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Pregnancy
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Vitamins and Supplements for Pregnant Women
Your baby relies on the vitamins and minerals you supply for their growth. These essential nutrients – such as calcium for healthy bones and iron for healthy blood – will help your baby to get a good start in their development. This is the main reason you’re advised to enjoy a varied diet during pregnancy; a wide selection of foods will, in theory, provide a wide selection of vitamins and minerals.
This section looks at the importance of the vitamins and minerals that are recommended during pregnancy, why they’re recommended and which foods are considered good sources of those vitamins and minerals. Remember; not all are beneficial – in fact, some should even be avoided in large amounts, which is why any multivitamins supplements should be chosen carefully. This section looks at the vitamins you need, and those you should avoid.
The importance of Zinc in pregnancy
The rapid growth of tissue and DNA that’s taking place in your baby’s body cannot take place without a good supply of zinc. Oysters are a great source (as long as they’re cooked) as is turkey. Read more about why zinc is crucial and which foods contain the high levels of zinc that your baby needs for their healthy development.
An essential nutrient for blood clotting, vitamin K occurs naturally in many foods so your baby will get a certain level while in utero. Read about why babies are given an added boost of vitamin K at birth and discover the best sources to include in your diet.
Vitamin A is present in a variety of foods and is important for your baby’s development. However, in high concentrations it can have harmful effects so there are certain vitamin A-rich foods to avoid during pregnancy. Find out which foods are safe sources and which should be off the menu.
During pregnancy, Vitamin D and calcium are responsible for various aspects of your baby’s development. It’s important to get enough of them in your diet for your own wellbeing too. Find out which foods are good sources of these essential nutrients and read why supplementing your diet with vitamin D may be advisable during the winter.
Essential for healthy blood, iron is a vital nutrient during pregnancy. It has a key role in transporting oxygen to your baby and contributes to their healthy brain development. Read about the warning signs of iron deficiency, the best ways to add iron to your diet and why it’s beneficial to include vitamin C and iron in the same meal.
Ideally, food should provide your main source of vitamins and minerals but there are some supplements that are recommended in pregnancy; folic acid and vitamin D. Supplements can also be helpful during the early stages if you’re finding it difficult to keep food down because of morning sickness. Later on they’ll help to ensure you’re getting the right nutrients required. Just always make sure they’re pregnancy-safe.
In addition to helping prevent neural tube defects in the first trimester, folic acid has some important functions throughout pregnancy. Discover the best dietary sources of folic acid and find out when it’s advisable to take a supplement.
Use Iraq Apta Advice’s Pregnancy Due Date Calendar to work out when your baby is likely to arrive.
• When was the first day of your last menstrual period?
• How many days in your menstrual cycle?
All dates are approximations and should only be considered as a reference.
