It is important to start taking good care of yourself from the moment you start thinking about becoming pregnant. Ideally starting a prenatal supplement 3 months or so before conception will ensure you don’t have any nutritional deficiencies that may go undiagnosed by regular blood tests. 

You need extra nutrients

In a perfect world our diets would provide everything we need to nourish mum and bub but unfortunately the foods we consume often don’t have all the essential nutrients required for this time of rapid growth and development.

The RDI for most nutrients increases during pregnancy including B vitamins (especially folic acid), zinc, iron, calcium and magnesium. A deficiency in any nutrients can result in unwanted, but often preventable, symptoms during pregnancy from cravings and morning sickness through to pre-eclampsia.

Choosing a pregnancy or prenatal supplement can be confusing when there are so many out there so here’s a list of important nutrients your body needs and how they help to support you and your growing baby; 

Vitamin A – Vitamin A is involved in reproduction, growth and development, making it an important nutrient for conception and pregnancy. The Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) requires that all supplements containing vitamin A warn against taking more than 8000mcg daily. This is due to the possible risk of birth defects when Vitamin A is taken in high doses, however this does not mean you have to avoid it altogether as it plays a very important role in male and female fertility, fetal development and lactation.·        

• Most prenatal supplements contain beta-carotene which converts to Vitamin A to eliminate this concern but you can take lower doses of Vitamin A for symptoms such as skin complaints during pregnancy.  

Understanding that we don’t all have the opportunity to supplement prior to conception is still a good idea to start these supplements as soon as you become aware of your pregnancy. 

Vitamin B6 - is known to reduce complications of pregnancy including oedema, high BP, morning sickness, eclampsia & gestational diabetes.·        

• 50mg of vitamin B6 can be taken along with a B complex or multivitamin in the morning after breakfast. 

All B Vitamins – are important for the functioning of the nervous system and energy production and will assist with keeping stress and exhaustion under control.·        

• 50-100mg of each B vitamin is required for optimum intake. 

Calcium - is an essential mineral for pregnancy & lactation with 1100mg and 1200mg respectively required per day. While it is possible to get calcium from a range to foods including dairy (not terribly well absorbed) nuts & seeds, fish (with bones) such as tinned salmon & sardines and green leafy vegetables, most people do not eat all of these foods each day, hence the majority of Australian women consume less than the RDI for calcium.

Calcium can help reduce insomnia and leg cramps and is proven to reduce the incidence of hypertension & Pre-eclampsia in pregnancy.

• A supplement containing 300mg of “elemental” calcium will get you closer to the RDI and help prevent some unwanted problems during pregnancy 

Iron – the usual symptoms of iron deficiency include breathlessness, exhaustion, irritability, forgetfulness, dizziness and poor circulation, all of which can go hand in hand with pregnancy so it makes sense that taking extra iron can help reduce some of these concerns.  

Some iron supplements cause constipation which can be a problem during pregnancy already, your health food store or pharmacy assistant should be able to help you find an organic form such as ferrous fumarate, gluconate or other chelated form of iron to prevent this.

• A pregnant woman requires 20 - 30mg of elemental iron a day as her blood volume will increase by approximately 25-50%.

Magnesium – can assist with some common concerns in pregnancy including leg cramps, high blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia and lethargy.

• A good quality calcium supplement will also contain magnesium as they are required in a 2:1 ration

Manganese – will be in a good quality pregnancy supplement as it is important for the prevention of neural tube defects. 

Zinc - is required for proper cell division & plays a critical role in foetal development.

Zinc deficiency in pregnancy is associated with problems such as high BP, haemorrhage, premature births, low birth weight, post-natal depression & stretch marks

• Zinc requirements increase during pregnancy from 8mg to 11mg daily 

Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) – contain DHA, a very important substance for the development of brain function and visual acuity in babies. A deficiency in EFAs can result in problems with the menstrual cycle and fertility, post-natal depression and in children can be a factor in behavioral problems such as ADHD and learning difficulties.

• The World Health Organisation recommend pregnant women take 2.6g of Omega 3 per day which can be obtained a combination of diet and supplementation 
• Some pregnancy supplement contain Omega 3 in the form of fish oils but are generally quite low doses so it is often best to take an Omega 3 supplement seperately

Some general rules! 

• Always take supplements containing B vitamins in the morning as some people may have trouble sleeping if taken too late in the day
• Calcium is absorbed best when taken at night before bed.
• A supplement should not replace a healthy diet during pregnancy but used as an addition to a healthy diet
• Always consult your GP or other health care provider
• What does elemental mean? A supplement label will show how much total mineral is contained in the supplement and next to or below it will say equivalent to…….. The equivalent is the elemental amount, which is how much of the mineral your body will absorb. This is the amount you take notice of to make sure you are getting enough.