Nutritional Supplements
No matter how healthy you eat, it is better to take prenatal vitamins. They are specifically formulated multivitamins. They would compensate for any deficiency of nutrients that you might have during pregnancy. The prenatal vitamins contain various minerals and vitamins, iron, folic acid, and calcium.
Go for prenatal vitamin that contains approximately:
- 800 and 1,000 mcg (1 mg) of folic acid
- 4,000 and 5,000 IU (international units) of vitamin A
- 70 mg of vitamin C
- 400 IU of vitamin D
- 10 mg of vitamin E
- 2.2 mcg of vitamin B-12
- 200 to 300 mg of calcium
- 30 mg of iron
- 1.5 mg of thiamine
- 2.6 mg of pyridoxine
- 1.6 mg of riboflavin
- 17 mg of niacinamide
- 15 mg of zinc
CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TAKING A PRENATAL VITAMIN
Some prenatal vitamins may make you feel nausea. If it happens, talk to your doctor about it. He or she may change the supplement. There are chewable vitamins available too.
One of the most important questions that I asked my doctor was WHETHER I COULD TAKE A TREAT OR TWO DURING PREGNANCY OR WILL I HAVE TO FORGET MY FAVORITE FOODS COMPLETELY?
Guess what she said?
You CAN indulge once in a while on your favorite foods! Yippee!!
Occasionally, you can have some biscuits or cookies, or that tempting piece of cake. However, keep away from processed foods and desserts loaded with sugar.
Go for a banana treat instead of a large ice cream sundae. How about a frozen fruit sorbet rather than canned peaches dipped in sugary syrup? Ladies, please, don't feel guilty, if you gobbled up a chocolate bar, or a large helping of cherry cake once a while! You deserve it!