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Prenatal Vitamin Supplements |
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Written by Roys
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Saturday, 30 September 2006 |
For a mother's health, and the health of her baby, she is advised to take so-called "prenatal vitamins." These are specially formulated multivitamins that make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the mother's diet during pregnancy. While the supplements contain numerous vitamins and minerals, their folic acid, iron, and calcium content are especially important. If you're very tuned in to nutrition and regularly eat a broad range of foods, including meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, your diet will provide almost all the nutrients you and your baby need. Realistically, though, most women — especially those in the throes of morning sickness — can benefit from taking a prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement, preferably before they start trying to conceive.
The most important point to consider when deciding which prenatal vitamin supplements to take is which one contains certain nutrients that are beneficial to the woman and her developing baby. The majority of adults do not need additional vitamins as they receive sufficient from a balanced diet but a pregnant woman often needs prenatal vitamin supplements, especially for folic acid and iron. Calcium is one of the nutrients that you won't find a full day's supply of in your prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement. Most prenatal vitamins contain between 100 and 200 milligrams (mg) of calcium, but some don't contain any. That's because calcium is a particularly bulky mineral, and the pills are already big enough!
Some prenatal vitamins can cause nausea in an already nauseous woman. If your prenatal vitamins make you sick, talk to your health care provider. He or she may be able to prescribe a different kind of prenatal vitamins. Folic acid is the most commonly prescribed prenatal supplement for the months prior to becoming pregnant as well and it is essential for the health and growth of the baby, especially the brain functions. Iron is another prenatal vitamin supplement that is recommended to prevent the mother suffering from anaemia due to the demands that the baby puts on her iron consumption. Follow the directions on your particular bottle, but bear in mind that because all those nutrients are jostling each other in your stomach, you probably won't get everything the label promises.
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