A GUIDE TO PREGNANCY SUPPLEMENTS

Pregnancy Supplements A Guide to A Guide to Pregnancy Supplements

by SORCHA DUNNE | @SORCHATERESADUNNE

Pregnancy places a high dietary demand on the body since your baby is entirely dependent on what you eat as their sole source of nutrition. Even if you already consume a healthy diet, supplementing with specific vitamins and minerals during pregnancy can be highly beneficial for you and your baby's health, particularly in your first trimester. On the contrary, some supplements should be avoided during pregnancy or avoided in high amounts. We break down all you need to know about what to take or what to avoid.

What supplements should be taken during pregnancy?

FOLIC ACID

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a B-group vitamin, and is required for a baby's cells to divide during pregnancy and form the neural tube (the primordium of the brain and spinal cord). A lack of folate can cause the spinal cord to fail to close properly, resulting in a neural tube defect, also referred to as an NTD. However, supplementing with folic acid reduces this risk by 70%. The World Health Organisation recommends that women supplement with 400µg/d of folic acid while attempting pregnancy and until they are three months pregnant (it is important to note that over half of pregnancies are unplanned; thus, all women of childbearing age should supplement with folic acid daily).

IRON

A pregnant woman needs twice as much iron as a non-pregnant woman to make more blood to supply oxygen to her baby. Therefore, not consuming an adequate amount of iron can lead to iron deficiency, increasing the risk of low birth weight and premature delivery. Iron deficiency can also affect the mother after pregnancy. For example, it may increase feelings of tiredness (which can reduce milk production) and irritability, cause headaches, decrease immune function, and increase the risk of postnatal depression. Healthy pregnant women should supplement with 16-20mg of iron a day throughout pregnancy.

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D3 helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in a pregnant women's body, as well as her baby's. Calcium is needed to help strengthen the baby's rapidly developing bones and teeth and boost muscle, heart, and nerve development. Like calcium, phosphate also helps strengthen the baby's bones. It is also vital for many bodily functions such as clotting, kidney function, tissue and cell repair, muscle concentrations and a normal heart rhythm.

FISH OIL

Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for fetal development. For example, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), one of the most important omega-3 fatty acids, is a major structural component of the retina, the part of the eye that receives light and converts this light into neural signals to send to the brain, enabling you to see. DHA is also essential for the growth and development of the baby's brain and forms an integral part of the grey matter of the brain tissue. Ongoing research has shown that it can also prevent pre-term labour, increase birth weight, and reduce the risk of allergies in infants and the risk of their mothers developing antenatal and postnatal depression.

MAGNESIUM

According to research, getting enough magnesium during pregnancy can help keep the uterus from contracting too soon. Magnesium also aids in the development of strong teeth and bones in your unborn baby.

GINGER

Ginger has been found to combat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy can even help relieve morning sickness.

What supplements should be avoided during pregnancy?

VITAMIN A

Vitamins A is essential for fetal vision development and immune function; however, too much can be harmful and even cause birth defects and liver toxicity.

VITAMIN E

Like vitamin A, taking too much vitamin E during pregnancy can cause birth defects, as well as heart defects after birth.

HERBS

Various herbs have been found to cause adverse effects during pregnancy, such as uterine contractions. Some herbs that should be avoided during pregnancy include dong quai, black cohosh, goldenseal, yohimbe, saw palmetto, tansy, red clover, angelica, yarrow, wormwood, blue cohosh, pennyroyal, ephedra, and mugort.

Always consult your doctor before taking any supplements if pregnant or planning to conceive to rule out any potential risks or adverse reactions with other medication. Your doctor may even advise you to supplement with some other supplements while pregnant, such as vitamin C, vitamin B12, and calcium, depending on your diet and whether you could be at risk of deficiency.