Did you know it can be just as destructive and sometimes more destructive if you are taking too much of a vitamin as it can to not take any. We tend to think that taking more of something is better. Not true. This is especially true when it comes to making the best choice for your prenatal vitamin. If you are not sure when you are choosing talk to your health care provider.
Keep in mind you still need a healthy diet. In order for your body to deal with the prenatal vitamins to your and your baby's best advantage you need to establish healthy eating habits.
You may wonder when you should start taking the vitamins. It is best for a woman to begin taking a prenatal vitamin two to three months before she conceives. The neural tube of the baby will start to close during the first month the mother is pregnant. Unfortunately few women are aware they are pregnant that early on.
If possible it is best that a prenatal vitamin regimen should begin before the woman becomes pregnant so her body will already have ample nutrition for herself and the baby from the very start. This will establish proper nutrition for the baby's growth from the beginning. It is especially important for the mother to receive adequate amounts of folic acid before she becomes pregnant if she can. She should continue taking the vitamins all the way through her pregnancy. If she is breastfeeding she should continue taking them until she weans the baby.
Few women get enough iron in their diets, particularly during pregnancy. The body must keep up with the demand of a fifty percent increase in blood volume as well as blood for storage in the liver of the baby while she is pregnant. During pregnancy, it is recommended that women take 30mg of iron, because her body needs a lot of iron during pregnancy, which is why the best prenatal vitamin she can choose will meet her need for additional iron.
Women need to make sure they have enough folate or folic acid in their diet. It is recommended during pregnancy to have 600ug of folic acid intake. For the best health for mother and baby the prenatal vitamin she takes should compensate any inadequacy in her diet of this nutrient. It is a vital nutrient necessary for a healthy pregnancy and baby. This nutrient can help prevent spina bifida and other neural tube defects.
Making a choice for the best prenatal vitamin is an important decision. They may be purchased at pharmacies, online or prescribed by your doctor.
by Fran Mullens
About the Author
Which is the best prenatal vitamin for you? To help answer that question, at http://www.vitaminformom.com/ we provide information to help you decide which is the best prenatal vitamin for you.
