Importance of Prenatal Vitamins: What Every Expecting Mother Should Know
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Pregnancy is a wonderful period of immense changes in the female body. Health and nutrition become utmost necessary. However, it is essential to consume balanced nutrients to maintain a backup of all the vital nutrients in the body. The regular diet fails to provide all the nutrients to your body, meaning you need to look for pregnancy supplements.
Prenatal vitamins are a must to keep you healthy during pregnancy and provide the necessary nutrients to the mother as well as the development of the baby. For such a moment when the whole body undergoes different changes, these prenatal vitamins become important. These are advised to be taken once your pregnancy is confirmed for the best possible nourishment.
This blog will explore the importance and key components of prenatal vitamins to enjoy a healthy pregnancy. We will also mention the best pregnancy supplement for you to opt for during pregnancy.
What Are Prenatal Vitamins?
Prenatal vitamins are uniquely formulated supplements devised to supply the vital nutrients a woman's body requires during pregnancy. Unlike most multivitamins, prenatal vitamins were specifically constructed to fill the increased nutritional needs of pregnant women with an optimum blend of vitamins and minerals that promote maternal health and fetal development. They ensure that you are well supplied with folic acid, calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acid DHA, vitamin D, vitamin B12, etc. By taking pregnancy supplements, your baby enjoys optimal development while your overall well-being is taken care of.
These pregnancy supplements benefit pregnant women while helping women who are planning to conceive as well. Consuming prenatal vitamins in the early stage of pregnancy or before conception increases the levels of nutrients in your body.
Benefits of Prenatal Supplements During Pregnancy
There is a broad spectrum of benefits pregnancy supplements deliver to expectant mothers. Prenatal vitamins help store all the essential nutrients in your body for you and your baby’s well-being. Listed below are some of the key benefits of pregnancy supplements:
- Prevents Nutritional Deficiencies: Nutrient deficiencies are prevented by consuming enough specific nutrients during pregnancy. Prenatal vitamin tablets provide enough intake of the essential nutrients, thereby preventing deficiencies especially in the first trimester during which many of the baby's vital organs are formed.
- Supports Foetal Development: Prenatal vitamins provide essential nutrients, including folic acid, iron, and DHA, that promote the growth of the baby's developing brain, spine, and heart. Taking prenatal pills ensures a baby gets the right dosages of these critical nutrients at a time when they are making crucial developments in their developmental stages.
- Reduces the Risk of Birth Defects: Pregnancy supplements reduce the risk of developing birth defects, like neural tube defects (NTDs), which affect the brain and spine of the baby, as these pregnancy supplements contain folic acid. Folate or folic acid helps reduce the risk of developing NTDs like spina bifida.
- Boosts Maternal Health: Pregnancy may cause the mother to lose much of the stored essential nutrients, leading to fatigue, anaemia, and a weaker immunity in the mother. Prenatal vitamins revitalize these essential nutrients to keep the mother energetic as well as healthy during the pregnancy period.
- Promotes Healthy Weight and Growth for the Baby: Prenatal vitamin tablets help develop a healthy body and overall growth in the baby, thus ensuring healthier birth weight and minimizing the prospects of premature birth.
Key Components of Prenatal Vitamin Tablets
Prenatal vitamins are designed to fulfill the various nutritional needs of pregnant women. Here are a few key ingredients present in most prenatal pills:
- Folic Acid: Folic acid is a crucial component of any prenatal vitamin taken by women during their pregnancy and prevents neural tube defects, where the baby's brain and spine are affected. Doctors prescribed taking 400-600 mcg of folic acid a day during pregnancy to ensure proper working foetal health process.
- Iron: It is needed to create additional blood in the mother's body carrying oxygen to the baby. Prenatal vitamin supplements with iron may help prevent anaemia, that will occur during pregnancy.
- Calcium: This nutrient helps develop healthy and strong bones and teeth in the baby. Additionally, it strengthens the mother's bones and helps prevent any deficiency during pregnancy. Calcium is present in most prenatal pills to meet these augmented nutritional requirements.
- DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid): DHA is one of the most crucial omega-3 fatty acids that constitute the brain and eyes of the baby. DHA is included in many prenatal vitamins or is suggested to be taken as an extra supplement.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps to improve calcium absorption and enables proper development of bones, both in the mother and the baby. The vitamin D in the prenatal vitamin tablet ensures that the bone structure is sound and that the baby does not suffer from any bone disorder.
- Iodine: This aids in the proper working of the thyroid gland in the baby and brain development. Iron deficiency leads to issues with cognitive abilities, making it an integral part of pregnancy supplement tablets.
When are Prenatal Vitamin Needed?
Prenatal vitamins are equally crucial for women who want to conceive. Starting prenatal pills even before conceiving ensures that your body is all set to host a tiny baby into your womb and has enough nutrients stored to take care of both of you. Healthcare providers suggest taking prenatal vitamins 2 to 3 months before planning to conceive. You should consume nutrients like folic acid and iron for the overall well-being of you and your little one.
Prenatal vitamins should be taken throughout pregnancy - all three trimesters. Each stage of pregnancy has different nutritional requirements, and prenatal pills ensure the mother and the baby get the needed nutrients throughout this journey. Prenatal vitamin tablets may even prove crucial even after delivery, such as in the case of breastfeeding. They enhance milk production and help replace depleted nutrients in the mother's body.
Trimacare- best prenatal vitamin tablets for pregnancy in India
Trimacare is a clinically formulated pregnancy supplement brimming with 20+ essential nutrients, minerals, and micronutrients. It is specifically designed for Indian pregnant mothers, keeping their nutritional requirements in mind. Containing over 20 vital nutrients, such as L-methyl folate, calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids (DHA: EPA), vitamin D, vitamin B12, etc., it caters to the increased nutritional requirements of mother and the baby during each trimester. Trimacare pregnancy supplements are a trimester-specific, quick-absorbing, and doctor-verified prenatal vitamin for Indian pregnant women. It meets guidelines set by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the WHO. Trimacare 100% vegetarian prenatal vitamin tablet is very suitable for pregnant women who are sensitive to omega-3 fatty acids, DHA, or fish oil commonly found in prenatal vitamins.
Conclusion
A healthy pregnancy requires proper prenatal vitamins because they contain necessary nutrients to maintain the overall health of the mother and ensure the growth of the fetus. Taking prenatal vitamin tablets before getting pregnant and through all trimesters ensures that mothers and their babies get the required dosage of folic acid, iron, DHA, among other necessary nutrients. Besides preventing deficiencies, these prenatal pills promote a healthy pregnancy and breastfeeding.
FAQs
1. Why are prenatal vitamins important during pregnancy?
Prenatal vitamins prevent nutritional deficiencies, support foetal development, reduce the risk of birth defects, boost maternal and promote a healthy weight and growth for the baby.
2. Can prenatal vitamins help boost my energy level?
Prenatal vitamins prevent anaemia and fatigue by offering essential nutrients like iron, supporting energy levels throughout pregnancy.
3. Can pregnancy supplements reduce morning sickness?
Some pregnancy supplements contain vitamin B6, which can help alleviate morning sickness. If the morning sickness continues, switching to a different brand or gummy form may be helpful.
4. Can prenatal vitamins improve my energy levels?
They can prevent anaemia and fatigue by providing essential nutrients such as iron, which helps to support energy levels during pregnancy.
