Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and Minerals
We’ve talked about how important it is to follow a good diet during pregnancy. Your prenatal vitamins, combined with the good food you eat should give you enough of the right vitamins and minerals.

If you look at the label of your prenatal vitamin bottle, you should see plenty of the following vitamins and minerals.

Calcium - Most women don’t get enough calcium (1,000 mg per day) but when you are pregnant your need for calcium is even more important, to meet the demands of your body and the demands of your baby’s calcium needs to grow strong bones.
Be sure your prenatal vitamins contain 1,000 mg (1,300 if you are under eighteen) per dose.

Iron – You need iron to produce hemoglobin and red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the component of red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your system.

It supplies all your cells and your baby’s body and organs with plenty of rich oxygenated blood with which to grow and remain healthy.

Your body and your baby’s body also need iron to grow bones and teeth and to prevent anemia. Be sure your prenatal vitamins contain 27 to 30 mg of iron per dose.

Folic Acid (Folate) - Studies show that taking folic acid supplements during pregnancy decreases the risk of neural tube defects by up to 70%!
The neural tube contains your baby’s spinal cord and developing brain, and when it does not form properly it can cause serious conditions like spina bifida, and congenital heart disease.

Because your body uses folic acid very early in pregnancy, it is wise to start taking a supplement if you are planning a pregnancy.

Check your prenatal vitamins to be sure you are getting 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) per dose.