Whenever you are pregnant, your lifestyle and the lifestyles of those around you, change to accommodate the incoming arrival of the newborn baby.
Some of these changes can be massive, while others might be as simple as grabbing a prenatal vitamin as you keep going through the miracle of pregnancy.
A Prenatal vitamin is a one-stop-shop for all the vitamins and minerals that a baby mother needs both before and during her pregnancy.
Not only are you getting these various vitamins and minerals every single day, you are also passing those along to your baby to help give them what they need.
Here are some of the best reasons to take prenatal vitamins for mothers, and all these benefits are all wrapped up in one easy-to-swallow pill.
1. They Can Lower the Chance Of And Prevent Birth Defects
Getting a good vegan prenatal vitamin can also help stop your child from receiving birth defects, which no parent wants for their kid.
Most prenatal vitamins contain folic acid and also iron, and it’s the folic acid that can prevent birth defects. As long as the prenatal vitamin contains either 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid per day, most pregnant mothers will be able to get the necessary 600 micrograms they need.
Folic acid helps to prevent neural tube defects, which can lead to brain and spine problems in the fetus. They can also prevent clefts in the spine, lip, palate, and other birth defects around the heart.
Taking enough Folic acid will reduce the risks of getting these defects to as much as 70%, which is a benefit to having a healthy baby.
2. The Blood and Placenta Will Be Strengthened
The iron that is also contained in prenatal vitamins can also help your body make the extra blood you will need to carry a baby.
A woman who isn’t pregnant, even if you are planning to be, needs around 18 milligrams of iron per day. However, pregnant women need 27 milligrams per day, and most of that goes to making sure the baby is nice and strong.
The extra blood gives the baby plenty of oxygen and also prevents a low number of healthy blood cells in the blood, called anemia.
Additionally, the placenta, which is the fluid that carries the iron to the fetus, would also be strengthened by the excess iron. All of these extra iron leads to a far healthier baby!
3. They Can Support Your Baby’s Teeth, Bones, Brain, and Eyes
Additionally, many prenatal vitamins contain more than folic acid and iron for the developing fetus and mother. They can also contain high amounts of calcium and vitamin D, which can promote the healthy development of your baby’s teeth and bones.
Pregnant women need around 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, although most prenatal vitamins are designed to supplement the calcium gained from a good diet, so they normally contain 200 to 300 milligrams of calcium. The rest you will need to grab from your diet.
They can also contain other vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, B vitamins, zinc, and iodine. Finally, the fatty acids DHA and ARA, often found in Omega 3 fatty acids, are also able to improve the brain and eyes of the baby.
If you aren’t eating a ton of fatty fish that can give you Omega 3 fatty acids in your natural diet, then a prenatal vitamin high in these can be helpful for the baby as well.
4. You Can Take Them As Early As You Want
It is recommended that prospective mothers start taking a prenatal vitamin as soon as they are trying to conceive a child. Many issues about the baby can happen before you even get the signs that you are pregnant or get any real confirmation about your pregnancy status.
If you can take your prenatal vitamins as early as possible, you can help your baby to be as healthy as possible.
You should at the very least be taking your prenatal vitamins during the first month or twelve weeks of pregnancy because the baby’s development is the most critical during this period.
Then you can continue to take the vitamin all through your pregnancy, and even if the baby is breastfeeding you as well to ensure your child is healthy.
Taking Your Prenatal Vitamin Will Keep The Mother and Baby Healthy
The composition of the prenatal vitamins is going to be different depending on the mother’s health and what they need the most, but no matter what, everything inside the vitamin is going to be important to both the mother and the baby.
Make sure to start taking prenatal vitamins as early as possible, and a healthy child will be the result.