Vitamins for pregnancy

When you’re eating for two, it’s important to realize that the person inside you needs to eat as healthy as possible. With that in mind, there are a good number of vitamin recommendations to consider when you are pregnant. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend certain guidelines to follow to ensure that your baby will be healthy and strong. It is recommended to follow the food pyramid, allowing yourself ample opportunity to have a variety of foods including the following:

- 4 servings of fruits and vegetables or more per day

-6 to 11 servings of grains. These may include such foods as rice, pasta, whole grains and fortified cereal.

-4 or more servings of dairy products. Yogurt, milk, and cheese are some primary foods to consider when trying to fulfill this need.

-3 or more servings of high-protein foods. This includes, but is not limited to, red meat, chicken, seafood, and nuts.

In addition to following these dietary guidelines, it is important to ensure that you are getting enough vitamins. The following vitamins are considered of utmost importance when concerning pregnancy:

Vitamin A – this compound is found in milk, carrots, eggs, broccoli, potatoes, and a host of other vegetables, as well as a few fruits. It helps to facilitate cell growth, allowing the baby and mother to grow properly.

Vitamin C – Vitamin C has been long known as an immune system builder for both mother and child – its antioxidant properties allow your body to fight off the harmful attacks of free radicals, which are rogue cells that attack your body’s cell membranes. Common sources of Vitamin C include the citrus fruits, green beans, papayas, tomatoes, and numerous other fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin D – Vitamin D is crucial for a developing child’s skeletal system. Vitamin D helps the body to mineralize bone properly, allowing for proper growth and a lessened chance of deformity. Vitamin D is produced effectively in the body when the sun’s rays hit our skin. It’s important to get a little sun to help your body properly maintain its Vitamin D levels. If you can’t make it outside very often, milk, fish, and the yolks of eggs are known to contain Vitamin D as well.

Vitamin E – This is another vitamin that is important for a healthy growth rate for your child. A mother-to-be can get the Vitamin E she requires through eating such foods as nuts, spinach, and fortified cereal, as well as margarine.

While these vitamins can be obtained through supplements such as multi-vitamins, most physicians generally recommend a healthy diet above all else. The more healthy you eat, the more likely you are to meet your body’s need for vitamins without needing supplementation. This is also good for the health of the baby as well as the fitness of the mother! Junk foods may be tempting during a time of pregnancy, but eating healthy can really pay off when you give birth to a child that is nutritionally nurtured. Remember – you’re eating for two!