Prenatal Vitamins...DO you really need them ?

Prenatal Vitamins just might be more important than you think. Prenatal vitamins are a hot topic among many women these days and many of them are talking about the benefits of using them before getting pregnant. The reasoning is that prenatal vitamins may help prevent some birth defects. Prenatal vitamins, in my opinion, should probably become part of the diet plan for expecting mothers. Pregnancy greatly increases the need for some nutrients and it can be hard to meet these needs through diet alone. Iron and folic acid are two such nutrients. Pregnancy is a time when both mother and baby are growing quickly. This rapid growth increases the demand for all nutrients, and the development of the baby and placenta are directly influenced by the mother's nutritional status. Doctors will often prescribe a prenatal vitamin to a pregnant patient, but some evidence suggests that vitamins are beneficial for women who are planning to conceive. The consistent use of prenatal vitamins during pregnancy and breastfeeding is advisable to reduce or avert the chances of nutrition deficiencies.

Most of the prenatal vitamins currently available are meant to make-up for possible nutritional failings. They almost always include such nutrients as folic acid, calcium, andiron. These nutrients lessen the likelihood of birth defects caused by nutritional deficiencies.

IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS FOR MOTHER AND CHILD :

DHA

DHA is a fatty acid and is necessary for a baby's brain development. It is needed by the child from the very earliest stages of pregnancy throughout the time of breast feeding. DHA belongs to the omega -3 family of fatty acids and is essential, especially in pregnancy.

IRON

The mineral iron is drawn upon heavily by the baby in the third trimester of pregnancy; it draws its supply from the stored supply of the mother. Iron is very important, and will be found in most prenatal vitamins.

FOLIC ACID

Folic acid is a must during pregnancy. It is plentiful in dark leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, and whole grains, among other foods. It cuts the risk of birth defects in babies, and is almost always found in prenatal vitamins.

Folic acid has been proven crucial for a baby's neural tube development, especially during the first trimester when women are most likely to suffer from nausea and vomiting. Infact, some recommend women should start taking about 400micrograms of folate at least a month before they start trying to conceive.

CALCIUM

Calcium is extremely important as well as essential to both the mother and child in pregnancy. Calcium and magnesium help protect the mother's bones during this time when the demands of both her body as well as the baby's body for these nutrients must be met. A good prenatal vitamin will contain calcium, but the mother must also eat a well balanced diet to obtain calcium as well.

With regard to prenatal vitamins, they are not all create dequal. Most of them try and pack as much as possible into their vitamins, but they must be careful not to promote excess of what may amount to be toxic levels of fat soluble vitamins...for instance Vitamin A instead of beta-carotene, vitamin A's precursor. The best prenatal needs to provide what mother and child needs, at just the right amounts Computer Technology Articles, as well as avoiding amounts that avoid toxicity.

By : keith henry