VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS

It’s no surprise that prenatal care is crucial to the health of both the mother and the baby during pregnancy and through delivery. Doctors will generally prescribe prenatal vitamins for the expectant mother to ensure she gets the vitamins and minerals both for her own well being as well as the developing baby.
To ensure that a pregnancy leads to a healthy delivery, it’s a good idea to combine a balanced diet with doctor recommended supplements. A mother’s nutritional needs change while she is pregnant and different foods and vitamins are needed as the baby develops over the course of the pregnancy.
A healthy and balanced diet should provide all the vitamins needed for a healthy pregnancy but it’s difficult to always eat right. Expecting mothers especially require more iron, folic acid, and calcium to keep them healthy and strong throughout pregnancy and after delivery. Pregnancy vitamins can keep both mother and baby healthy during this crucial time.
Iron is helps both the mother’s and the baby’s blood to carry oxygen to muscles and the brain. This is important especially in developing brains that are growing so fast. Folic acid is a crucial for a baby to develop a normal, healthy brain and spine and to avoid potential defects in these areas. Calcium is an important supplement for a pregnant woman to get more than the normal amount; it will protect her own bone density as the baby uses her body’s calcium to fuel its own growth and development.
Prenatal vitamins are specially designed to supply plenty of what growing babies need as well as making sure that mother’s own body isn’t depleted of nutrients. These are especially important for women who are vegetarian or vegan, who smoke, who have food allergies or intolerances or who may be having twins or multiples. Be sure to tell your doctor any health problems you have or dietary restrictions you follow; only your doctor can be sure what needs to be addressed.

With a healthy diet, moderate exercise, regular check ups, and the right pregnancy vitamins an expectant mother will have a great start to her pregnancy. Staying healthy and fueling baby’s growth and development gives him the best chance to be born at a healthy weight without problems. Your health practitioner is a great source for questions or advice that you may have regarding which vitamins or supplements are right for you and for your pregnancy.