Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Be cautious about taking vitamin and
mineral supplements during pregnancy. Often people don’t think of
vitamins and minerals as harmful, but they can be, especially to your
developing baby. Use only those vitamins and minerals your healthcare
provider recommends you use or prescribes for you.
Safe Over-the-Counter Medications
Some OTC medications considered fairly safe to use while you’re pregnant include:
•acetaminophen (Tylenol)
•antacids (Amphojel, Gelusil, Maalox, milk of magnesia)
•throat lozenges (Sucrets)
•decongestants (chlorpheniramine, Sudafed)
•antidiarrheal preparations (Kaopectate)
•anti-itch preparations (Benadryl)
•some cough medicines (Robitussin)
•hemorrhoid preparations (Anusol, Preparation H)
Many vitamin supplements and
“megavitamins” sold in health-food stores contain very high amounts of
minerals, vitamins and other substances. Even some foods contain extra
vitamins and minerals. Some of these supplements could adversely affect
your developing baby.
Avoid any vitamins or minerals other than
your prenatal vitamin and iron and/or folic-acid supplements unless
prescribed by your healthcare provider specifically for you. Read
labels on various foods you eat. Don’t self-medicate with other
vitamins or minerals—you don’t need them, and they can be dangerous if
taken in excessive amounts.
Prenatal vitamins contain the
recommended daily amounts of vitamins and minerals you need during
pregnancy. They are prescribed to ensure your health and your baby’s
health.
Prenatal Vitamins
At your first prenatal visit, your
healthcare provider will probably give you a prescription for prenatal
vitamins. It’s very important for you to take these vitamins for your entire pregnancy.
Each vitamin contains many essential
ingredients for the development of your baby and your continued good
health, which is why we want you to take them every day until your baby
is born. A typical prenatal vitamin contains the following:
•calcium to build baby’s teeth and bones and to help strengthen yours
•copper to help prevent anemia and to aid in bone formation
•folic acid to reduce the risk of neural-tube defects and to aid red blood cell production
•iodine to help control metabolism
•iron to prevent anemia and to help baby’s blood development
•vitamins A, B1 and E for general health
•vitamins B2, B3, B6 for metabolism
•vitamin B12 to promote formation of blood
•vitamin C to aid in your body’s absorption of iron
•vitamin D to strengthen baby’s bones and teeth, and to help your body use phosphorus and calcium
•zinc to help balance fluids in your body and to aid nerve and muscle function
It’s important to know how to
take your medicine to get the greatest benefits. Read the label before
you take it. Should you take it with food? Before food? After food? No
food? A certain number of hours before or after food? When you get up?
Before you go to bed? Should you drink extra liquids, avoid milk
products or take it in some other special way? Knowing when you should
and shouldn’t mix a medication with a food or beverage can increase the
benefits of the medicine. Some combinations can be dangerous. Always read directions for taking a medication. If you have questions, discuss them with your pharmacist or healthcare provider.
Sometimes, late in pregnancy, a woman
stops taking her prenatal vitamins; she gets tired of taking them or
she decides they aren’t necessary. Studies show nearly half of all
pregnant women who are prescribed prenatal vitamins don’t take them
regularly. The vitamins and iron in prenatal vitamins are essential to
the well-being of your baby, so take your prenatal vitamins every day
until your baby is born.
