- It’s never too early to start preparing for birth and motherhood. Learning as much as you can now will help you feel more confident in making decisions like selecting a health care provider, choosing where to give birth, and finding a childbirth education class.
- Pregnancy is an excellent time to prioritize taking care of yourself. It is important to establish positive habits to ensure the best health for you and your developing baby.
- Pregnancy is a time to practice healthy eating, drink plenty of fluids, exercise regularly, and get plenty of rest—you’re sustaining a new life and preparing for the marathon of birth. You should also prepare yourself mentally for labor, birth, and new motherhood.
1. Which trimester is the most critical?
The first trimester is said to be the most crucial period of pregnancy because at this point, your baby is growing from an embryo to a fetus. The fetus then enters a stage of rapid development, forming most organs, facial features, skeletal tissue and limbs.
This puts your growing child at a high risk of developing complications or even worse you could suffer a miscarriage. When a pregnant woman experiences vaginal bleeding, severe abdominal or back pain, and heavy spotting, be sure to go the doctor immediately, as these are symptoms of a miscarriage. About half of the cases are due to genetic complications and are therefore unpreventable.
2. What supplement to be taken before pregnancy?
Ideally, you should start taking prenatal vitamins at least a month before conception and throughout your entire pregnancy from four weeks pregnant to whenever labor and birth starts.
- Folic acid: 600 mcg (Helps with neural tube development and can help prevent neural tube defects like Spina Bifida.)
- Iron: 27 mg (Helps prevent anemia, which can affect delivery of oxygen to the baby via red blood cells. Keep in mind that most gummies don’t contain iron.)
- Calcium: 1,000 mg (Helps with bone health. Note that most prenatal vitamins don’t contain this much calcium, so if you don’t get enough from your diet, talk to your doctor about taking a separate calcium supplement.)
- Vitamin D: 600 IU (Helps support healthy bone development and your immune system.)
3. What are the danger of vitamin deficiency during pregnancy?
a) Vitamin B12 Deficiency:
- Low levels of vitamin B12 during pregnancy may increase the likelihood of neural tube defects.
b) Vitamin D Deficiency:
- Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased prevalence of pre-eclampsia, which is a common cause of mortality among pregnant women and their infants.
According to a study, adverse health outcomes such as low birth weight, pre-eclampsia, neonatal hypocalcemia, bone fragility, heightened risk of developing of autoimmune diseases, and poor postnatal growth have been linked to low vitamin D levels during pregnancy.
c) Vitamin c Deficiency
- Vitamin C deficiency among pregnant women may lead to serious health effects on the fetus’ brain. In a study, the researchers said that even marginal vitamin C deficiency in the mother prevents the baby’s hippocampus, an important part of the brain responsible for memory, from developing by about 10 to 15 percent.
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