Why Do You Need Prenatal Vitamins

May 8, 2010 by Paula

If you are pregnant like me your doctor might probably prescribed you the best prenatal vitamins for your needs.  You have an idea that these vitamins are going to be good for your baby but do you really know what vitamins are in there and what they are specifically for?  If you don’t then read on to find out.

Prenatal vitamins are formulated for mothers to be to be taken for their own health as well as their baby’s health.  Packed with several multivitamins to make up for any nutritional deficiency in the mother’s diet.  The most important of these are the iron, folic acid, and the calcium.

Importance of Folic Acid for Pregnant Women

Folic acid can help reduce the risk of your child having neural tube defect.  An example of neural tube defect is spina bifida where the baby is born with underdeveloped spinal cord.  The nerves are exposed and damage and the child suffers from paralysis and sometimes mental retardation.

Neural tube defects develop as early as 28 days after conceptions so it is highly recommended that you take these vitamins as early as possible.  Aside from taking prenatal vitamins you can also get folic acid from natural sources like green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, and citrus fruits.

Calcium and Iron Needs of Pregnant Mothers

Calcium supplement is very important to be taken during pregnancy.  The fetus will need calcium in order to form its own bones and the it will of course be taken from the mother.  If the mother does not take extra calcium supplement her own bone density will suffer.

Iron is the oxygen carrying mineral and will be needed by both the mother and the baby to carry oxygen in their bloodstream.

Of course, it is better for the mother to eat a balanced diet but if that’s not the case then these supplements can help them.