Dietary Supplements During Pregnancy
The world of vitamins is a broad and diversified space that can often leave us wondering whether or not we know what we’re doing. The wide assortment of supplements available to us can feel like a good thing, although experts recommend that every supplement must be evaluated before including in our daily intake.
Truth is, a balanced diet should give your body more than enough nutrients and minerals to function properly, but that isn’t always the case, especially if you’re pregnant or suffer from some type of malabsorption.
Although dietary supplements are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they’re labeled as foods, not drugs, meaning they can’t claim to cure, treat, or prevent disease, it also means the FDA doesn’t evaluate the quality of supplements or their effects on the body.
Childbearing during the pandemic
Navigating pregnancy can be an extremely challenging journey. We know that your health and that of your baby’s is of the utmost priority, and that you want to maintain a healthy pregnancy through proper nutrition, exercise, and good habits for you and your baby. And you should.
Having a healthy diet during pregnancy is also linked to proper brain development and can help reduce the risk of many birth defects, but a balanced diet can also help mom reduce unpleasant pregnancy symptoms such as nausea and fatigue.
Many health care providers now recommend taking a prenatal vitamin during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and although supplements are not regulated entirely by the FDA, third-party testing can help soon-to-be moms find a balance that’s right for their nutritional needs while also making them feel safe about their intake.
A conversation with your doctor regarding any concerns you may have around vitamins may also be useful. It can help you pick something that’s right for your body since there are many different factors that affect your tolerance to pills during this stage, such as pill shapes and sizes (and flavors) and your taste buds can also be distinctly sensitive during pregnancy and tolerance to ingesting them particularly low.
Here are a few things to consider when thinking about starting a nutritional prenatal supplement:
Ingredients
The biggest and most crucial part of any dietary supplement plan is whether or not they include what our diets lack. For an expecting mother during pregnancy, those needs are essential for the healthy development of their baby. An assessment of a pregnant person’s current dietary plan with a prenatal health coach should be more than enough to tell which nutrients might be missing or have levels that are too low (or high) for their pregnancy.
Third-party verification
Vitamins aren’t completely regulated by the FDA, so ingredient accuracy should be taken with a grain of salt. Some organizations, such as the National Sanitation Foundation or the US Pharmacopeia Convention, provide third-party “seals of approval” on certain products, which are considered reliable seals of approval for product ingredient verification.
Pill Type
Pregnancy can be one of the most hormonally challenging times for women. Taste buds and tolerance to new foods—even some tried and true ones—is particularly low in some cases, making daily vitamins difficult to ingest for some. It’s important to seek out different options, such as gummies, capsules, or pills when choosing your supplement.
More Helpful Information on Prenatal Supplements
Whether you’re pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or have just given birth, there are certain nutrients and minerals that your body needs to compensate for having to work on the double for you and your baby.
Many mothers consider healthier eating and regular exercise as part of their daily pregnancy routine, yet it is so hard for some to know where to start.
Vitamins help with your body’s irregular consumption of nutrients by ensuring you get all the required nutrients necessary for pregnancy, as well as during your postpartum period.
Regardless of this, the importance of a balanced diet during pregnancy is essential. However, it’s not really a secret that women are at their queasiest during pregnancy, and this can have a profound impact on a woman’s day-to-day food choices.
Prenatal vitamins were created so that women could have the proper intake of minerals and vitamins pre-pregnancy, as well as during and after pregnancy. A lot of the vitamins you find in the store today include specific nutrients plus other minerals that help throughout the whole childbearing cycle.
Although a great source of minerals, prenatal vitamins are not a substitute for a complete and balanced diet, so they should only be used to compliment your nutritional needs. The most important nutrients that should be included in your supplement are folic acid, folate, iron, calcium, and vitamin D.
Talk to your health coach or doctor to assess your current diet intake and know what nutrients might be missing or lacking in your diet.
~
Guest post contribution by Wally de la Rosa from ConsumersAdvocate.org