vitamins
nuts that you eat but, if the iron level in your blood becomes low, your GP or midwife will probably advise you to take an iron supplement.
Calcium
Calcium is vital for making your baby's bones and teeth. You can get plenty of calcium in your diet from dairy products and fish with edible bones – such as sardines – which are rich in calcium, while green leafy vegetables, such as watercress, broccoli and curly kale, breakfast cereals and dried fruit are also good sources. Again, if your GP thinks that you're not getting enough calcium, he or she may recommend that you take an additional supplement.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C protects cells and helps to keep them healthy. It also helps your body to absorb iron and supports your immune system. A balanced diet containing fruit and vegetables, including broccoli, citrus fruits, tomatoes and blackcurrants, can provide all the vitamin C that you need.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D has featured prominently in the media recently with the reappearance of rickets, a disease that affects bone development in children, and which has been blamed on a deficiency in this vitamin. Vitamin D regulates the amount of
calcium and phosphate in the body - both of which are needed to keep bones and teeth healthy - and you need to take it throughout your pregnancy to provide your baby with enough vitamin D for the first few months of its life. Our bodies actually create vitamin D
when our skin is exposed to sunlight, but, when you consider the amount of sunlight we actually get throughout Ireland, you can understand why we're oſten deficient in this vitamin! It can also be found naturally in oily fish (such as salmon, mackerel and sardines), eggs and meat, and some manufacturers are now adding it to some breakfast cereals and some fat spreads, such as margarine, but there's no doubt that it's difficult to get enough vitamin D from food alone, so a supplement is usually required in
this case. You should take a supplement of ten micrograms of vitamin D each day when you are pregnant.
Omega 3 fatty acids
Prenatal vitamins don't contain any essential fatty acids, such as the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPS, which are important for the development of your baby's brain - both before and aſter birth. You can get these fatty acids through the recommended two to three servings of pregnancy-safe fish each week, but remember that you shouldn't be eating too much fish that's high in mercury while you're pregnant, so, if you're not able to get the recommended servings, then ask your GP if you should take an omega 3 fatty acid supplement.
Iodine
As with vitamin D, iodine has featured regularly in the media recently. Iodine is essential for healthy brain development in your unborn baby, so it's obvious that your iodine requirements increase substantially during pregnancy to ensure an adequate supply to your baby. Most foods are, however, relatively low in iodine content and, in fact, the World Health Organization and UNICEF have recently recommended universal salt iodisation as a global strategy to ensure that everyone has an adequate
Spring 2016 MODERNMUM 27
supply. Again, speak to your GP as to whether he or she thinks you need to take a separate iodine supplement, since many pregnancy supplements don't contain any (or enough) iodine. „
REMEMBER!
Don't take vitamin A supplements, or any supplements containing vitamin A (retinol) during your pregnancy, as too much could harm your baby. Also, don't overdo it! stick with the recommended dosage and don't take other extra supplements unless you've spoken to your GP first.
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