If you plan a pregnancy, you must consult your doctor about the possibility of supplements during pregnancy your diet with vitamins and minerals.
And it is necessary for the correct development of the baby and your health during pregnancy.
If you plan to look for a baby, you must know how you should prepare your body and whether or not it is necessary to take supplements during pregnancy.
We tell that this stage of life can generate nervousness and disorientation, so we will discuss everything in the article you need to know about the need for vitamins and minerals during pregnancy.
Find out below which supplements are safe and which are not, plus why. And remember: before starting to take medication, even when it is only vitamins, you should consult your doctor.
Only he can tell you whether or not its consumption recommended and in what dose.
Also Read: Foods Rich in Calcium that Do Not Come from Dairy
Table of Contents
Supplements During Pregnancy: Yes, Or No?
Supplements during pregnancy are essential to provide women with the nutrients that their body will need for the baby to develop properly.
Of course, not just any supplement recommended, and some are even discouraged. Let’s see them one by one.
1. Folic Acid
Folic acid prevents neural tube defects that are involved in the formation of the nervous system.
When talking about supplements during pregnancy, the first thing that usually comes to mind is folic acid.
Its intake recommended from the moment the woman decides to seek pregnancy.
However, if your baby has been a surprise to you, do not despair: consult your doctor about the recommended dose.
Folic acid is an essential nutrient, as it is vital in the development of a baby’s tissues and organs.
Its consumption before and during pregnancy decreases the risk of spina bifida, a defect in the neural tube that affects the brain, spinal cord, or spinal cord.
While many people with a neural tube defect can lead healthy lives, others depend on assistive devices, such as wheelchairs or crutches.
For this cause, we mention that you request your doctor’s guide on the recommended intake of folic acid.
In general, it recommended ingesting 400 mg of folic acid daily, before and during pregnancy.
Foods With Folic Acid
Beyond including a supplement in your diet, you can regularly consume the following foods:
- Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, chard, cabbage, and lettuce.
- Fruits, such as orange, avocado, banana, and melon.
- Peas, beans, chickpeas, and soy.
- Nuts.
- Enriched pieces of bread, cereals, and other products made with whole grains.
2. Iron
Your body needs iron to oxygenate itself.
E l human body uses this mineral to produce hemoglobin and myoglobin, proteins that are responsible for transporting oxygen to tissues and organs.
During pregnancy, the volume of blood increases, necessary dose iron able oxygenate your body and also the baby.
There are conflicting opinions about including iron regularly among supplements during pregnancy. A few years ago, iron prescribed in conjunction with folic acid.
On the contrary, at present, the general condition of the mother is evaluated.
An iron deficiency is associated with an increased risk of premature delivery and perinatal mortality, infectious diseases, and decreased physical and neurological development.
An excess could generate a decrease in placental perfusion, pre-eclampsia, and skeletal and neurological disorders, among others.
If the pregnant woman suffered from iron deficiency anemia, the doctor would always prescribe iron supplements. The recommended dose is between 30 and 60 mg of iron daily.
Foods Containing Iron
Instead of prescribing supplements of this mineral during pregnancy to mothers without iron deficiency anemia, some doctors recommend consumption through foods such as:
- Arugula, broccoli, and spinach.
- Garbanzos lentils.
- Pepper.
- Cumin, dill, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley.
- Red meats, blood sausage, and pate.
- Canned clams and sardines, scallops, prawns.
- Figs, plums.
3. Iodine
Consume iodized salt, milk, and derivatives to cover your daily iodine intake.
Iodine or iodine is a fundamental component for the synthesis of thyroid hormones.
Also responsible for brain development, lung, cardiac, and bone maturation in fetal life, especially during the first 12 weeks of development.
Deficiency of this mineral is associated with miscarriages, congenital anomalies, strabismus, deaf-muteness, and perinatal mortality. Check with your doctor if you should consume iodine supplements.
Currently, there is no consensus on this. While the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition recommends systematic supplementation during pregnancy, the Ministry of Health.
Consumption and Social Welfare suggests supplementation only in pregnant women who do not reach the recommended daily doses.
The recommended daily dose of iodine is 3 servings of milk or derivatives + 2 g of iodized salt. In the case of supplementation, 200 mg/day recommended.
4. Calcium One Of The Best Supplements During Pregnancy
Include three dairy products a day in your diet during pregnancy.
Like the needs of the minerals mentioned above, during pregnancy, the need for calcium increases by approximately 40%.
Calcium deficiency is associated with preeclampsia, premature delivery, and reduced bone mineralization.
However, if you consume the adequate amount per day (3 dairy products), supplementation not usually recommended.
The recommended calcium dose is 1.5 to 2 g / day from week 20 until birth.
It is essential to turn to your doctor so that he determines if you need to take supplements during pregnancy. He, better than anyone, can guide you to live a healthy pregnancy.
