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What are Prenatal Vitamins and Why Are They Important?

October 3, 2024

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A pregnant woman is sitting on a bed taking a pill and drinking water.

If you suspect you're pregnant, the first thing you'll want to do is visit a clinic to confirm the pregnancy and find out when the baby is due . Second, you'll want to prioritize your health and well-being, so your baby will develop properly and you'll have the good health and energy you need for the next nine months and beyond. Signing up for childbirth classes will give you access to the training you need to stay healthy and prepare for childbirth. Creating a healthy eating plan and buying prenatal vitamins will help you stay healthy and enable your baby to develop at a healthy pace.

Why Are Prenatal Vitamins Important?

When you're pregnant, you're not only eating for yourself. Your baby needs nutrients as well. Without enough of the right nutrients, your baby won't grow and develop as he or she should. This will put your unborn child at a high risk of complications such as neural tube defects, low birth weight, and/or developmental delays. What's more, your body can break down muscle, bones, and fat in order to release nutrients for your unborn child. Prenatal vitamins help to replenish your body, increasing your odds of a healthy, complication-free pregnancy.

What Should Prenatal Vitamins Contain?

Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate (AKA vitamin B9). It's vital to your baby's health and development because it aids in the production of new cells. It also repairs damaged DNA and can lower the risk of neural tube defects. At Pregnancy Care Clinic, we recommend following the CDC guidelines, which advise pregnant mothers to take 4,000 mcg of folate during the first trimester of pregnancy. Additionally, we suggest seeking vitamins that contain methylated folate (L-MethylFolate), as a significant percentage of women may not effectively process synthetic folic acid. Take a look at this article to understand more about why methylated folate is right for you. Consult with your healthcare provider for personalized advice.

Iron is another important nutrient you'll need throughout your pregnancy. It plays a key role in your baby's brain development. It also prevents anemia, which could lead to a pre-term birth. Most pregnant women need 27 milligrams of iron a day when pregnant. Some of this can be obtained from a supplement, but you can also get iron from your diet. Iron-rich foods include meat, legumes, and dark green leafy vegetables.

Omega 3 fatty acids play an important role in prenatal development. You need a daily dose of 1.4 grams of omega-3s with at least 200 milligrams of DHA. These nutrients are often included in a prenatal multivitamin, but you can buy omega-3 supplements independently.

When to Take Prenatal Vitamins

Medical experts recommend taking prenatal vitamins if you're planning on becoming pregnant, even before the baby is conceived. Many of the nutrients found in prenatal vitamins are integral to a baby's first month of development; however, this month often passes before a woman even knows that she's expecting.

If you haven't been taking prenatal vitamins in the months leading up to your pregnancy, don't worry. It's never too late to start. Ask your doctor for recommendations on which prenatal vitamins to take. You'll likely need to take these throughout your pregnancy. What's more, during your pregnancy, your doctor may tweak his or her original recommendations to ensure you're getting enough of all the nutrients you need. Furthermore, your doctor may even recommend that you take prenatal vitamins after the baby is born to strengthen your body and enable it to create nutritious breast milk for your little one.

A pregnant woman is taking a pill and drinking a glass of water.

Other Nutrients to Consume

Supplements aren't a substitute for a healthy diet. You'll need to pay close attention to your diet to ensure you're eating the foods your baby needs to grow and thrive. A healthy diet can also give you needed energy, prevent sickness, and keep your body in good working order during your pregnancy and after your baby is born.

It's important to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day. These contain the fiber you need to keep your digestive system working properly. They also contain important minerals and vitamins that boost your immune system, heal wounds, repair cellular damage, improve bone health, and more.

Your body also needs carbohydrates for energy. Whole grain foods such as brown rice, whole wheat bread, and potatoes are better for your overall health than processed carbs such as white rice and refined flour products. Whole grain foods have plenty of fiber as well as other nutrients to boost your health and well-being. Potatoes, for instance, contain antioxidants such as selenium, carotenoids, and polyphenols.

Protein found in foods such as eggs, legumes, beef, chicken, and other meats play an important role in keeping your body strong and energetic. It provides amino acids that your baby needs for tissue development and neurological development. It also benefits maternal health by promoting maternal tissue expansion and increasing your blood supply.

A pregnant woman is sitting on a bed holding a glass of water and a pill.

Why are prenatal vitamins important? The short answer is that these vitamins are integral "building blocks" your body needs to create a healthy baby and maintain your own health. It can be hard to get enough of these vitamins from your diet alone, especially since most pregnant women get nausea and cravings that may interfere with a healthy diet. When coupled with other healthy lifestyle choices, a healthy diet supplemented with the right prenatal vitamins can lessen the likelihood of complications and help you stay healthy while your baby grows and develops.

Pregnancy Care Clinic can offer the medical help and practical assistance you need for a healthy pregnancy and delivery. We offer free pregnancy testing and STI testing, medical referrals, and peer counseling that can help you create a healthy diet plan that will serve you well long-term. We also provide emotional support, childbirth education classes, and parenting classes to help new parents prepare for childbirth and caring for a new life. If you or someone you know could benefit from our services, get in touch with us at your convenience or simply walk into one of our clinics to receive needed services and support.

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