Taking Prenatal Vitamins For A Safe And Smooth Pregnancy
You should consider taking prenatal vitamins along with regular exercise and a healthy diet if you want a safe and smooth delivery.
First of all, congratulations! Whether it is you or someone you know that is expecting, this is an exciting time!
Pregnancy is an incredibly special time watching the miracle of science develop a little bundle of joy, but it also takes a lot out on the female body.
From exhaustion, hot flashes, to nausea, to food cravings, to body aches, pregnancy can be a difficult time for some women.
Nutrition, adequate exercise, and, most importantly, taking prenatal vitamins can help you have a smooth and easy pregnancy with less of the common symptoms.
Prenatal vitamins contain the right essentials to help decrease these symptoms and provide benefits to the growing baby.
The top three benefits of taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy are:
- Regulating fluctuating hormones;
- Decreasing exhaustion;
- And helping ease the mother’s mind by providing beneficial nutrients for baby development.
The Benefits Of Taking Prenatal Vitamins
Here’s how taking prenatal vitamins can improve your pregnancy and your baby’s health:
1. Keeping Up With The Hormones
The hormone factor is by far the most struggled with factor during pregnancy. The female hormones are not only trying to regulate themselves but now also the influx of the babies’ hormones and the optimal growing environment.
It is very difficult to keep them in check with all the different variables. The acne, hot flashes, and food cravings are all due to the inconstancy of hormone levels.
However, the best prenatal vitamins contain high quantities of D vitamins to help in the regulation.
Vitamin D, also known as the sun vitamin, plays a huge role in hormone regulation. If the recommended quantity is not met through dietary sources, it can cause many unpleasant symptoms.
This vitamin is absorbed by the liver and kidneys and then is actually converted into a hormone within the body. One of its main functions is to help absorb the calcium content in the gastrointestinal and lymphatic system.
In short, the parathyroid hormones, production of hormones, and regulation all rely on vitamin D to know the number of hormones to produce and secrete from the glands. With too little amounts they will try to overcompensate.
In pregnancy, this is unfortunately incredibly common but easily combated with the use of prenatal vitamins.
Hormones play an incredible role in every function of the body and it is important to know all you can during pregnancy.
For a full guide to hormones visit this article that lays out the common symptoms and causes due to unregulated hormones.
2. Restoring Energy To The Day
It takes a monumental amount of energy to form and provide a safe environment for a growing baby. It is no wonder that one of the top symptoms in pregnancy is fatigue.
The body is now caring for two hearts, four lungs, two digestive systems, and two metabolisms. The top contributor to vitamin deficiency for fatigue is B vitamins, specifically B6 and B12.
The B6 vitamin is responsible for metabolism and nutrient breakdown within the body. They directly interact with metabolism.
If the body is not properly absorbing the food it is given then it is not getting enough nutrients. Through the incorporation of B6 in a prenatal, you are ensuring efficient metabolism and absorption for both mother and baby.
Vitamin B12 is directly linked to the formation of DNA and RNA within the body.
It also helps within the process of red blood cell formation. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body and provide all organs with proper levels to function.
With a deficiency in vitamin B12, the body will try to compensate for sleep. The body can recognize when it is not being given the proper amounts of oxygen so it will try to decrease movement, thus creating fatigue.
Providing more vitamin B12 through prenatal vitamins is an excellent way to combat fatigue during pregnancy.
3. Healthy Baby And Happy Mother
The goal of every pregnancy is to have a healthy baby.
Mothers stress a lot during pregnancy about birth defects and complications. Vitamins play a crucial role in the prevention of these.
Prenatal vitamins incorporate the top essentials for a healthy baby. The main vitamin that prenatal focus on is folic acid, and for good reason.
Folic acid is responsible for red blood cell formation for the baby and mother. More importantly folic acid directly relates to the formation of the brain and spinal cord during development.
Birth defects have multiple causes but the main one is improper blood flow. Through the intake of folic acid, you are providing the baby with optimal oxygen levels and help in the brain and nervous system development.
Hopefully, you understand the benefits of taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. Sometimes, a healthy diet and regular exercise are not enough for safe and smooth delivery.