Vitamins for pregnant women. What vitamins are needed during pregnancy?

A pregnant woman is exposed to danger through lack of folic acid, D, C, E and B12 vitamins or because of A vitamin excess. It is necessary to consult an obstetrician-gynecologist before you start to choose and take pills.

Generally, some vitamins are essential during the pregnancy as their components are catalysts or inhibitors of biochemical body reactions. Their amount measures micro or milligrams.   Despite of these facts, deficit or excess of vitamins may lead to some disorders. A woman needs to take them during the most rapid fetal growth period – at the 2^nd term or at the beginning of the 3^rd one. Thus, it is advisable to take polyvitamins at this period; though, a pregnant woman also needs to take them during the 1^st term, a doctor has to prescribe her some other dosage. So, what vitamins are dangerous for a pregnant woman? It is known, that a pregnant woman is exposed to danger through lack of folic acid, D, C, E and B12 vitamins or because of A vitamin excess. In principle, a simple food also provides our body with important vitamins. In this case, you will have to eat a lot of such products. Unfortunately, it may result in different health problems.

In general, it is recommended to take Elevit, Vitrum or some other multivitamin preparation. It should be noted, that it is necessary to consult an obstetrician-gynecologist before you start to choose and take Elevit or some other drugs. Choosing a medicine, one should take into account the amount of vitamins it contains, its dosage and daily consumption rate. It should be observed that daily dose of most medicines is indicated at the rate for one man. During pregnancy, our body vitally requires special drugs for pregnant women, such as, Elevet Pronatal or Vitrum. These medicines contain mineral salt and basic trace elements, such as: calcium, iron, zinc to prevent osteoporosis and deficit of iron to provoke anemia.

Elevit includes low amount of calcium and zinc, thus it is recommended to eat products rich in these elements. Vitamin’s dosage is indicated in accordance with the norms of a pregnant woman. It is allowed to take this medicine within the whole pregnancy, after childbirth and during infant feeding; it is also applied to prevent hypovitaminosis.

Vitrum Penetral is another medicine to prevent hypovitaminosis during pregnancy. It contains 10 principle vitamins, including C vitamin and folic acid, iron calcium and zinc. One should know, Vitrum contains more calcium than Elevit does. Apart from these facts, medicines are identical upon its composition and differ in dosage of some elements only: Elevit involves 12 elements, Vitrum – 10 elements.

A woman doesn’t need to take big dosage of vitamins within the 1^st term; the main thing is to eat enough products rich in B, C, E vitamins and folic acid. Deficit of C vitamin results in noncarrying of pregnancy in case of neglected hypovitaminosis. Moreover, C vitamin favors maternal organism to strengthen immune system and prevents development of preeclampsia at initial stages. Vitrum and Elevit contain 100 mg of this vitamin. In general, it is even more than needed.

Deficit of E vitamin affects important sex glands functioning that may result in fetal death or gonads hypoplasia. Spontaneous abortion is also possible. One can find E vitamin in egg yolks and some other animal fats or vegetable oils. Elevit for pregnant women satisfies body’s needs of this vitamin. Vitrum effects by analogy.

Both Vitrum and Elevit include calciferol – D3 vitamin. D vitamin impedes rickets development of fetus, promotes metabolic control of calcium and prevents osteoporosis.

Folic acid impedes women’s megaloblastic anemia development and guarantees normal growth of fetus. All pregnant women take it as prophylactic measure as pregnant body vitally requires it. Folic acid is also important to prepare one’s body to the pregnancy. Elevit and Vitrum, for example, contain 800 mcg of folic acid because a pregnant woman really needs it.

During pregnancy, a woman should take B group vitamins by 30-40% more through its deficit.

If a body lacks of B12 vitamin, then a deficit anemia (a type of megaloblastic anemia) may be developed. It has its name as blood produces a large number of megaloblasts in this case: erythrocytes, larger than usual ones. These red cells are functionally immature and can’t transfer oxygen to tissues thought the blood effectively. A big amount of B 12 vitamins impede and treat similar conditions.

Micro and major mineral elements, calcium and iron are important for normal embryonic development to build bony skeleton; iron impedes fetal hypoxia. Vitrum and Elebit intake provide normal skeletogeny of a child without using mother’s calcium. These medicines are useful even after childbirth during baby breast-feeding.

A fetus gets zinc from its mother – it cannot synthesize it by itself. Fortunately, Elevit and Vitrum have it in abundance.

Taking such vitamins, a pregnant woman may have hypovitaminosis. To prevent it, control the amount of pills you take. Do not take vitamins together with products rich in these elements: liver or carrot juice. Such food along with vitamins triggers off hypovitaminosis of A vitamin and harms a fetus a lot, forming different defects.

Of course, one should not take 2 or 3 medicines at the same time within pregnancy. Thus, take vitamins recommended and prescribed by your obstetrician-gynecologist only!