Pregnancy Series: Focus on Essential Nutrients
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Mothers need a certain amount of nutrients to support the healthy development and growth of their baby. Understand your body’s needs to have a great pregnancy.
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- Pregnancy Series: Focus on Essential Nutrients
During pregnancy, you need a certain amount of nutrients to support the healthy development and growth of your baby, as well as to sustain your energy needs from pregnancy to birth. Although this doesn’t mean that you need to eat twice the amount of food, it’s ideal to eat twice as healthy.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, starting from the second trimester, you need an extra 340 calories per day and a bit more in the third trimester.
Essential vitamins to support pregnancy
The essential vitamins you need to support yourself and the developing baby through pregnancy are folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, choline, B vitamins, and vitamin C. The daily intake requirements for these nutrients will increase during pregnancy. This is why you will find these in many prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins are a preparation of vitamins and minerals specifically formulated for pregnancy needs and may assist with getting those essential nutrients required that may be missing from the diet. It’s recommended that a prenatal vitamin is discussed with a healthcare provider leading up to pregnancy or at the start of the pregnancy journey. This is so that your specific nutrient needs can be considered before starting a prenatal vitamin. Some may have side effects, and care needs to be taken so that they are not consumed in excess, which can be toxic and harmful to you and the developing baby.Folic acid
Folic acid, also called folate, is a very important B vitamin because of its role in helping to prevent neural tube defects (NTD), which are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord that can occur in fetuses within the first month of pregnancy. Spina bifida is one of the most common types of NTD.
Folate is found in green leafy vegetables and is added as folic acid to food, such as bread and breakfast cereals. A supplement of folic acid is often suggested for pregnant women to take. Pregnancy Birth Baby suggests supplementing with at least 0.5mg of folic acid for at least one month before a planned pregnancy and continuing this for the first three months of pregnancy to reduce the risk of NTDs.
Iron
Your body will also need more iron to make extra blood to support a healthy pregnancy. Tiredness is one of the main symptoms of low iron. Food sources: Haem iron, the well-absorbed form of iron, is found only in animal sources. Non-haem iron comes from plant sources and is harder for your body to absorb. If you follow a plant-based diet, it’s important to obtain enough iron from non-meat sources such as lentils, beans, spinach, and fortified cereals. Eating foods that contain vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. These foods include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, and peppers.Essential fatty acids (EFAs)
According to Penn Medicine, the fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) are “good fats” that aid your baby’s brain development. Fish is a great natural source of EFAs. However, it’s important to be aware that certain fish that contain high amounts of mercury should be limited in consumption. These include shark (flake), marlin, broadbill or swordfish and should only be limited to one serving per fortnight, according to The Royal Women’s Hospital (RWH).
Flaxseed is also a good source of omega-3s that is plant-based. Other plant-based sources of omega-3s include spinach, broccoli, cantaloupe, cauliflower, walnuts, and kidney beans.
Calcium
Calcium is a mineral that develops your fetus’s bones. Food sources: Milk and other dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, broccoli, almonds, foods fortified with calcium, sesame seeds, sardines or anchovies with the bones, and dark leafy greens.Vitamin D
Vitamin D supports the absorption of calcium from foods to help the fetus’s bones develop. Although the body can convert and make vitamin D from the sunlight, this can be difficult during winter, staying indoors for work and sun protection. The RWH recommends all pregnant women take a vitamin D supplement of at least 400 IU. It’s ideal to have your levels tested so your doctor can advise a dose tailored to you.
Food sources: Fortified milk and breakfast cereal, fatty fish (salmon and mackerel), fish liver oils, and egg yolks. Only a small number of foods contain vitamin D, making it challenging to get enough from foods alone, so the need for supplementation is often recommended.
Choline
Choline is a nutrient with a whole host of benefits, mainly improved cognition and reducing the risk of NTDs. Food sources: One of the highest sources of choline is eggs, especially the yolk where the choline is. Other good sources are red meat, peanuts, salmon, chicken breast, and legumes. Animal sources contain the highest amounts of choline, so vegans and vegetarians can have a higher risk of choline deficiency.Iodine
Iodine plays an important role in your baby's brain development. The RWH also recommends this mineral as one that should be taken as a supplement during pregnancy of 150 micrograms.
Food sources: Seaweed, fish, dairy, table salts labelled “iodised,” chicken and eggs.
Vitamin B
B vitamins, especially B6, B9 (folic acid), and B12, are important to support your energy needs as the mother during pregnancy, as well as your baby’s development. According to the American Pregnancy Association, vitamin B12 aids the development of your baby’s nervous system and prevents NTDs. Food sources: Vegetarians or vegans may find it challenging to meet B12 requirements as the best sources are mainly found in animal sources, though they can also be found in fortified foods.
REFERENCES https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/nutrition-during-pregnancy https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/vitamins-and-supplements-during-pregnancy https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vitamins-supplements-and-nutrition/ https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vitamins-supplements-and-nutrition/ https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-health-wellness/vitamin-b-pregnancy/ https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-health-wellness/prenatal-vitamins/ https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/foods-high-in-iron
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