Prenatal Vitamins...DO You Really Need Them?

Prenatal vitamins are a hot topic among many women thesedays and many of them are talking about the benefits ofusing them before getting pregnant. The reasoning is thatprenatal vitamins may help prevent some birth defects.Prenatal vitamins, in my opinion, should probably becomepart of the diet plan for expecting mothers.  Pregnancygreatly increases the need for some nutrients and it can behard to meet these needs through diet alone. Iron and folicacid are two such nutrients. Pregnancy is a time when bothmother and baby are growing quickly. This rapid growthincreases the demand for all nutrients, and the developmentof the baby and placenta are directly influenced by themother's nutritional status. Doctors will often prescribe aprenatal vitamin to a pregnant patient, but some evidencesuggests that vitamins are beneficial for women who areplanning to conceive.  The consistent use of prenatalvitamins during pregnancy and breastfeeding is advisable toreduce or avert the chances of nutrition deficiencies.

Most of the prenatal vitamins currently available are meantto make-up for possible nutritional failings. They almostalways include such nutrients as folic acid, calcium, andiron. These nutrients lessen the likelihood of birth defectscaused by nutritional deficiencies.

IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS FOR MOTHER AND CHILD:

DHA

DHA is a fatty acid and is necessary for a baby's braindevelopment. It is needed by the child from the veryearliest stages of pregnancy throughout the time ofbreastfeeding. DHA belongs to the omega -3 family of fattyacids and is essential, especially in pregnancy.

IRON

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

FOLIC ACID

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

Folic acid has been proven crucial for a baby's neural tubedevelopment, especially during the first trimester whenwomen 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 starttrying to conceive.

CALCIUM

Calcium is extremely important as well as essential to boththe mother and child in pregnancy. Calcium and magnesiumhelp protect the mother's bones during this time when thedemands of both her body as well as the baby's body forthese nutrients must be met.  A good prenatal vitamin willcontain calcium, but the mother must also eat a wellbalanced diet to obtain calcium as well.

With regard to prenatal vitamins, they are not all createdequal. Most of them try and pack as much as possible intotheir vitamins, but they must be careful not to promoteexcess of what may amount to be toxic levels of fat solublevitamins...for instance Vitamin A instead of beta-carotene,vitamin A's precursor. The best prenatal needs to providewhat mother and child needs, at just the right amounts, aswell as avoiding amounts that avoid toxicity.