Carrying a healthy baby in your womb is possible. For one, you need information on how to go about this. In addition, you have to be willing to practice suggested and safe pregnancy tips. One such tip is taking prenatal vitamins.
There are clear reasons why these prenatals are advised for use even before you get pregnant. Read on for more information about this.
Summary
How Soon Should Prenatal Vitamins Be Taken Before Pregnancy?
A doctor (especially) with a specialty in maternity care is in the best position to give a time as an answer. The reason is that it is not the same rule for all as there are very peculiar cases. But by and large, the time range is usually between 1 – 3 months before the start of conception.
There are very common misconceptions surrounding the medical advice to use prenatal vitamins before pregnancy. One such misconception is how these prenatals boost female fertility. Some go as far as proving their point by explaining how doctors tell IVF candidates to use prenatal vitamins.
Well, you should know straight away that prenatal vitamins do not control or boost female fertility. Instead, It helps by putting the body of the woman in a state where the growth of a healthy baby will not be threatened. This is especially seeing how the formation of the baby in the womb can start long before you know and start showing pregnancy signs.
It is advised because taking prenatal vitamins the moment you know you are pregnant might be rather late. The nutrients needed for a healthy mom and child are needed long before birth and even before the knowledge of your pregnancy state.
Why Do Pregnant Women Need Prenatal Vitamins?
Pregnant women need top-quality prenatal vitamin supplements because they contain essential nutrients that support their health and that of their baby or babies. Although getting these nutrients is possible when pregnant women eat the right diet, it is difficult to keep track of things.
Besides, even some of the recommended diets do not contain enough of these nutrients as needed during pregnancy. For one, some of the nutrients required to keep pregnant women and their babies healthy are in higher amounts than required by non-pregnant ones.
For example, almost twice the daily dose of the iron nutrient for the latter is what is needed by the former. While non-pregnant women require an iron nutrient of 18mg every day, pregnant women would need somewhere between 27 – 30mg every day. Other than iron (discussed above), other necessary nutrients needed daily include:
- Folate (Folic acid) – About 400 mcg
- Multivitamin – vitamin (A, B, E, C, D)
- Omega fatty acid – About 650 mg (300 mg of the overall omega fatty acid composition should be DHA)
- Calcium – About 1000 mg
- Iodine – About 220 mcg
- Zinc – About 11 mg
These are some of the essential nutrients contained in the best kinds of prenatal vitamin supplements. Some of the specific ways prenatal vitamins help the development of the growing baby during pregnancy include the following:
Flawless Growth of the Neural Tube
Any threat to the development of the neural tube is a threat to the eventual state of the baby’s spine and brain. This is how important the neural tube is. Defects that are capable of threatening the growth of the neural tube can be prevented with the best kinds of prenatals.
Placenta Development
The placenta is the link between the pregnant woman and the baby in the womb for the most part. Nutrients required for the proper development of the placenta are made available through prenatal vitamins. You should also know how the supply of blood and oxygen to the baby happens through the placenta.
Ease Pregnancy-Associated Discomforts
Helps you cope better with pregnancy-associated discomforts like morning sickness. These are a few of the ways the growing baby in the body benefits from the use of prenatal vitamins.
Beyond that, even nursing moms are advised to use top-quality prenatals. This is to ensure the breastfed child gets the needed nutrients through breast milk. For more related information, you can see the welfare section of the Alzdem Health website.
