The child you are carrying gets everything it needs directly from you. So, if your diet is missing some crucial vitamins or microelements, your child is missing them, too. That’s why during pregnancy a proper diet should be more important to you than ever.
Never before have you been so responsible for another human being like now when you are pregnant. It is thanks to you that your baby is growing.
Are you wondering if your pregnancy diet is right and if so you need additional vitamins during pregnancy? It is you who provide your child with the ingredients needed to build bones, tissues, and cells.
Should you only listen to your body during pregnancy and eat only what you want to eat? Not always. This common myth that your body knows what it needs can be dangerous during pregnancy. Even a healthy diet nowadays may not be enough to cover the mother’s and the child’s needs for some essential vitamins and microelements. Some natural ingredients also absorb less well from treated products.
What vitamins in pregnancy are necessary and when do you have to take vitamins during pregnancy? Many doctors recommend supplementation before the planned pregnancy, during pregnancy and even during breastfeeding.
Vitamin that you can’t forget during pregnancy is B9 or folic acid. It is essential for your child
Why is folic acid so important? Because it is the best and very simple way to prevent serious defects of the child’s central nervous system.
How much should you take? Just 0.4 mg per day, but the doctor should decide how much you really need to take.
Don’t forget that folic acid is also found in many sets of vitamins for pregnant women, so if you take them, ask your gynecologist whether or not to take additional vitamin B6.
If you do not follow any diet, e.g., anti-allergic or vegetarian, you should eat five varied meals every day – including:
If you are not sure whether your diet is correct, do not reach for any supplements without consulting your doctor Especially in the first trimester of pregnancy, when the entire nervous system of the child is formed excess vitamin intake can be harmful.
If you are a vegetarian, instead of meat, you can eat more groats, beans, nuts, and apricots. Count on the fact that the doctor will recommend taking vitamins. This is also necessary when you are allergic to cow’s milk.
Nausea during pregnancy often leads to reduced appetite. If that’s the case, you probably need some additional vitamins. Eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. Vitamins and supplements may be helpful. Unfortunately, they often irritate the stomach. If that’s the case, tell your doctor about it.
When your body works for two, the amount of hemoglobin and red blood cells drops. This can lead to anemia (the blood cells do not provide the child with enough oxygen and nutrients).
If you have anemia, your doctor will recommend taking blood-forming medicines: iron and B vitamins.
Spasms, palpitations, strange muscle pain? You most likely lack magnesium!
Your doctor may also prescribe supplements containing this element.
For some women, pregnancy is such a stressful event that they have to take sedative preparations during it. Many doctors understand that pregnancy can be hard, both physically and mentally, and recommend taking valerian drops. So if you are feeling anxious during pregnancy, you are upset and irritated, you can ask the doctor if you can take them too. Pregnant women who do not feel any psychophysical changes should take any sedatives
You probably already know that in pregnancy you should not eat for two, but only for two.
What does it mean?
More or less, you do not have to, and even you should not eat twice as much – only in the second and third trimester, you need about 300-500 kcal more than before pregnancy.
Your diet should be something like a thin meat cutlet, vegetables, and fruits, not five portions of ice cream! Stick on quality, not quantity. The more so because the demand for some vitamins and minerals grows by half!
Is the diet alone able to provide them all? It is hard but not impossible. But if you lack vitamins, it’s worth reaching out for ready-made vitamins and supplements. They are not always needed, but they are sometimes necessary.