Pregnancy Supplements.
Maternal and neonatal health outcomes are significantly influenced by nutrient availability throughout preconception, pregnancy and lactation. We know that an expecting mother needs a varied wholefoods diet to allow for the increased needs during pregnancy, but most women are not meeting the RDI through diet alone.
Growing a tiny human is a big deal & shouldn’t be underestimated!
Inadequate nutrition, particularly in relation to B vitamins, zinc, iron, vitamin D, choline, iodine, and folic acid during preconception and pregnancy poses significant risks, including impaired foetal development, preterm birth and low birth weight. We are now also seeing the long-term effects in postnatal depleted mothers.
Your nutrition is of the highest importance right now.
A lot of women are entering into pregnancy already depleted, with evidence indicating low dietary intake and lack of nutritional knowledge as contributing factors. Further to this, data indicates that specific vitamins & minerals within Australian and New Zealand soils are depleted of nutrients contributing to this issue.
Beyond nutritional support for baby’s development, nutrients also support mumma. For example, lutein, vitamin C and selenium are associated with reduced risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). With this is mind, providing key bioavailable nutrients are important during preconception, pregnancy and lactation for the development of the mother-infant dyad.
So let me explain why you want a good quality prenatal multi vitamin (not elevit)
Folate is the most advocated supplement during pregnancy, it gets the limelight & for good reason. We need folate to prevent neural tube defects in developing embryos.
Neural tube defects occur in the earliest weeks of pregnancy – before many women even know they're pregnant. That's why it's important to begin taking a supplement before you start trying to conceive.
Your body also needs folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent a type of anemia.
Choline is involved in many of the same metabolic pathways as folate, including methylation. Choline is as equally important as folate in preventing neural tube defects.
This 2019 Australian study fund that less than 10% of people were achieving the adequate intake for choline: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6521034/
Choline also enhances the transport of nutrients across the placenta, including Omega-3 DHA. More on DHA below.
(extra reading - Data indicates many women do not meet adequate intake levels of choline (440mg/d) during pregnancy, suggesting that many pregnancies may be at risk of preeclampsia (PE), early term miscarriage, NTDs, and poor brain development due to impaired methylation.
“Metabolites of choline are required for synthesis of cell membranes, neurotransmission, and methyl metabolism—processes essential to fetal brain development and tissue expansion. A large body of evidence suggests that periconceptional choline deficiency increases the risk of adverse birth outcomes, including neural tube defects and other congenital abnormalities. In addition, maternal choline status appears to influence cognitive development in infants.” (J Nutr, 2019)
Data extracted from a national survey conducted in the United States of America indicates that approximately 6% of females consumed adequate choline, highlighting the importance of ensuring sufficient choline intake in pregnant women.)
Vitamin B12 is also essential for healthy neonatal neurodevelopment.
B12 supports energy production via cellular mitochondria. Specifically, B vitamins serve as cofactors within the citric acid cycle, supporting energy production during pregnancy and lactation.
(extra reading – B12 deficiency has been shown to produce a cluster of neurological symptoms associated with delayed myelination, impaired methylation and imbalances within neurotrophic and neurotoxic cytokines, indicating the importance of maternal B12 adequacy.)
Adequate maternal levels of vitamin D are vital for offspring bone development. Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy improves maternal vitamin D status and may reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia, low birthweight and preterm birth.
Vitamin K is also a key factor required for the formation of the neonatal skeleton. It supports bone homeostasis via three independent mechanisms, which promote bone growth, prevent tissue calcification and limit calcium reabsorption from bone.
Manganese is an essential cofactor in bone formation due to its role as a cofactor in the synthesis of chondroitin sulfate, which is involved in bioscaffold design in the development of bone and cartilage.
Zinc plays an essential role in early neonatal brain development. Low plasma zinc concentrations reduce placental zinc transport and may affect the supply of zinc to the fetus. 1 Zinc deficiency also alters circulating levels of a number of hormones associated with the onset of labour, and because zinc is essential for normal immune function, deficiency may contribute to systemic and intra-uterine infections, both major causes of pre-term birth
(extra reading - At a molecular level, zinc regulates gene expression and supports the activity of several neuronal enzymes that enhance synaptic activity and neuronal plasticity throughout development)
Iron is important for infant neurodevelopment, with iron deficiency during pregnancy shown to impair mental and psychomotor development.
Iron plays an important role in energy production as it transports oxygen via hemoglobin between mother and baby
(extra reading - Recent Australian research has revealed that 68% to 82% of women do not meet the RDI for iron both periconceptionally and throughout pregnancy. Further, data suggests that the majority of women in Western countries cannot fulfil iron requirements in the second and third trimesters.)
Iodine supports maternal thyroid function during pregnancy and lactation due to its role in the production of thyroid hormones, free thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).
(extra reading - Demand for iodine is increased during pregnancy as the foetus is reliant on maternal T4 for cellular metabolism, neuronal migration and myelination during development. Further, T4 availability also influences dendritic cell branching, synaptogenesis, glial cell differentiation and migration, in addition to neuronal proliferation within the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and medial ganglionic eminence.
Human data indicates lutein accounts for 59% of total brain carotenoids, and is found in high concentration within the infant nervous system, particularly in the occipital cortex and hippocampus; involved in learning and memory
Furthermore, activated B vitamins such as riboflavin sodium phosphate (vitamin B2), P5P (vitamin B6) and mecobalamin (vitamin B12) support energy production via cellular mitochondria.Specifically, B vitamins serve as cofactors within the citric acid cycle, supporting energy production during pregnancy and lactation.
The time and effort you spend optimising your health during pregnancy can provide your baby with the best start in life, and have lasting effects on your child’s health for years to come. It can also make pregnancy an easier and more enjoyable experience for you.
There is an entire community of healthcare professionals at your disposal, who have the expertise to provide you with the best advice during pregnancy and beyond. A pregnancy healthcare squad can include the following Practitioners:
General Practitioner (GP) and Obstetrician-Gynecologist: Address general pregnancy health needs, including routine health checks that monitor maternal and foetal wellbeing. An obstetrician also specialises in delivering babies safely. A midwife is a medically trained health professional that supports women during pregnancy, birth & beyond. Your midwife can help monitor you throughout your pregnancy, suggest strategies to help during labour, monitor your baby’s vital signs, such as their heartbeat, and provide pain relief. Additionally, a doula offers valuable non-medical support and information to pregnant women, including tending to your emotional needs and providing comfort measures such as relaxation breathing, massage and positioning during labour.
Unless the above practitioners have done specific training in nutritional medicine these are the people who should be advising you on supplements - Naturopaths or Nutritionists who support you in developing healthy dietary and lifestyle habits to maintain you and your baby’s health. In an era of information overload (Dr Google, anyone?), a natural healthcare Practitioner can help you cut through the pregnancy myths and customise a treatment plan just for you. Your plan will include personalised dietary advice that supports you and your baby’s nutritional needs. Nutritional requirements change dramatically during different stages of pregnancy, therefore ensuring adequate nutrient intake, preventing deficiencies, and avoiding harmful foods or ingredients can help your body grow the best baby ever!
Your diet is going to be your first point of nourishment & I can’t emphasise enough the importance of a balanced diet. But research is also telling us that a lot of women are entering into pregnancy already depleted, with evidence indicating low dietary intake and lack of nutritional knowledge as contributing factors. Further to this, data indicates that specific vitamins & minerals within Australian and New Zealand soils are depleted of nutrients contributing to this issue.
We Would be honoured to support you through your pregnancy. Click here to book an appointment
Gina, Carolyn & Kirsty xxx
