To be pregnant means to exhaust the body for the sake of an embryo that needs many vitamins and minerals to thrive. If a mom gives all her nutrients to a baby, she will suffer insufficiency, and her health will get worse. Her hair won’t shine, and her nails, teeth, and bones will be fragile. That is why it is essential to take prenatal vitamins to stay healthy and be able to give birth to a healthy child.
What are the Most Important Vitamins During Pregnancy?
Folic acid and iron are the two essential vitamins for a pregnant woman. Why are they crucial?
- Babies may get brain or spinal cord defects if a mother lacks folic acid. Most healthcare advisors recommend expectant mothers take this vitamin for the last 12 weeks of pregnancy. It is important to deal with dependable pharmacological companies because low-quality vitamins produce zero effect and can even hurt a fetus and a woman.
- Pale skin is the result of iron deficiency. Moreover, this micronutrient is significant for the fetus and placenta development. The leading role of iron is to help a fetus receive enough oxygen. Besides, people take iron when the blood lacks red cells, causing anemia disease.
Besides, it is essential to eat dairy products to get enough healthy vaginal and gastrointestinal bacteria to avoid defecation problems and candidiasis.Â
How to Select the Best Vitamins for an Expectant Mother
Experts recommend not selecting a brand of vitamins without a health provider’s advice. One should also find a good pediatrician and consult him or her when choosing an infant formula, a baby cereal, or solving problems with gassy tummies. As a rule, a doctor tests your blood to find out what vitamins your body needs at the moment. An expert can recognize deficiency of some micronutrients by judging some symptoms or complaints.
Sometimes, a woman needs polyvitamins. As a rule, one pill should contain the list of the following vitamins:
- iron
- folic acid
- D
- Ca
- E
- Biodine
- Zinc
- C
- A
When doctors supervise their patients, they examine the whole organism. Having a complete picture of a patient’s health condition, a specialist can double the dose of the required vitamin to guarantee the best outcome of the treatment.
Nevertheless, women should not overdo it with vitamins. If a woman takes too much of some vitamins, this will cause side effects like hypervitaminosis. For example, an excessive amount of folic acid can lead to diabetes mellitus and obesity in a baby. That’s why one should not buy vitamins without a prescription.
One Should Also Take Care of Macronutrients
Except for folic acid and iron, omega-3 belongs to an essential nutrient that plays a significant role in the brain development of a fetus. As a rule, a diet for a pregnant woman must include fish. If a woman suffers from toxicosis, a health advisor can prescribe it to avoid health complications.Â
When Is It Time to Take Vitamins?
Sometimes, it is not enough to take vitamins because a baby’s well-being depends on a mother’s daily diet and lifestyle. A doctor can prescribe only several vitamins or the whole complex called multivitamins because everything depends on a particular case. If a woman consumes many vegetables, fruit, and dairy products, she might need only folic acid. If a woman’s diet lacks dairy and fish, she might need Calcium and omega complexes to feel well.
As a rule, experts recommend taking supplements before conceiving to strengthen the organism and prevent avitaminosis. If a woman is already pregnant, it will be necessary to test her blood and select vitamins and minerals that are safe during pregnancy. For example, a woman might not need vitamin D if she is active and spends much time outdoors. So, each medical case is unique.
Could There Be Any Side Effects?
Good-quality vitamins never cause side effects unless a woman has toxicosis or an allergy to some components. To avoid adverse effects, women need to:
- stay hydrated
- keep to a fiber-rich diet
- stay active, following a healthcare’s recommendations
- eat more healthy food
- avoid buying vitamins without a prescription
If something goes wrong, a health specialist should study the case and change the diet or the vitamin provider.