When Pregnant Woman and your baby gets all necessary nutrients from you. So you may need more for Pregnant Woman than you did before pregnancy. Taking prenatal vitamins and eating healthy foods can help give you all the nutrients you and your baby need during pregnancy. Make sure your prenatal vitamin has folic acid, iron and calcium in it. Most have the right amount of each of these. Talk to your provider to make sure you get enough vitamin D, DHA and iodine each day. Don’t take any supplements without your provider’s OK.
Nutrients important during pregnancy
All nutrients are important, but these six play a key role in your baby’s growth and development during pregnancy:
- Folic acid
- Iron
- Calcium
- Vitamin D
- DHA
- Iodine
Folic acid
Taking folic acid before and during early pregnancy can help prevent birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects (also called NTDs). folic acid may help prevent heart defects and birth defects in your baby’s mouth (called cleft lip and palate).
Before pregnancy take a vitamin supplement with 400 mcg of folic acid every day. Take a vitamin supplement with 400 mcg of folic acid each day, even if you’re not trying to get pregnant. During pregnancy, take a prenatal vitamin each day that has 600 mcg of folic acid in it.
If you’re at high risk for having a baby with an NTD, talk to your provider about how you can safely take 4,000 mcg of folic acid each day to help prevent an NTD. Start taking 4,000 mcg at least 3 months before you get pregnant and through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. You’re at high risk if:
- You’ve had a pregnancy with an NTD in the past.
- You or your partner has an NTD.
- Your partner has a child with an NTD..
You can also get folic acid from food. Citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables and beans are all excellent sources of folic acid. Some foods are also enriched with folic acid, such as cereals, bread, rice and pasta.
Iron
Iron is a mineral. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein that helps carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body.You need twice as much iron during pregnancy than you did before Pregnant Woman. Your body needs this iron to make more blood so it can carry oxygen to your baby. Your baby needs iron to make his own blood.
During pregnancy you need 27 milligrams of iron each day. You also can get iron from food good sources of iron include:
Lean meat, poultry and seafood Cereal, bread and pasta that has iron added to it Leafy green vegetables Beans, nuts, raisins and dried fruit
Foods containing vitamin C can increase the amount of iron your body absorbs. It’s a good idea to eat foods like orange juice, tomatoes, strawberries and grapefruit every day.
If you don’t get enough iron during pregnancy, you may be more likely to experience:
Infections. Anemia.(means you have too little iron in your blood).Fatigue. (means you feel really tired or exhausted).Premature birth. (means your baby is born too soon, before 37 weeks of pregnancy).Low birthweight. (means your baby is born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces).
Calcium
Calcium is a mineral that helps your baby’s bones, teeth, heart, muscles and nerves develop. During pregnancy, you need 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. You can get this amount by taking your prenatal vitamin and eating food that has a lot of calcium in it. Good sources of calcium include:
Milk, cheese and yogurt Broccoli and kale Orange juice that has calcium added to it. If you don’t get enough calcium during pregnancy, your body takes it from your bones and gives it to your baby. This can cause health conditions, such as osteoporosis, later in life. Osteoporosis causes your bones become thin and break easily.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. It also helps your body’s nerves, muscles and immune system work.Your immune system protects your body from infection.Vitamin D helps your baby’s bones and teeth grow.
During pregnancy, you need 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D each day. You can get this amount from food or your prenatal vitamin. Good sources of vitamin D include:
Fatty fish, Milk and cereal that has vitamin D added to it
DHA
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a kind of fat (called omega-3 fatty acid) that helps with growth and development. During pregnancy, you need DHA to help your baby’s brain and eyes develop. Not all prenatal vitamins contain DHA, so ask your provider if you need to take a DHA supplement.
During pregnancy, it is recommended that women eat 8 to 12 ounces of seafood low in mercury each week. Good sources of DHA include:
Herring, salmon, trout, anchovies, halibut, catfish, shrimp and tilapia Orange juice, milk and eggs that have DHA added to them.
Iodine
Iodine is a mineral your body needs to make thyroid hormones, which help your body use and store energy from food. You need iodine during pregnancy to help your baby’s nervous system develop. The nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves) helps your baby move, think and feel.
Pregnant Woman need 220 micrograms of iodine every day. Not all prenatal vitamins contain iodine, so make sure you eat foods that have iodine in them. Ask your provider if you need to take an iodine supplement.
Sources of iodine include:
Fish, Milk, cheese and yogurt, Enriched or fortified cereal and bread, Iodized salt
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