It is wise for pregnant women to take prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. This will ensure optimal nourishment for both the expectant mother and the baby. Prenatal vitamins, along with a healthy diet and exercise program, can provide optimal health.
Changes During Pregnancy That Warrant Additional Nutrients
Many changes happen in the woman’s body during pregnancy. First of all, the blood volume increases, which in turn causes an increase in need for more blood cells. In addition, estrogen levels increase about 10 % to 70% higher than the pre-pregnancy level. Progesterone increases about 10% higher than pre-pregnancy levels.
Relaxin is a hormone that is produced during pregnancy to relax the joints and ligaments to allow the uterus to expand, and the pelvic region to make room for the baby at delivery. Prolactin is also produced during pregnancy, which initiates the production of breast milk.
All these changes to the pregnant body require energy, which the body gets from nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. Sometimes diet alone may not be enough to provide all these necessary nutrients, which is why it is a good idea to supplement the diet with a prenatal vitamin in order to ensure the body gets all the nutrients it needs.
The Importance of Folic Acid For the Pregnant Woman and Her Unborn Baby
Folic acid is extremely important to have in the pregnant body. This is a nutrient that may not be present in enough quantities in diet alone, which is why OBGYN’s recommend that all pregnant women – and those who are trying to conceive – take a prenatal vitamin that has at least 400 micrograms of folic acid in it.
Folic acid is important because it decreases neural tube defects in the baby by up to 70%. The most common neural tube defect that is suffered by babies whose mothers were deficient in folic acid is spina bifida. This disorder involves an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and severe underdevelopment of the brain. The chances of a baby developing this disorder can be drastically reduced by 70% with the simple implementation of 400 micrograms of folic acid, which is present in most prenatal vitamins.
Pregnant women need more vitamins and minerals than non-pregnant women. Even those who are following a proper diet should still consider taking a prenatal vitamin to provide optimal health, and to prevent certain birth defects.
Why Pregnant Women Should Take Prenatal Vitamins