It is every mother’s desire to have a healthy baby. To achieve their desire, moms-to-be need to follow and also ensure that the diet they are having is rich in nutrients, prior and during pregnancy. This is where pregnancy nutrition acts as an indispensable means for mother’s and child’s health.
Although pregnant women get all the necessary nutrients for herself and her child from the pregnancy diet, there are times when the diet may not be very rich in nutrients.
To overcome such cases, mothers have to supplement their diet with a rich content of mineral and vitamin as a safety measure.
Not all supplements act as a means of fulfilling the pregnancy nutrition deficiency, some turn out to be harmful, that too if taken during pregnancy. Thus, to be on the safer side, it is always better to consult your physician before opting for any particular pregnancy supplement.
Following are the lists of supplements which act as growth boosters:-
Prenatal Vitamin Supplements
These vitamin supplements have slightly higher levels of vitamin and minerals which takes care of the extra needs of pregnant woman.Otherwise they are as good as any other vitamin, with the difference being that they have higher levels of folic acid and iron in them.During this stage, ensure that you take prenatal vitamin supplements that are recommended for pregnant women, if in doubt consult your physician before using them and of course never exceed the limit of your dosage.
Purchase your vitamin supplements from reputed and branded manufacturers so that you are assured of their quality.
Pregnancy And Folic Acid
Folic acid, necessary for the formation of red blood cells, belongs to the category of vitamin B complex. Folic Acid prevents your child from serious disorders of the brain and spine. Lack of it leads to inadequate growth of the fetus, incomplete closure of spinal cord, pre-term delivery, underdeveloped brain and low birth weight.
It is for this reason that doctors recommend that you begin to take folic acid the moment you decide on getting pregnant and continue its dosage for the first 3 months of pregnancy.
Pregnancy And Omega Three
Omega3fatty acids play a crucial role in building the brain and developing a healthy body for your unborn child. People are somehow under the misconception that fish oil is the best and only source of omega3 fatty acid, which is not so. Omega 3 fatty acids can be also derived from vegetarian sources like Tofu, flaxseeds, canola, wax seeds and walnuts. It is also preferable to have extra dosage of omega3fatty acid during this period, but of course under the strict prescription of your doctor.
It is recommended to use vegetable sources of omega3-fatty acids than fish oil as fish oil affects blood clot.
Herbal Supplements
People sometimes prefer to settle for herbal supplements in case of pregnancy, as they believe it is natural. But the fact is that these herbal supplements can turn out to be toxic, with the possibility of harming your baby.
Avoid taking herbal supplements as pills. In fact consult your doctor before opting for any such supplements.
Just take a well balanced and nourished food as recommended by your doctor and take the supplements as per instruction. This will bridge the gap of any nutrition deficiency.
Wishing you and your child a healthy life!
Pregnancy nutrition is something that should be playing on your mind as soon as you start planning on getting pregnant. Of course your doctor will put you on folic acid at once on knowing that you are pregnant. Whatever prenatal vitamin supplements you take, make sure that your doctor knows about them.
