and improving your body’s absorption of iron.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Dr. Ross explains, “DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that is important in the brain, eyes and central nervous system development of the baby and the overall health of the mother. It should be in a prenatal vitamin that a woman takes before, during and after pregnancy. Food sources of DHA include salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies, herring, walnuts, eggs and milk.”
Calcium for keeping you and your baby’s bones healthy and strong.
“There are many high-quality prenatal vitamin brands available on the market for pregnant women. When selecting a prenatal vitamin, make sure your healthcare provider approves the brand you have chosen. If you are experiencing common side effects such as constipation or gastrointestinal upset, try another brand since there are many to choose from,” Dr. Ross concludes
Read related articles
