Pregnancy brings with it a lot of anticipation for the birth of your baby and the prospect of taking care of your newborn. But the right time to start taking care of your baby begins much before you give birth. In fact, it starts as soon as you conceive. You need to be careful about your nutritional requirements right from the very beginning. This is necessary to ensure a healthy pregnancy for you and proper growth of your baby during the pregnancy period and after birth. Luckily, prenatal vitamins offer an easy way to overcome your nutritional deficiencies. But do you know which essential ingredients to look for when you buy them? Let’s take a look at the key ingredients that must be present in your prenatal vitamins:
Folic Acid
Folic acid is one of the most important vitamins that your body needs during pregnancy. It is a B vitamin. This vitamin is essential to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs), a common birth defect involving the spinal cord and the brain of the new-born. Since these abnormalities can develop within the first month of getting pregnant, doctors often recommend folic acid right from the time a woman tries to conceive. Make sure that the prenatal vitamin you select contains this essential ingredient.
Calcium
Calcium is highly essential for you as well as your baby during your pregnancy term and even after that. You need plenty of calcium to help increase the bone density of your developing baby. It is also necessary for growing strong teeth, muscles, and nerves of your baby. Often a calcium-rich diet is not enough for you to get sufficient quantity of this nutrient. Remember that calcium deficit in your body can result in osteoporosis later in your life as your baby will draw the needed nutrient from your bones. That is why you need prenatal vitamins that can meet the calcium requirement of your body.
Iron
Your body’s requirement for iron increases significantly during your pregnancy period. Iron is essential to aid the development of your baby within your body. It acts as a building block for the muscle and blood cells of your growing baby. If you fail to consume an adequate amount of iron, you run the risk of suffering from anemia. This condition can increase the chances of stillbirth, low birth weight, preterm delivery, and infant mortality. So, check out for this important ingredient when you buy your prenatal vitamins.
DHA
DHA is an omega 3 fatty acid. It is an essential fatty acid that is needed for your baby’s nerve and brain development. A healthy intake of this ingredient is important not just during your pregnancy but also when you are a nursing mother. When your body gets an adequate amount of DHA, the risk of preterm labor reduces as it can help you to go full term with your pregnancy. However, all prenatal vitamins do not contain this essential ingredient. Before you go to the store and buy your next bottle of prenatals, read through these prenatal vitamin reviews. They will help you to make an informed decision.
Vitamin D
If you are considering essential ingredients needed by your body during pregnancy, you can’t miss out vitamin D. This vital ingredient helps to make your baby’s teeth and bones strong. Any compromise in this key ingredient can increase the risk of delayed physical development and rickets in your baby. Deficiency of vitamin D has also been linked to abnormal bone growth and an enhanced risk of preeclampsia. As such, confirm the presence of this ingredient in your prenatal vitamins.
Iodine
Iodine is a key ingredient that your body needs during pregnancy to maintain healthy thyroid function. Iodine is also important for your developing baby. Deficiency of iodine can lead to several problems in the baby, including deafness, stunted growth, and mental disability. Iodine also helps in the central nervous system development of the baby. But most foods have low iodine content. Be sure that your prenatal vitamins can provide you with the recommended levels of this ingredient.
Zinc
Zinc is an important ingredient needed for the growth of your baby. If your body gets less than the recommended level of zinc, it can lead to low birth weight and other health problems for your baby. Your body requires zinc for important functions like tissue growth, DNA production, and cell division in your baby. It can also help to heal your wounds and improve your immune system. So, ensure that your prenatal vitamins contain this ingredient.