PREGNANCY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION

Whether it is your first pregnancy, your third pregnancy, or you are trying to get pregnant, nothing is more important for you at this time in your life than you and your baby’s health.  There is an abundance of information out there from books, magazines, articles, and the internet that can be helpful guides to follow for a healthy pregnancy.  But at times you may find that they contradict each other or come to find out that it is just a sales pitch.  So where do you go for the most accurate information on how to eat right, take the correct supplements, and avoid potential toxicities?  Nothing tells you the truth more so than your own individualized testing.  Before you start any supplement program it is important to get tested properly by an experienced nutritionist.  However, there are some main guidelines that every pregnant woman should follow in which mostly are agreed upon by both the medical community and the holistic approaches.  Let’s take a further look into the nutrients which we are speaking of.

High Potency Multiple with Iron

When purchasing a Multiple Vitamin look at the other ingredients at the bottom of the label. Are there artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin or sucrose? Are there artificial colors or dyes such as FD&C blue #1 or yellow #6? How about artificial preservatives? If it contains any of these ingredients, put it back on the shelf.  Acceptable sweeteners are sucrose, fructose, stevia or xylitol. Monitor yourself for a few days when you start to take a new MVM. If you have stomach upset, it could be the sweetener being used.

Remember that a supplement is not a substitution for eating healthy foods nor is it a replacement for foods.  It is, in fact, to enhance the quality of your food and correct nutritional deficiencies caused by years of sub-optimal eating and environmental exposures. Take your Multiple Vitamin with meals to avoid upset stomach.
#Iron is recommended to be included in the Multiple Vitamin for the prevention of #anemia and can be significant for #mothers who are deficient.  Anemia during pregnancy is especially a concern because it is associated with low #birth weight, premature birth and maternal mortality. (1)  Pregnant women are at higher risk for developing anemia during pregnancy because the body produces and excess amount of blood to help provide nutrients to the baby.  Types of anemia during pregnancy include:

• Iron deficiency (accounts for 15% to 25%)
• Folate deficiency
• B12 deficiency

Before you purchase your multiple with Iron you want to check your Iron and Ferritin levels first.  You can do this with a simple blood test.  Ferritin, your back up supply for Serum Iron, can have a tendency to be too high in individuals.  These women may not need Iron.

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