This isn’t an easy topic to write about nor is it an easy topic to find information about since it’s quite complex, however, we will share with you as much information as possibly can about this subject so that you no longer have any questions left un-answered by the end of this article.
What Are Prenatal Vitamins?
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!). From what you should eat and drink, to what to expect from pregnancy and birth, or what products to buy and what to run from – chances are there is a lot of well-meaning but overwhelming advice coming your way.
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.
Foods with vitamin C will help your body absorb iron. 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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Instead of “eating for two,” think of it as eating twice as healthy.
If you are pregnant with one fetus, you need an extra 340 calories per day starting in the second trimester (and a bit more in the third trimester). That’s roughly the calorie count of a glass of skim milk and half a sandwich.