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Consult your doctor or dietitian - you
might need to take a vitamin supplement
during pregnancy. Keep in mind that supplements
are meant not to replace foods, but to balance
a nutritious diet. Your doctor can help
you choose an appropriate supplement that
contains suitable amounts of vitamins and
minerals. Any supplementation that exceeds
the recommended daily intake (RDI) should
be taken only under the recommendation of
your doctor, because high doses of vitamins
and/or minerals can be toxic at certain
levels.
A folic acid supplement of 0.4 mg per day
should be taken by healthy women (for several
months in advance) who are planning to become
pregnant and by women who are pregnant.
In the later stages of pregnancy, you require
more iron, to help produce healthy red blood
cells for you and your growing baby. Sometimes
it's difficult for women to consume enough
iron from foods. Most doctors recommend
that pregnant women take a daily iron supplement
of 30 to 60 mg of elemental (ferrous) iron
in addition to any other prenatal vitamins.
Anemic women in particular may require an
iron supplement. Discuss the possible need
for iron supplementation with your doctor
and pharmacist. You can also help your body
better absorb dietary iron by eating iron-rich
foods together with foods rich in vitamin
C, such as berries, tomatoes, sweet peppers,
and citrus fruits. For example, have a glass
of orange juice with an enriched breakfast
cereal.
Consuming 3-4 servings of dairy products
can help ensure adequate calcium (i.e. 1,200
mg daily) during your pregnancy. However,
women with diets lacking in calcium (e.g.
women with a lactose intolerance) may require
a calcium supplement in addition to their
dietary sources. Look for calcium supplements
that contain calcium carbonate because they
have the most calcium per weight. Try to
take calcium supplements between meals or
at bedtime to increase the effectiveness
of their absorption. Avoid bone meal and
dolomite, as these types of calcium supplements
may contain traces of lead. Talk to your
doctor, pharmacist and dietitian for more
information about calcium supplements, and
be sure to incorporate calcium-rich foods
in your diet.
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