A sensible way to maintain your body in good vitamin status is to use common sense in selecting your daily diet. A well-planned diet can, in most cases, provide the vitamins and minerals you and your fetus need. However, a vitamin and/or mineral supplement may be of some benefits. Also, some women may require larger amounts of a given vitamin (particularly vitamin B6) than can be readily provided by the diet alone. If your clinician feels that you are in this category, he or she will probably recommend the use of a supplement containing either this vitamin alone, or a multivitamin/mineral preparation designed for use during pregnancy. Many women, after consulting with their clinician, decide to take the supplement as insurance against deficiency. No particular problems develop as long as you take only the vitamins prescribed for you. They are designed to contain just the amounts you need for each day. In many cases, particularly when tablets containing only one vitamin are taken, the intake may be in excess of what your body can use. You may be tempted to think that if a little bit of a certain vitamin is good the larger amount would be better. This is not necessarily the case. Some vitamins, particularly those which are readily stored by the body, have been shown to produce structural changes and even deformities in infants when mother’s intake is too high. Self administered supplements, particularly in doses greater than those recommended, may disturb the delicate balance of fetus’ intrauterine environment. Overall, it is common knowledge that your developing fetus will thrive in a balanced chemical environment.

The preventive value of supplementation begins before a woman becomes pregnant. Deficiency in specific nutrients is known to put a baby at risk for birth defects. The best example of this is the B vitamin folic acid. For years, research demonstrated that folic acid helps prevent birth defects in newborns. This includes neural tube defect, the incomplete development of the spinal cord and/or brain. Folic acid deficiencies can also lead to heart, urinary tract, cleft palate, and limb defects. For this reason, health authorities recommend all women of childbearing age capable of becoming pregnant consume 400 micrograms of folate daily.

In addition, vitamin B₁₂ deficiency is thought to be an independent risk factor for neural tube defects. I recommend a prenatal supplement that contains 200 micrograms or more of B₁₂ daily.

Both folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ work in tandem for fetal development such as cell division and the formation of the myelin sheath (nerve covering). They also prevent the buildup of homocysteine, a toxic by-product of protein metabolism that is thought to contribute to birth defects. The key point in regards to these two B vitamins is they should be taken before conception.

Prenatal multivitamins also contain iron. This is to meet the increased blood production needs of the baby and so iron deficiency, known as anemia, is prevented. Extra iron supplementation beyond the multivitamin should only be used under the recommendation and supervision of a physician. Avoid iron sulfate (ferrous sulfate) as it causes constipation.

In addition to the benefits attributed to specific supplements, a 1998 study found that a child’s risk for developing a brain tumour decreased in relation to the number of trimesters the mother took multivitamin supplements during pregnancy, with the greatest benefit being when the mother took prenatal vitamins during all three trimesters.

Calcium and Magnesium

Essential Fatty Acids

Probiotics

These key supplements will contribute to the health and happiness of your newborn.