Are You Taking Enough Vitamins During Pregnancy?

Whether you need supplements of vitamins during pregnancy is a debatable issue. However, most women are of the opinion that, prenatal vitamins are vital for fulfilling the requirement of nutrition during pregnancy. This holds particularly true when you have a deficiency.

Common supplements of vitamins are those containing iron, folic acid, and other such crucial nutrients that you need during this nine-month phase. In case you are lactose-intolerant, the doctor may recommend you calcium supplements, to fulfill the increased calcium requirement in your body.

Not all women are so healthy that they can provide all the essential nutrients to their developing baby through natural food sources. Moreover, the need for calcium, minerals, iron, and vitamins increases. In such a situation, pregnancy vitamins help. There are more than 50 nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy. Let’s take a look at some of the most important ones.

Pregnancy Nutrition

# Folic acid - it is a B vitamin, essential before conception and in first trimester. It decreases the risk of various scary neural tube defects like, spina bifida, encephalocele, and anencephaly.

# Iron - it is crucial, as it produced red blood cells that transport oxygen to the fetus. You need double amount of iron in this period.

# Calcium - it is essential for the healthy development of bones and teeth of your baby. It also prevents the onset of osteoporosis in you.

# Vitamin A - important for the health of skin, normal cell growth, and developing resistance to infection.

# Vitamin D - essential for strong bones of your baby and regulation of calcium absorption

# Vitamin C - inevitable for strong gums, teeth, and bones. Helps in iron absorption.

# B vitamins like vitamin B6, thiamine, and riboflavin - B6 is important for brain and nervous system development. Thiamine (B1) is essential for brain development. Riboflavin (B2) encourages development of muscles, bones, and nerves of your baby.

# Protein - it’s the building block of your baby’s cells.

# Potassium - it maintains fluid balance in cells.

# Zinc - helps in tissue development of your baby and reduces the risk of neural tube disorders.

The aim is to provide adequate nutrition during this stage. But, supplements are NOT a substitute for nutritious food. They work in combination with a balanced diet. Besides, always consult your doctor before staring any supplement for vitamins during pregnancy.


To take supplements of vitamins during pregnancy is under debate. However, most of the pregnant women prefer them for adequate nutrition during pregnancy. But, pregnancy vitamins work best only when combined with a balanced pregnancy diet.

Warning Signs for Premature Labor-Pregnancy

When to Call Your Physician or Midwife

Painful menstrual-like cramps.

Dull ache in the lower back(If you have had a dull backache throughout the pregnancy, then this symptom is only a danger sign if it is different from the backache you've had before.)

Pain or pressure above the pubic bone(in the area of the pubic hair.)

Sensation of pressure or heaviness in the pelvic region.

Increase in vaginal secretions, including loss of the mucous plug.

Change in the type of vaginal secretion(for example, from thick to thin or watery.)

Bloody discharge from the vagina.

Diarrhea.

Uterine contractions occurring 10 minutes apart or more frequently for more than 1 hour; even if they are not painful(a contraction is palpated when the top of your uterus-the fundus-gets hard, softens, and hardens again). If these disappear when you lie down, they are probably not labor:

Symptoms of urinary tract infection-pain or burning on urination, especially at the end of urination; urgency-an unusually strong feel of the need to urinate, especially if you actually urinate very small amounts; frequency-needing to urinate very often(although this may be difficult for pregnant women to differentiate from the usual increased frequency of late pregnancy).

Any leakage of fluid from the vagina.This can be a big gush or a continuous dripping of watery fluid. This may indicate rupture of the membranes.

If your work involves heavy physical labor, rotating or night shifts, long periods of standing, or makes you excessively tired, consider changing or reducing your workload. Unfortunately, women in the United States are not uniformly guaranteed paid maternity leave.

As sexually transmitted infections may be implicated in premature rupture of the membranes and preterm labor, you should use a condom if you are at risk for such an infection. Being at risk means that either you or your partner has more than one sexual partner. If you have any doubt about whether this is the case for your partner, or you have had a pre term birth, you should use condoms. In fact, because semen contains prostaglandins-body chemicals that cause uterine contractions-use of a condom from midpregnancy to 37 weeks gestation is a good idea for any woman who has had a previous preterm birth. The condoms provide a barrier between your body and your partner's semen.

If you have a history of pre term labor or signs of preterm labor, avoid nipple or breast stimulation in the third trimester, before 37 weeks gestation, as this initiates uterine contractions. Abstain from orgasm if there is any question of threatened preterm labor, as it can lead to contractions.

There is some evidence, although not conclusive, that calcium supplementation may help prevent preterm labor. Routine calcium supplementation is not currently advised in pregnancy, but you should certainly maintain an adequate dietary intake of calcium sources. Except for sometimes causing constipation, a calcium supplement is not dangerous in pregnancy. If you have had a preterm birth, discuss with your physician or midwife whether or not they advise calcium supplementation as a possible preventive measure. In the 1980s, some promising studies showed that preterm birth might be prevented with frequent prenatal visits and vaginal examinations for women at risk for preterm labor. A number of "Prevention of Preterm" birth programs were funded by various governmental and private agencies. Unfortunately, these did not demonstrate that such measures were uniformly valuable in preventing preterm birth. Whether or not to do weekly or biweekly vaginal examinations or ultrasounds to check the cervix in the third trimester for women with a previous preterm birth remains controversial.


Author has an experience of more than 4 years writing about multiple pregnancy.
He also holds experience writing about pregnancy diet and baby care tips.

Abdominal Cramps During Early Pregnancy

It is not uncommon to have abdominal cramps during early pregnancy. Many
women become frightened and fear that they may be having a miscarriage. This
is normally not the reason for abdominal cramps during early pregnancy. The
embryo is embedding itself in the lining of the uterus. This is what makes
you feel cramps similar to those felt when you’re having your period. The
cramps may last for several days and you may suffer the way you did when
having a period on a normal basis. Please do not be afraid of those cramps
as they are a normal part of the pregnancy.



Abdominal cramps during early pregnancy are a normal happening that all
women experience. A more serious problem is when you are suffering lower
abdominal pain. Then it is best that you consult your physician. It is not
uncommon for many women to suffer the lower cramps which are referred to as
sporadic abdominal discomfort. These sporadic abdominal cramps are similar
to those pain felt during a normal period. It is a sign that your uterus is
preparing to carry your baby through the next nine months. If you are
suffering the pains with other symptoms then you will need to immediately
contact your physician.



Women, who suffer from chills, fever, spotting along with abdominal cramps
during early pregnancy maybe suffering from other more harmful conditions,
when a fertilized egg attaches outside of a woman’s uterus then this
condition is referred to as Ectopic Pregnancy. The egg usually will attach
itself to the fallopian tube. Normally this condition is caught in the first
few weeks and treated right away. If for some reason it does not get noticed
and treated it could be very dangerous as the fallopian tube may result in
rupture. The signs and symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy include spotting,
abdominal pain and tenderness. These signs are accompanied with lower back
pain, shoulder pain, dizziness or faintness. If you suspect an ectopic
pregnancy please contact your physician right away.



Abdominal cramps during early pregnancy unfortunately can occasionally mean
that you are about to have a miscarriage. Typically, the symptoms for a
miscarriage are bleeding that might be light or heavy, menstrual cramps that
gradually increase in intensity. Some women suffer from back pain.



If any of these symptoms arise please contact your physician immediately.




Remain calm because it does not necessarily mean that you are in the process
of having a miscarriage as other things maybe going on that are lesser by
nature. Some ladies suffer from lower back pain due to kidney stones,
gallbladder disease or even pancreatitis. When you suffer from one of these
diseases it is debilitating and in some cases warrants surgery. An abdominal
cramp during early pregnancy usually happens to just about all women who are
pregnant therefore please do not panic. It is always for the best to contact
your physicians.



There is good news, however, women who have abdominal cramps during early
pregnancy find it occurs from uterus stretching, from gas or even
constipation. It is true that you might be suffering from round ligament
pain which may result in short stabbing and sharp aches in one or both sides
of the abdomen. This pain can be relieved very quickly simply by changing
your position or simply just relaxing.



When you do feel abdominal cramps during your early pregnancy the best thing
for you to do is set down, put your feet up, and relax. Normal abdominal
pain may be caused by the simplest of things.



* Gas pains and bloating caused by hormones that slow your digestion process
down.



* The pressure of your growing uterus.



* Constipation *note contact a doctor before taking any type of laxative.




* Heartburn caused by something that you ate that did not agree with you or
the baby.



A lot of women do have abdominal cramps during early pregnancy which is
normal as the embryo is embedding itself in the lining of the uterus.
Cramping in the last weeks of the pregnancy is a sign that labor is almost
ready to start. At the start of your labor you will have very strong cramps
that are severe in nature and about five to ten minutes apart. This is time
to contact your physician and go immediately to the hospital for the
delivery. The early part of your pregnancy these cramps can be mild to
severe so it is up to you to check with your physician and make sure that it
is just the natural part of your pregnancy and not anything to worry about.

About The Author Kitty Barker who often writes for and with Pregnancy Information where there is far more information, news and resources. She also writes for Pregnancy Weight Gain If that link is inactive, you can paste this link into your browser - http://pregnancy-and-baby-tips.com/