Vitamins When Planning Pregnancy

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Vitamins when planning pregnancy

At the planning stage of pregnancy, vitamin therapy will help to conceive and easily bear a child, and the future baby himself will receive all the substances and components necessary for development at the stage of formation of vital organs, tissues and systems.

So, what vitamins to take when planning pregnancy for a future mother and father?

Vitamins for planning pregnancy: folic acid

Vitamin B9 or folic acid ensures the full growth and development of the fetus in the earliest stages of pregnancy. It is thanks to folic acid that a neural tube is laid in the embryo, from which the child's spinal cord and brain subsequently develop.

That is why, for the prevention of various pathologies of the child and possible problems with the nervous system, vitamin B9 is prescribed when planning pregnancy and after conception, regardless of the mother's condition. This is especially true of those families who have already had birth defects and brain diseases (for example, anencephaly or hydrocephalus) in the family.

It has already been proven that vitamins when planning pregnancy, in particular folic acid, for six months before pregnancy, significantly reduce the risk of developing defects in the unborn child.

It is best to take folic acid in a synthesized form, since it is more easily absorbed than its natural counterpart. And ascorbic acid contributes to the better absorption of vitamin B9 in the body, while sulfonamides and zinc will prevent, on the contrary.

What vitamins to drink when planning pregnancy: vitamin E

Tocopherol (vitamin E) is important when planning a pregnancy, as it helps the expectant mother to prepare for the stresses inevitable during pregnancy, improves blood circulation, increases the activity of sweat glands, normalizes metabolic processes in the body, and also ensures the full synthesis of sex hormones and the formation of an embryo at the initial stages pregnancy.

When planning pregnancy, vitamin E is simply necessary, as it saturates the tissues of the woman and the unborn child with oxygen, supplies all organs and systems with energy. In the future, it is thanks to tocopherol that the child's lungs prepare for spontaneous breathing.

In addition, vitamin E is very effective as part of complex therapy to prevent pregnancy failure. It is recommended to take selenium and ascorbic acid together with vitamin E for better absorption.

What vitamins to take when planning pregnancy: vitamin A

When planning a pregnancy, vitamin A should be started to drink six months before conception. However, it should be borne in mind that retinol tends to accumulate in the body, and its excess can be no less dangerous than deficiency. Studies have shown that retinol overdose can occur due to increased intake of vitamin A and the consumption of foods high in its content.

With a balanced diet, the lack of retinol is a rather rare phenomenon, but during pregnancy, the body's need for it increases sharply. For better absorption, vitamin A should be taken in combination with vitamins E and C, as well as with zinc.

Vitamins for planning pregnancy: vitamin B6

Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) is necessary for the body to produce proteins and amino acids, which are the foundation of the cells of the nascent organism. Vitamin B6 takes part in hematopoiesis, regulates the functioning of the nervous system, in particular, reduces aggressiveness and irritability. Pyridoxine helps the development of the nervous system and brain of the unborn child, and in a pregnant woman it helps to reduce the symptoms of early toxicosis.

For the human reproductive system, pyridoxine is simply irreplaceable, since it is directly involved in the synthesis of hormones and other biologically active compounds. Moreover, when planning pregnancy, vitamin B6 should be taken not only by the expectant mother, but also by the father, since pyridoxine takes part in the regulation of male sex hormones, which contributes to the maturation of sperm.

When smoking, drinking alcohol and foods high in caffeine, as well as taking certain hormonal drugs, the body's consumption of vitamin B6 increases. For better absorption of pyridoxine, it must be consumed in combination with vitamin B12.

Dosage of vitamins when planning pregnancy

We have already decided what vitamins are necessary when planning a pregnancy, but what should be the dosage of vitamins when planning a pregnancy?

When planning a pregnancy, a woman needs to take 400 mg of folic acid per day. If potential parents are at risk, then an increase in the amount of vitamin B9 is allowed.

The dosage of vitamin E when planning pregnancy is determined individually by the attending physician. The most optimal dose is 200-400 mg per day, but not more than 1000 mg.

Vitamin A is usually prescribed in a prophylactic dosage as part of multivitamin preparations. Its amount does not exceed 0.8 mg per day, with the exception, perhaps, of strict medical indications.

When planning pregnancy, pyridoxine should be taken in a daily dosage of 2.2 mg.

Rules for taking vitamins when planning pregnancy

For reproductive purposes, vitamins are best taken in the second phase of the menstrual cycle, directly during or immediately after a meal. This will contribute to the maximum absorption of vitamins.

When planning pregnancy, daily doses of vitamins should be prescribed individually by the attending physician, based on the results of tests, the characteristics of the body and data on the state of health.

If the test result shows a deficiency of other vitamins, the doctor has the right to prescribe them when planning a pregnancy. Often, doctors prescribe intensive vitamin therapy when planning pregnancy to those women who have been taking medications, hormones for a long time, or who have followed a vegetarian or unbalanced diet.

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