Hopefully by the end of this article you’ll have no doubts about this subject.
What Are Prenatal Vitamins?
Your doctor may suggest that you take them when you begin to plan for pregnancy, as well as while you’re pregnant. Eating a healthy diet is always a wise idea — especially during pregnancy. It’s also a good idea to take a prenatal vitamin to help cover any nutritional gaps in your diet.
What To Look For In Prenatal Vitamins
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Egnant women should take before and during pregnancy. Once you get pregnant, you’re likely to be bombarded with advice from everyone you know (and possibly strangers on the street!). One thing that expecting mothers might hear about is supplements.
Folic acid/folate
Folic acid, or folate, prevents the risk of your baby being born with a neural tube defect, like spina bifida. Ideally, women should take folic acid from before they plan to become pregnant, right through the first trimester. What to take: folic acid/folate tablets which contain at least 400 micrograms, every day, from 12 weeks before conception to the end of the first trimester (first 12 weeks, or three months, of pregnancy).
Iodine
Iodine is essential for your baby’s brain development and nervous system. What to take: iodine supplements which contain 150 micrograms, every day, from 3 months before and throughout pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor about checking your iron levels, and eat plenty of iron rich foods while you are pregnant.
Foods with vitamin C will help your body absorb iron. What to take: eat plenty of iron rich foods, like red meat, poultry, tofu and iron-fortified cereals, plus food high in vitamin C, like oranges, kiwi fruit, capsicum and broccoli. Try to eat a varied diet of nutritious foods from all five food groups – find more tips about healthy eating during pregnancy in our blogs ‘Is it true I can eat for two during pregnancy?’.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Women carrying twins should consume about 600 extra calories a day, and women carrying triplets should take in 900 extra calories a da.