Vitamins
Preconception vitamins are designed to set the stage for a healthy pregnancy.
As women transition into pregnancy their requirements are different. It is important to start taking a preconception vitamin as soon as you begin trying to conceive.
Taking a high-quality preconception vitamin, along with eating a healthful diet, helps prepare your body for conception and a healthy pregnancy.
A preconception vitamin should provide a complete range of nutrients including folate (folic acid), choline, iodine, and vitamin D. The primary requirements for a preconception vitamin include having adequate folic acid and vitamin D, and overall good nutritional support.
While there are many nutrients that you can supplement with to support your pregnancy, we’ve listed the top five nutrients of a prenatal vitamin below that no soon-to-be-mother should go without:
Folate
Folic acid is a B vitamin that is involved in many of the body’s normal processes.
Reducing the risk for certain birth defects is perhaps folic acid’s most well-known benefit. These birth defects are called neural tube defects.
The neural tube, which eventually forms into the brain and spinal cord, closes at approximately 28 days after conception. A neural tube defect results when the tube does not close properly.
Because the neural tube closes during the early weeks of pregnancy, taking folic acid while you are trying to conceive is very important.
Taking 800 mcg of folic acid for at least 1 month before pregnancy can reduce the risk of neural tube defects by about 36 percent.
When a person consumes folic acid, the body converts it to the metabolically active form called methylated folate. While most patients have normal folate metabolism, some women have a genetic defect called MTHFR deficiency that reduces their ability to activate folic acid. A preconception supplement with methylated folate may be of benefit for these women, particularly while trying to conceive and through early pregnancy.
Anemia, or the condition where your blood doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells typically due to low iron levels has been shown to cause serious complications during delivery.
A lack of red blood cells or dysfunctional red blood cells can lead to reduced oxygen flow to organs, as well as the baby. By implementing iron supplementation into your daily routine, you can avoid anemia by maintaining these healthy iron levels.
Iron
Calcium
During pregnancy, a mother’s body actually uses calcium from her own bones to support the development of her little one. This is why calcium supplementation is imperative during pregnancy; in addition to supporting the bone development of the baby, it also helps to prevent bone loss in the mother.
Calcium has also been shown to support the nervous, circulatory and muscular systems, as well as help develop normal heart rhythm and blood-clotting abilities.
Vitamin D impacts a pregnant woman’s blood pressure, brain function, immunity and mood which is why it is important for women to ensure they are consuming sufficient Vitamin D within their diets. Moreover, Vitamin D deficiencies have been shown to lead to abnormal bone growth and fractures in newborns, as well as complications during delivery.
Vitamin D
Iodine
Within the first trimester of pregnancy, the baby’s thyroid becomes active, and the only source of thyroid hormone to the baby is directly from the mother. Thyroid hormones are required for healthy brain function and brain development, so it is crucial that the mother supplements with iodine ensure she avoids any deficiencies in this nutrient.
Iodine deficiencies have been linked to irregularities in brain development and complications during delivery.
The recommended daily amounts of essential nutrients
- Folic acid: 800 micrograms, increased to 5,000 micrograms (5mg) with history of MTHFR def. or a prior pregnancy affected by a Neural tube defect (County OBGYN recommends 5,000 micrograms
- Vitamin D:600 international units (to facilitate proper growth and reduce the risk of preterm delivery)
- Calcium:1,000 milligrams (to aid in the formation of the baby’s bones and teeth)
- Iron: 27 milligrams (to help with the increase in blood volume needed to support both mom and baby)
- Omega-3 fatty acids:300 milligrams (positive impact on baby’s brain and visual development) (DHA or Fish oil)
- Iodine: 220 micrograms (to help the baby’s brain development)
- Choline: 45o milligrams (for development of the baby’s brain and spinal cord)
- Vitamin A: 770 micrograms (for the baby’s development of healthy skin, eyes, and bones)
- Vitamin C: 85 milligrams(to help the growth of gums, teeth, and bones)
- Vitamin D:6oo international units (for the baby’s bones and teeth)
- Vitamin B6: About two milligrams (to help form red blood cells to aid mom and baby in actually absorbing the nutrients they need)
- Vitamin B12: About three milligrams (to keep red blood cell production and the nervous system running smoothly)
- Vitamin E: works to repair cells, which is also what makes it so effective as a fertility vitamin