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Vitamin Reminders
The most Important vitamins you need in pregnancy are Folic Acid and Vitamin D. If you happen to be anemic, you may need an iron supplement too. Prenatal Vitamins are made for pregnant women to give their bodies the required vitamins and minerals for a healthy baby and pregnancy.
A healthy balanced diet should give you all the essential nutrients you need, however folic acid and vitamin D are important for your baby’s healthy development and you should take a supplement if you aren’t getting enough from your diet already.
How much Folic acid do you really need?
- 400 micrograms of folic acid every day: from the day that you are pregnant until you are 12 weeks pregnant.
How much vitamin D do you need?
- When vitamin D deficiency is identified during pregnancy, most experts agree that 1,000–2,000 international units per day of vitamin D is safe.
Remember you do not need to take a vitamin A (retinol- based) supplements without the doctor’s advice as this may contribute to birth defects in baby.
Taking an iron supplement should be followed after a blood test is done by a doctor to confirm that you are anemic in pregnancy. Not otherwise. Women who are not pregnant need 18 mg of iron per day, but pregnant women need 27 mg per day, this increased amount should most preferable be supplemented with iron-rich foods include red meat, poultry, especially chicken liver, spinach and legumes.
