Extraordinary Health Magazine Extraordinary Health Vol 27 | Page 48
CLEAN NOURISHMENT FOR YOU & YOUR BABY
Before, During
& After Pregnancy
production of healthy red blood
cells and increased blood volume.
Iron reduces the risk of pre-term and
low-birthweight babies, and helps to avoid
anemia, which is common in pregnancy
and linked to fatigue.
here’s so much to think about
during pregnancy, including the right
nutrition to give your baby the best start
in life—which is where a prenatal multi
can come in. The American Congress
of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
recommends that all women of
childbearing age take a daily
multivitamin supplement containing
folic acid (preferably folate, which
occurs naturally in food) to reduce
the risk of neural tube defects should
pregnancy occur. They also suggest
that all pregnant women take a prenatal
multivitamin. The dietary recommended
intake for folate is 400 micrograms per
day before pregnancy, 600 micrograms
per day during pregnancy and 500
micrograms per day while breastfeeding.
The truth is that pregnancy and
breastfeeding are the most nutritionally
demanding times of a woman’s life. The
body needs enough nutrients daily to
support the growth of the baby and to
support the maintenance of the mother’s
body. During pregnancy, the mother’s
blood volume increases, more red blood
cells are needed to carry oxygen, and
greater plasma volume is needed
to cope with the large increases in blood
flow to organs. A healthy woman carrying
a normal-sized fetus, with an average birth
weight of approximately seven pounds will
increase her plasma volume by an average
of about 50 percent—three extra pints!
In addition to folate, getting enough
iron along with vitamins B6 and B-12
are important to support the increased
Additionally, the National Institutes of
Mental Health concludes that it’s vital
that the mother get enough vitamin D
while pregnant in order for the baby’s
brain to develop properly, while some
leading medical experts believe that one
of the most important changes that could
radically reduce autism is making sure
all pregnant women’s vitamin D levels
are normalized to 50-60 ng/ml because
they believe there may be a link between
rampant vitamin D deficiency and soaring
rates of autism.
Likewise, a study by the Environmental
Working Group concluded that babies
are exposed to more than 200 harmful
chemicals before they’re even born. So,
pregnancy is also the time to go organic.
Make sure you and your baby get what
you need before, during and after
pregnancy—a diet of wholesome organic
foods and a Certified USDA Organic
prenatal multi.