Even if you are striving to eat a balanced diet from all four food groups, your vitamin and mineral intake can still fall short. During pregnancy, it is especially vital that you get the needed amounts of all of the necessary nutrients to support your health as well as your baby’s growth. In order to help you meet all of your nutritional needs, your doctor will recommend that you take a prenatal supplement.
What Is A Prenatal Supplement?
Like other multivitamins, prenatal supplements offer a combination of all of the vitamins and minerals you need on a daily basis. Just as some supplements are specifically targeted to other populations such as men, women, seniors or children, a prenatal supplement contains specific levels of vitamins and minerals to meet the needs of a pregnant woman. Prenatal supplements generally contain more of the nutrients pregnant women require to remain healthy and nourish the baby growing within, such as folic acid, calcium, and iron.
Where Should I Get My Supplements?
There are two options for prenatal supplements; over the counter and prescription versions are both available. Talk to your doctor about which option is best for you. Prescription supplements often contain larger doses of important nutrients, but can also cause reactions such as nausea and constipation. Over the counter options can be purchased at a drugstore, grocery store or any other store that offers vitamin and mineral supplements. If the options are confusing, ask the pharmacist for help. If your doctor has prescribed a supplement, do not switch without asking first. There may be a reason in your medical history why that particular supplement was chosen for you.
If you are having a really bad reaction to your current supplement, you should be able to switch to a different option with your doctor’s help. It may take some trial and error to find one that you tolerate well.
Can’t I Just Eat Right?
You can, and you should eat right during your pregnancy! But some of the nutrients your body needs may be difficult to get in the right amounts from your diet. Prenatal supplements aren’t intended to replace a healthy, balanced diet, but to support it by filling in any potential holes in your nutrition. Pregnancy isn’t a good time to take chances on getting the right nutrients. Your baby’s health depends on your heath – so take good care of it and take every precaution to make sure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need.
Tips for Taking Prenatal Supplements
Some pregnant women struggle with taking their prenatal vitamins due to nausea. If you are feeling sick, try to take your vitamin at a time of day when you are feeling the least nauseous. You may find that taking them with food helps to ward off the nausea as well. To help your body get used to them, try to take them at the same time every day. Remember that if you aren’t eating well due to nausea, it’s even more important to get nutrition into your body in any way you can. If you do miss a day, there is no need to double up on your supplements. In fact, this might not be a good idea as too much of certain vitamins and minerals can be detrimental to your health.
If you are not yet pregnant but planning to conceive, start taking prenatal vitamins as soon as you start trying. You won’t know you are pregnant until your baby has already been growing for several weeks, so make sure you are already providing a healthy body in which your baby can thrive.
