Feb 29 2008
Prenatal Vitamins ~ What Women Need to Know about Pre Pregnancy Vitamins
The medical world has for decades seen the importance of good nutrition during the various stages of pregnancy that a woman goes through. It has found that pregnancy places huge demands on the body as the unborn baby goes through huge spurts of growth in the first nine months of its development in the womb. Studies have shown that the pregnant mother needs more than adequate amounts of nutrients during this stage and even if the amounts of vitamins and trace elements were missing in lesser dosages it would seriously impact on the baby’s development. Studies have shown that small deficiencies of one nutrient such as omega 3, iron or vitamin B6 may affect the baby’s brain development seriously.
Pregnancy and vitamin supplements:
The major growth burst start in the second and sixth week of conception where we see huge development of the baby’s new organ system and the heart starts to beat at around the 4th week. For this to take place we see a huge growth in the cellular system of the new baby’s body and there is a massive demand for the proper nutrients in the form of vitamins, minerals and trace elements to be at hand to help with the building blocks needed for proper development.
For the cellular growth to take place, the baby’ s cells need adequate amounts of nutrition in the form of vitamins and minerals in the right ratios and balances for optimum growth to take place. During pregnancy and the lactating months following the pregnancy the young mother has huge demands placed on her body by the baby she is caring and her body is depleted of vital nutrients by this so called loving “parasite that has invaded her body.” It is prudent that the young mother to be looks after her nutrition as she is not only responsible for her health but that of the child she is carrying. Most prenatal vitamins for pregnant mothers seem to be inadequate with the amounts of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids they seem to have.
Young mothers-to-be must consult their physicians about what vitamins are safe for them. Unfortunately most physicians do not have a good in-depth knowledge of what is adequate and safe to take on the market. This is not their fault as nutrition does not play a huge part in the medical world. And this is unfortunate as studies are coming out that proves that nutrition is vital for cellular growth of the human body and we just cannot get the right amounts needed from our foods.
The importance of pre-pregnancy vitamins:
Women who are considering getting pregnant should start taking omega 3 fatty acids way before pregnancy to help the future development of the child they will carry to have proper brain development during pregnancy. This is important as the nervous system starts to develop immediately after conception and way before the woman even knows if she is pregnant.
Important vitamins such as omega 3 and folic acid has a positive effect on your health and that of the baby during pregnancy. By taking proper nutrition way before pregnancy you can almost guarantee that your pregnancy will have the proper nutrition for your baby’s growth. It is like you are taking an insurance policy out for your future family. Keep in mind that the brain development takes place well past birth and so you should be taking omega 3 fatty acids during the lactating months to ensure your baby is properly nutrient.
Supplementing with folic acid during pregnancy helps to reduce neural tube defects by 50%. In order to protect the baby from such defects you should consider daily supplementation with folic acid way before the pregnancy.
Too much vitamin A acetate may lead to birth defects. Take a multivitamins that is free from vitamin A but rather has beat-carotene which the body can break down to vitamin A as and when it needs it. It is the safer alternative. Optimal nutrition helps to give you and your baby years of good health and happiness.
Claude Fullinfaw provides more information on health and nutrition for men, women and children. You can benefits from his work at My Healthy Supplement
***** Jackie’s Note *******
I think what she says about doctor’s not knowing much about nutrition and supplements is true. I also think it’s really important to look at your vitamins and see what they have in them. I had a multi vitamin from a “nutritional supplement” company that I was thinking about taking during pregnancy ~ it was NOT touted as a prenatal, but it had like 4 times the amount of vitamin A I should have been taking. I looked at a different bottle of vitamins from a different company that WERE considered prenatal and the vitamin A level was almost as high in those.
I think in this super size society people think the same things about vitamins. You’re really getting your money’s worth if you get 100,000 IUs of something instead of just 10,000 which is actually recommended. Even though I don’t think doctor’s focus is on nutrition and supplementation run your supplement by them just to be sure. My original caregiver was aware of the vitamin A issue and told me not to take the one I was planning on taking.
He offered me samples of different prenatals he had in the office.
Did you take prenatal vitamins? Do you think they are necessary? Do you think a natural pregnancy includes prenatals or just a solid healthy diet? I’d like to hear what you think, leave me a comment or stop by the Natural pregnancy and childbirth forum and let’s talk about it.
[tags]prenatal vitamins, supplementation during pregnancy, pre pregnancy vitamins, folic acid pregnancy, vitamin a during pregnancy[/tags]
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My wife was very diligent about taking her prenatal vitamins during her pregnancy. I rarely had to remind her, she was good about taking them with breakfast and dinner and we have a lovely daughter, that was born happy and healthy.