When Should You Take Prenatal Vitamins? Are there any benefits?
Your doctor would stop different types of supplements and medications when you are pregnant. But vitamins are highly recommended to keep you and your child healthy and give you all the vital nutrients needed through these nine challenging months.
When do you need prenatal vitamins?
There are two instances, but (Spoiler Warning!) you don’t have to wait for the first trimester.
When your pregnancy is confirmed
If you have been through a pregnancy test with your gynecologist in Noida, and it’s confirmed that you are pregnant, it’s time to start taking vitamins. Ask your gynecologist about the trusted brand or prescription. In the first trimester, every day is important.
When you are planning a family
Along with scheduling your visit to an OB/GYN, quitting smoke, and stop taking birth control, you must start taking vitamins. You never know how long you are going to take to conceive. It could be a few weeks or several months, and you also don’t know whether you will have a successful pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins play a vital role in making the process easier.
Why do you need prenatal vitamins?
Let’s face it. The cute little fetus in your body consumes a lot of its natural resources. That’s why you will be spending the whole nine months with exhaustion, mood swings, nausea, aches, cramps, and other conditions. Your body is the only source of nutrition that your baby needs. So, you may quickly get deficient in vital minerals and vitamins in pregnancy. You should ensure that you have every nutrient needed to nourish both your body and your baby.
What do you need in Prenatal, especially during the first month?
You should have the proper balance of nutrients and vitamins to form vital body systems and organs in your baby. Most of the organs start growing in the earliest weeks. Here are some of the vital nutrients to look for –
Folic Acid
This B vitamin is most important to create a neural tube for your baby, which eventually forms the spinal part and brain. It can drastically improve the chances of healthy growth of neural tubes. It is also vital to ensure that you are getting enough folic acid at the right time. On average, you need around 400 mcg (micrograms) of folic acid every day (either as a supplement or in a prenatal vitamin). Every day, at least 600mcg is recommended if you are pregnant.
Iron
It is another crucial nutrient to supply oxygen and blood to the fetus, build the placenta, and get additional blood volume in pregnancy. Anemia is prevalent during pregnancy. So, you should have a proper amount of iron to improve RBCs in the blood. Anemia is responsible for low birth rate and premature delivery.
Calcium
Your baby also needs to build up her teeth and bone in your womb. Hence, she needs a lot of calcium, and ultimately you need it too. Due to calcium deficiency in your body, your baby will take it from your bones while breastfeeding and during pregnancy.
How to choose a prenatal vitamin?
There are so many options when it comes to prenatal vitamins, but you should know what to look for –
Regulatory compliance
You should choose prenatal vitamins made by a manufacturer who is verified and certified by some organization, especially in terms of ingredient and health claims.
Doses
Find out how much vital nutrients like folic acid and iron are added to your vitamin. You shouldn’t take any vitamin with too little or too much of the recommended amount.
Prescription vs. OTC
Over-the-counter medications don’t come cheap. If you can get those vitamins for better prices, you may ask your doctor for a prescription. But don’t buy any medication on your own. Ask your gynecologist if you have questions regarding the vitamin.
If you are serious about raising a family soon, you should start taking prenatal vitamins. It will be helpful for the growth of your baby and keep you healthy and strong as well.