Pregnancy And Baby Care Pregnancy Pregnancy Prenatal Vitamin

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There are various neural tube defects which can develop in the initial 28 days post conception. At this point the woman may not even realize that she is pregnant. More than half of all pregnancies are usually unplanned. Thus it is usually recommended that a woman take folic acid on a daily basis as a prenatal vitamin before pregnancy. Folic acid has also been found to greatly help in reducing the possibility of having a child born with spinal cord defects and birth defects of the child’s brain. The spinal cord defects are also referred to as neural tube defects. The commonest neural tube defect is known as spina bifida. In this case the child is born with its spine not closed. What results is damage to the child’s open nerves leading to conditions of incontinence, paralysis even mental retardation. Thus a pregnancy plus prenatal vitamin is extremely essential.

Folic Acid During Pregnancy

Some of the best sources of folic acid include leafy green vegetables like broccoli, spinach etc. Some other sources of folic acid are beans, nuts and also citrus fruits. It can also be obtained from fortified cereals. Calcium is essential for the mother as when the fetus’s bone growth is occurring it draws this mineral from the mother. Iron is required for both the child and the mother. It helps their blood to carry the oxygen.  Thus women need to consume supplements along with a healthy balanced diet. Depending on the pregnancy trimester, different pre natal vitamins are prescribed. This also depends on the woman’s requirements. Some women do feel nauseous due to the vitamins in which case the doctor may prescribe it in a different form. Some vitamin supplements are even prescribed post the delivery of the baby like calcium and folic acid etc. Omega 3 is another supplement that may be recommended as a pregnancy supplement and is said to be beneficial for the baby’s brain development