Prenatal Vitamins
Three Vitamins and Minerals a Pregnant Woman Should Not Miss!
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A pregnant woman really is eating for two. The food a pregnant woman eats on a daily bases is used by her fetus for its early stages of growth and health. Three vitamins and minerals that are very important and often overlooked during regular eating are calcium, folic acid and iron. As the fetus grows and its needs increase, so does the importance of getting these nutrients to the fetus.
It is critical for the fetus that the mother eats a well balanced diet because the fetus gets all its nutrients from different parts of the mother’s body. The mother stores nutrients for the baby in her bones and tissues. The mother also stores some nutrients in the placenta. The placenta is used by the mother’s body to transfer nutrients to the fetus. As the mother and the fetus go through the stages of pregnancy, the nutritional needs of both of them increase.
Because of the fact that most Americans really don’t eat a balanced diet based on all the food groups many pregnant woman may be low in certain vitamins and minerals. That is why prenatal vitamins containing calcium, folic acid and iron are an important and easy source of good health for an expecting mother and her fetus.
All humans require calcium for normal growth of teeth and bones. Blood clotting and muscle contraction are also aided by calcium. Since bone formation begins early on in a human’s development, it is important for the fetus. It is also important for the mother since after the age of 25, when the bones are not forming anymore, calcium then helps to maintain health bones. According to medical sources, if an adult does not get enough calcium on a daily basis, the body starts to draw calcium from the bones themselves. The calcium is then transported through the blood for the rest of the body to use. According to the National Academy of Sciences the average 19 to 50 year old needs 1000 mgs of calcium daily.
Folic acid or folate is a B vitamin that is important for all males and d females, but it is especially important for the mother and fetus during the first trimester of pregnancy. Because it is critical for cell multiplication and red blood cell formation, folic acid aids in the formation of the baby’s brain and spine. Diets lacking in folic acid are known to lead to malformation of the fetus and can also severely affect the mother especially during the third trimester. The recommended daily amount of folic acid is 400mg. Folic acid can be found in most prenatal one-a-day vitamins.
A mother low in iron is at high risk for iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency in the early stages of pregnancy can lead to low birth weight babies as well as other complications. The baby needs iron from conception and especially during the third trimester when it is storing iron for use after it is born. Most health officials recommend an iron supplement during pregnancy.
Calcium, folic acid and iron are important for any diet, but prenatal vitamins and mineral supplements containing these are especially important for a pregnant mother and her baby.