Are you getting ready to welcome a new baby into the world? Having a biological child is exciting and you have so much to do before the baby arrives!
Are you already taking a prenatal vitamin?
Some doctors recommend that anyone who is capable of getting pregnant takes a prenatal vitamin just in case a pregnancy occurs. That said, many people choose not to do this due to the cost of vitamins and the resistance to taking something that they don’t need.
Let us give you some pregnancy advice: the best time to start taking a prenatal vitamin was before you got pregnant. The second best time is now.
Keep reading to learn all about why expecting mothers should take prenatal vitamins.
They Support Your Baby’s Nervous System
The most significant reason that people who are pregnant should take prenatal vitamins is that they’re crucial for your baby’s development in the womb.
The key ingredient of prenatal vitamins (that’s not as common in standard multivitamins) is folic acid. Folic acid is what facilitates the growth and development of your baby’s brain and spinal cord.
If you don’t get enough folic acid in your diet, your baby may end up with a neural tube defect, like spina bifida. Spina bifida can cause lifelong physical and mental disabilities.
Spina bifida can develop within the first month of pregnancy. This is why it’s important for anyone who is trying to become pregnant to take folic acid in prenatal vitamins.
They May Help Alleviate Nausea
Every pregnant person knows about morning sickness. It isn’t entirely avoidable, but prenatal vitamins might help.
The vitamin B6 that’s present in prenatal vitamins may help to reduce the effects of the amino acids that cause nausea during early pregnancy. Because morning sickness starts right away, it’s better if you start taking the vitamins before you know that you’re pregnant for the best results.
They’ll Support Your Own Health
Your health and your baby’s health are intertwined. While prenatal pills are for the baby, they can also help your own health and wellness.
Taking prenatal vitamins (alongside a healthy diet and gentle exercise schedule) can help you avoid the struggles of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. These vitamins will also support your immune system so you can avoid the yearly colds and flu while you’re trying to grow a healthy baby.
They can help you avoid anemia and keep you feeling more energetic (within reason) during your pregnancy.
When you’re healthy, your baby has a better chance of being healthy.
Tak Our Pregnancy Advice (And Take Prenatal Vitamins)
Pregnant women (or pregnant people of any gender) should take prenatal vitamins if they want to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. This may be the best pregnancy advice that you get in your first trimester.
Talk to your doctor about their recommended prenatal vitamins today.
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