Vitamins and Nutrition During Pregnancy?

Maternal Nutrition is Important

During pregnancy, it is important that you eat a healthy diet to keep you and your developing baby healthy. The need for certain nutrients such as iron, iodine and folate increases during this time.

Eating a diet which includes a variety of foods from the five main food groups generally provides our bodies with enough of each vitamin and mineral each day. However, pregnant women may need to supplement their diet with extra nutrients Consult your doctor or midwife before taking supplements.

Here Are a List Of Some Vitamins And Minerals That Need To Be Consumed Before, during and after Pregnancy:

• Vitamin D -

You need vitamin D to help regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These are needed to keep bones and teeth healthy and to provide your baby with vitamin D for the first few months of its life. It is recommended to take 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily throughout the pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

• Folic Acid

is a B group vitamin which helps protect against neural tube defects in the developing foetus. It is strongly advised that women who are planning a pregnancy and those who are already pregnant, take a daily supplement that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid.

• Iron

is an important nutrient for pregnant mothers. Pregnancy can deplete a mother’s stores of iron, therefore it is important to supplement your diet with iron to help build and maintain these stores. The average requirement for iron in pregnancy is 27mg. Eating a mixed diet of animal and plant foods can help you achieve your recommended iron intake, but adding a supplement containing iron can also help you maintain your iron levels.

• Calcium

is vital to help build strong bones and teeth in your baby as well as for the development of a healthy heart , nerves and muscles

• Iodine

is needed by our bodies for the development of essential Thyroid hormones. The thyroid hormones regulate the body’s metabolic rate and promote growth and development throughout the body, including the brain.

There are many other essential vitamins and nutrients that a pregnant woman needs. Only some have been listed here.