Vita-vieta-Megamons

Quite a few pregnant mommies have asked me about vitamins over the course of my pregnancy and even more recently, so it got me thinking that maybe there are more people out there wondering about nutritional supplements as well.....(are you out there????)

I must say, I am a true believer in vitamins and supplements (good ones). I've fought a cold and allergies with 100% food based Vitamin C, and now that I am taking a full range of supplements, I feel better than I ever have in my whole life. I think I was pretty much a walking zombie throughout college (vegetarian who hates veggies and occasionally over-served drinker does not a healthy body make). But, anywho, I believe, and the proof is in how I feel.

The following is what I took and would recommend for Prenatal/Pregnant/Nursing women. I'm sure there is more that you could add, but I wouldn't do less! And if you don't fall into the above categories, I would take this stuff anyways, everybody needs supplements.

1) Prenatal Vitamin- I take Perfect Prenatal by New Chapter. I used to take the Rainbow Light Prenatal and really liked them, but then I read that they have high levels of Lead in them, so I switched. I would not recommend taking what the doctor prescribes you. I read the label of what a doc sent home with me and it had Red Dye 40 in it. You and your baby do NOT need Red Dye 40 in your bodies. If you are even thinking about having a baby within the next year or so, start taking a prenatal. They are really great complete vitamins. And, it's amazing how much is already starting to form on the little fetus before you even know that you are pregnant, so start early in building a healthy baby!

2) DHA/Omegas- I take the Nordic Naturals Prental DHA and I really like them, and they have great reviews. Omegas are great for building brain material (vital in 3rd trimester), but are also beneficial for skin development (soft smooth "baby skin"). I think that they also help with stretch marks. If you are supple (is that the right word??) in the inside, then the skin is able to stretch much easier (I don't have any stretch marks, so I swear by this....)

3) Vitamin B- I take a b complex that I get from Trader Joe's. B vitamins are good for morning sickness, give you some added energy and often have a folic acid in them (good for building baby spine's). They are also vital in postpartum women as they can help prevent postpartum depression/sadness/overwhelming emotions (if you've been there you understand).

4) Vitamin D- I take a liquid form under the tongue. Vitamin D is vital for calcium absorption, so take these together. Docs have recently realized that pretty much everyone is chronically low in Vitamin D, and lack of Vitamin D has been linked to some cancers and illnesses. Very important for babies too!

5) Calcium- Baby's bones are growing in the 2nd trimester, so calcium (with Vit. D) is so important. I take Bone-up which has great reviews and has been recommended to me.

6)Probiotics- This is the good active cultures that you find in yogurt and it's good for healthy digestion-very important for pregnant women (if you've been there, you understand....). Just an FYI- reports are developing that show that probiotics have a positive effect on colicky babies, lessening crying to, on average, only 35 minutes a day. So, maybe taking these while pregnant is a good head start...

In the morning I take #'s 1-3 and #6. And in the evening, I take #4 and #5 because calcium and omegas shouldn't be taken together, it has something to do with absorption problems.

So there you have it. A rather boring post for most of you, but I am so passionate about the health of our little ones. The type of work I am in really has stirred this interest inside of me to help grow healthy little babies from the start! I hope this works as well for you and your family as much as it has helped the health of mine!