It is best that you start taking prenatal vitamins a few months before your conception. By doing this, the woman’s body will be in a good shape to deal with the rigors of pregnancy and support fetal development when she finally becomes pregnant. This is because of the availability of essential nutrients during all phases of pregnancy.
So, don’t just start taking prenatal vitamins when you are closing in on the birth of your baby. You should start as soon as possible to increase your chances of you and your baby living healthy throughout pregnancy. For example, starting early can help in coping better with hot feelings during pregnancy.
However, you should ask your doctor for more information about this, considering how cases can be very peculiar. Your doctor’s knowledge will also help in choosing the right prenatals when the need arises. We suppose you are interested in knowing more about prenatal vitamins. Then you should read on, as this IST Health sexuality post will touch on that.
Summary
Why do Women Need Prenatal Vitamins During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy comes with its demands and that includes demands as regards nutrition. With pregnancy, more or less certain nutrients are needed and it is very hard or near impossible for them all from regular diet.
So, prenatal vitamin supplements are advised to increase the chances of getting the right amount of these essential nutrients. Some of the nutrients that will be gotten from taking prenatal vitamins include:
Multivitamin
A multivitamin is simply a combination of various essential vitamins found in natural sources. Some of the vitamins that make up the multivitamin in many prenatal vitamins supplements include:
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B (including Folate)
- Vitamin C
All of the vitamins that make up the multivitamin in these supplements play essential roles. For example, vitamin D plays a crucial role in enabling the absorption of calcium into the body. Folate on the other hand helps with blood production.
Folic Acid
Some fetal defects can happen when women do not get the right amount of folic acid during pregnancy. The reason is that folic acid plays a crucial role in neural tube formation and growth.
Iron
Although the fetus is inside the womb during pregnancy, it needs certain things that regular people need. Oxygen supply is one of those things. Iron is essential in getting oxygen to the baby. This is one of the reasons a pregnant woman needs more iron than other people daily.
Iron deficiency is bad news for both the expectant mother and the baby. Some of the complications that can arise as a result of iron deficiency during pregnancy include:
- Premature birth
- Postpartum depression
- Abnormally low baby weight at birth
Getting enough iron during pregnancy will help avoid these complications and several others that could happen.
Omega 3 Acid
There are several kinds of omega-3 acids and some are more needed during pregnancy. DHA is high on the list of omega-3 acids needed during pregnancy.
Iodine
Iodine helps support brain development during the fetal stages. As a result, the lack or insufficient amount of iodine can lead to complications that affect the baby’s brain and cognitive functions.
These are just a few of the essential nutrients needed by women during pregnancy. Fortunately, women have access to all of them provided they use the right prenatal vitamins every day.
However, taking prenatals does not rule out the need for foods that have high amounts of essential nutrients needed during pregnancy. For example, yogurt is a good food for this time because of its high calcium content.
Other posts on this website can be read to keep you well-informed. For example, you can read this sexuality-related article to find out when the menstrual period weight goes away.