5 key vitamins and nutrients you need during pregnancy, and why!
This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation on behalf of Viactiv that contains affiliate links. I received Viactiv products for my own personal use. This post is not intended to address or diagnose any medical conditions. All opinions, text and experiences are my own.
As a pregnant woman, I am constantly inundated with ways to care for my baby, and baby “must haves”, both online and from friends and family. Taking care of our children is important, yes, but what about me? As mothers, we need to make sure to treat ourselves well and make sure we are getting all of our daily nutritional needs in order to be the in the best health possible. Because if mama has an off day, everyone has an off day!
When you’re expecting, the first thing everyone tells you to do is take is a Prenatal vitamin. Many of us assume that these vitamins are all inclusive and have all of our daily recommended needs, but unfortunately, that’s just not the case.
At my first appointment with my Midwife, she asked me what vitamins I was taking. I told her the brand of Prenatal, and she looked it up online to show me that I was still missing out on some crucial vitamins by only taking the one supplement a day. After that first appointment, she had me add the following vitamins to make sure both baby and I were benefitting the most from my daily intake:
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Folic Acid
- DHA Omega 3s
- Iron
Vitamin D3 in particular, along with Calcium were the first two things my Midwife told me I needed to start adding to my Prenatals. While certain guidelines say that you only need around 600 IU per day, my Midwife told me that women in the Northwest particularly need more as we don’t experience as much sun, and that everything she has read and researched lately suggested to up my Vitamin D3 to 4,000 – 6,000 IU! Vitamin D as a supplement is crucial, because food isn’t a good source, and time spent out in the sunshine isn’t always an option, or sufficient.
Calcium is critical for the development of baby’s bones, teeth, heart, nerves, and muscles, and if mom isn’t getting the required 1,000 mg of Calcium daily through regular dietary sources (which most of us aren’t!), then a supplement is definitely needed. Did you know that if you don’t have enough Calcium in your diet than baby starts draining what it needs from your bones? That’s not a good thing for either of you, and can actually lead to Osteopenia and Osteoporosis and high bone fracture rates later on in life! My Midwife actually told me that most Prenatal supplements cap out at about 20% of our daily Calcium needs, and for those of us who can’t eat dairy, that means we more than likely are way under our necessary intake.
To confirm these facts, I looked at several of the most popular leading Prenatal brands’ nutritional facts labels to see the Calcium count, just to see if this was really true, and found that many of them had 125mg – 200mg (with the majority having 150 mg), which is sadly only about 12.5% – 20% of our daily recommended needs as women, let alone women who are pregnant. In fact, several of the more ‘natural’ brands of Prenatals that I looked at didn’t even list Calcium amounts on the nutrition facts label, which leads me to believe there isn’t enough of this crucial ingredient in the supplement for the company to be able to count!
Folic Acid is included in many Prenatals nowadays, thank goodness, but make sure that yours has at least 400 – 800 mcg (the original one I was taking only had about 200 mcg, which was definitely not enough!). This helps keep your placenta healthy and can prevent spina bifida, as well as other neural tube defects.
Even if you’re not pregnant, you should be getting at least 200 mg of DHA Omega 3 fatty acids, but pregnant women should up that to 300 mg per day. DHA is not only an essential nutrient for women, but has immense benefits for baby as well, both for during pregnancy and postpartum. A few of the benefits include optimal brain and eye development, and studies have even shown that supplementing with DHA can increase the length of pregnancy by up to 6 days, which means less likelihood for preterm birth, and DHA can also possibly be linked to improving the baby’s developmental milestones, such as hand-eye coordination and attention span.
Our need for Iron increases while pregnant, and almost 1 in every 5 pregnant women are diagnosed with Iron deficiency in the US. Ensuring you are getting at least 27 mg of Iron each day can prevent anemia, low birth weight and premature delivery, and helps in the production of hemoglobin (which is what carries oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues) for both mom and baby. Because you’ll need more Iron, you’ll also want to consider a daily probiotic and / or adding in extra fiber in your diet or a light stool softener, as the Iron has a tendency to stop things up, and nobody wants that!
The list was a little overwhelming at first, but I’ve quickly found easy ways to incorporate all of the above vitamins into my daily routine. The first thing that I did was to switch my Prenatal to one that had more DHA and Folic acid, and the next was to start including Viactiv Soft Chews – the #1 doctor-recommended calcium-supplement chew.
Viactiv Soft Chews were a no-brainer addition to make sure I get all the calcium both baby and I need, and it sure doesn’t hurt that the Caramel soft chews are ridiculously delicious. Considering that Osteoporosis runs in my family, especially in females, I’ve always tried to make sure I have enough Vitamin D and Calcium in my diet, but with having to change my diet to remove dairy products recently, I’ve been struggling to keep up. When I saw that one Viactiv Calcium Soft Chew (500 mg of calcium and 500 IU of Vitamin D) taken twice daily provides 100% of the daily value of calcium for most women plus vitamins D and K, I was sold.
As an added bonus, each of the Viactiv Soft Chews are individually wrapped, so I tend to throw a handful in each of my purses and diaper bag so I don’t forget to take them, and they are more convenient and accessible so it means I actually take them, (which is, of course, the most important part of the whole process)! Along with obtaining adequate calcium in your diet, regular bone strengthening exercises, supplementing with Viactiv when your diet isn’t enough is part of the three keys to healthy bones. Viactiv Soft Chews are a super easy, good tasting way to help decrease my risk for osteoporosis and ensure that both my growing baby and I are getting an adequate intake of necessary Calcium, daily.
Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews are available in milk chocolate and caramel flavors at major retailers including CVS, Rite Aid, Target, and Walmart, as well as supermarkets nationwide. Print this coupon to save $2 on your next in-store purchase of Viactiv.
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Were you aware of the calcium needs during pregnancy?
Learn more about Viactiv at www.Viactiv.com.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please speak with your healthcare provider regarding any medical concerns.
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When I was pregnant, I took my prenatals like my doctor told me to 🙂
Its amazing all the new research that has shown what all we need to ensure a healthy pregnancy! And its sad that more prenatal supplements nowadays aren't all inclusive for what our bodies and baby needs!
I did not know any of this. things sure have changed from when i was pregnant.
It seems like new information is always coming out to help us have a healthier pregnancy!
I used to love those viactive chews! I need to start buying them again!
I'm surprised at how yummy they are for how much calcium they have!
Viactive is a great source of calcium. I need to share this post with my daughter. She is pregnant.
All her days needs as a pregnant woman in two little chews! The caramels are my favorite!
We are all past the age where this is relevant. So, Igave it a tweet so others can benefit.
Ha, thank you Carol! But no matter what age, you do need to make sure to keep up your calcium intake to combat osteoporosis and weakening bones!
These are definitely important when you're pregnant, especially because you want your baby to be able to get all the nutrients he or she needs. Viactiv is awesome, that's also what I take for calcium!
i am so glad to see that you want to keep yourself healthy just like the baby. a healthy pregnancy is a good pregnancy
That is why it is very important to take your prenatal vitamins. All these are for you and your baby.
I have to show this article to my friend. She's been looking for something for her calcium needs and her sweet tooth might just be perfect for Viactiv.
My sister-in-law takes Viactiv, and she loves it.
These are all definitely what you need. I remember having to take iron pills during my first pregnancy. Those chewable calcium chews sound great. I don't get enough calcium, so these would be great for me.
Getting your nutrients and vitamins is so important! I was prescribed super strong prenatal vitamins while I was pregnant.
Don't you get so tired of everyone having an opinion and giving you advice?
YES! It's sweet that people care, but they sometimes forget to remember that I am an informed and educated woman ☺️
Those are lots of vitamins but yeah, pregnant women are literally eating for two! I salute pregnant women around the world! They all deserve to be healthy!
I heard that Folic acid is good for baby's brain development. Pregnant women are very tough and they should all be healthy to have a healthy and happy baby!
how informative and well laid out with great points.
Lol i've seen that little disclaimer on the top with the posts i've been reading.
Is there like crazy repercussions if you don't put that at the beginning?
So cool that one supplement can give you the essential nutrients need for a happy pregnancy!
I'll have to tell my mom's friends about this, she would love this.
A lot of brand supplements to try that is sout in the market for pregnant Moms that's why there is now way pregnancy can't be taken care of.
It's nice that one supplement contains all the nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy!
These look so great! The prenatals I took when I was pregnant made me so sick.
Pregnancy is such a wonderful phase of your life for any women & I am sure you need to make sure you take foods that provide you the much essential vitamins & nutrients all through the delivery period & even after the baby is here. Viactiv Soft Chews sounds like a great product & could be a great choice for pregnant women.
Being pregnant took a toll on my teeth. This is a great in depth post!
This is a great guide for making sure you are getting all of the vitamins and nutrients you need during pregnancy. You are so right — it's important to make sure you're getting what you need, even while inundated with all of the "baby must haves" being thrown your way.
I ended up taking kids gummy vitamins during my 3rd pregnancy, because I can't swallow big pills. It's very important for baby to continue vitamins during pregnancy for sure.
Viactiv is calcium carbonate, a very poorly absorbed form of calcium. This type of calcium can lead to kidney stones. Also, this product has corn syrup/solids (sugar) in it which is GMO – very unhealthy for mom and baby alike. There are artificial dyes and hydrogenated oils in Viactiv as well. Artificial colors are linked to hyperactivity and are made from petroleum. Some are even carcinogenic. May I suggest taking an organic food-based calcium that is highly absorbable and recognized by the body as food. It's easy to get calcium from food alone; just google food sources of calcium. Too much calcium in the body can throw off (minerals) magnesium levels and so on and so forth. Therefore, either find a food based supplement that has both magnesium and calcium in it, or get it from eating a healthy diet of leafy greens.
PS. Synthetic calcium supplements can calcify in the heart and cause atherosclerosis. This can be prevented with adequate K2 – Again, a good food based supplement will have adequate ratios of mag, calcium, and k2. Try Garden of Life.