One of the most wonderful feelings in the world is creating life! However, alongside all the joy and excitement that comes along with receiving the good news, comes a natural overwhelming feeling of confusion. That’s totally normal!
In the end, nothing can fully prepare us for motherhood and normally a lot of questions will overflow our minds. That’s why we’re here to simplify things for you and offer you a quick guide on how to prepare for your pregnancy.
To begin with, it’s important to highlight the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and the impact it could have on your pregnancy. First of all, maintaining a healthy weight and weight gain during pregnancy has been shown to decrease the risk of developing gestational diabetes, weight retention post-delivery as well as developing diabetes or cardiovascular diseases later on in life.
A healthy weight will also have a huge impact on the fetus by lowering the risk of preterm birth, having a high birth weight and developing obesity later on. According to the CDC, the recommended weight gain for a healthy woman should range between 25 to 35 pounds during the whole pregnancy.
As we mentioned earlier, the health choices we make during pregnancy will not only affect our body but can also have an impact on the baby. Naturally, this puts us in a tough spot where we’re already overwhelmed with the fact that we’re growing a life, have tons of questions and just realized that each decision we make can affect our baby. Seems a lot to process!
Don’t worry, we’re here to make your pregnancy smoother by simplifying and answering some of your questions.
One of the most asked questions during pregnancy is about supplements. Is it safe? What supplements should you take? When should you take supplements? Rest assured, here’s all you need to know about supplements.
Vitamin B9 or folic acid
Folic acid is the most commonly known supplement during pregnancy since it plays an important role in the development of the fetal nervous system and prevents the development of fetal neural tube defects.
Moreover, folic acid supplements have been shown to be more effective in preventing complications when taken during preconception or up to 12 weeks before pregnancy. So if you’re planning to get pregnant, make sure to consult your health care providers about taking folic acid supplements.
According to the recommendations, the daily intake of folic acid during pregnancy should be around 600 µg per day of which 400 µg should come from dietary supplements which are totally safe and exert protective effects.
Moreover, some foods that are rich in folic acid include dark leafy green vegetables (e.g. kale, spinach, broccoli), beans, lentils, and avocados. So make sure to include some of these foods as much as possible in your daily diet.
Vitamin D is the most commonly deficient vitamin among all age groups especially pregnant women and according to the WHO, 70%-90% of pregnant women in the Middle East suffer from this deficiency.
Vitamin D plays an important role in regulating the immune system and supplementing with 4000 IU during pregnancy has been shown to be safe and had a positive effect on reducing the risk of asthma in the baby. Like other prescriptions, you should consult with your healthcare provider about the safe doses specific to your case before taking any supplements to prevent any risk of toxicity.
Everyone knows that calcium plays a significant role in bone formation, which is highlighted during pregnancy since a good calcium status helps with preventing bone thinning in the mother as well as bone formation in the fetus.
Moreover, calcium supplementation during pregnancy was even shown to decrease the risk of dental caries (which can become cavities) in children at the age of 12! The daily recommended intake of calcium is set at 1000 mg per day which can be obtained from consuming dairy products, calcium-fortified products, or supplements in case you are a vegan or do not consume enough calcium-rich foods daily (3).
Omega-3
The omega-3 fatty acids have been the center of research globally due to their cardiovascular protective properties and many other benefits with the main dietary source of omega-3 being large oily fish such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel.
Pregnant women are usually counseled to carefully increase their fish intake to reach optimal omega-3 intake with caution to the types of fish or seafood consumed to prevent consuming high amounts of contaminants, especially mercury.
This is where omega-3 supplementation becomes important to achieve its benefits during pregnancy which include lower risk of preterm birth, fetal brain and retinal development, healthier birth weight, and reduced stress in pregnant women (3).
In most cases, our immune system is completely capable of fighting food-borne illnesses and bacteria. However, we should give extra attention to some food items during pregnancy that may cause food poisoning that can be transmitted to the fetus and cause severe illnesses including stillbirth.
To be on the safe side, it is recommended that you generally stay away from foods that are considered high risk and can potentially be carrying harmful bacteria such as raw or lightly cooked meats and fish, smoked fish, unpasteurized milk and dairy products, raw or slightly cooked eggs and raw vegetables that are not well sterilized, especially parsley.
The answer is YES! In complication-free cases, moderate exercise especially aerobic endurance activity before and during pregnancy has been shown to improve the cardiovascular system, and muscular fitness, help with labour and decrease the risk of developing labour complications.
Sports that draw upon large muscles are also recommended including aqua fitness, pregnancy yoga and walking on average 10,000 steps per day. However, we need to be extra careful about knowing when it is safe for us to start exercising and the types of exercises allowed for our specific case.
Ideally, if your case permits, you should be able to moderately exercise frequently. However, in reality, we know that many barriers get in the way of that including lack of time, lack of motivation and most importantly the fear of exercising and injuring yourself.
The answer to this question is Moderation! Unlike the popular belief that a pregnant woman should eat for two, the general recommendations for energy requirements during pregnancy only increase by 350 calories during the second trimester and 450 calories during the third one. Also, as we mentioned earlier, there are some food items that could be potentially hazardous and should be avoided while normally nutrient and vitamin-dense foods are generally recommended.
We advise you to follow a healthy balanced diet that is rich in lean proteins that are high in iron (e.g. chicken and legumes), fruits and vegetables that are high in fibers and vitamins, and healthy unsaturated fats (e.g. olive oil, raw nuts and omega-3 rich foods), and carbohydrates which are essential in a healthy diet since they are considered as the main source of energy for both of you and your baby.
To wrap things up, it is normal to have your fears and doubts during pregnancy. But we hope that by answering some of the most frequently asked questions around pregnancy, we offered you an easy guide to help you be more prepared and less worried during this journey.
As we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of barriers that you can encounter during pregnancy but trying to lead a healthy lifestyle by eating mindfully, exercising moderately and regularly checking up with your physician can be a foundation for building a healthy future for you and your baby! Most importantly, make sure you have a strong support system including family and friends which will make you overcome any obstacle you may be having and give you the extra motivation you need.
The answer to this question is Moderation! Unlike the popular belief that a pregnant woman should eat for two, the general recommendations for energy requirements during pregnancy only increase by 350 calories during the second trimester and 450 calories during the third one. Also, as mentioned earlier, there are some food items that could be potentially hazardous and should be avoided while normally nutrient and vitamin-dense foods are generally recommended.
It would be ideal to follow a healthy balanced diet that is rich in lean proteins that are high in iron (e.g. chicken and legumes), fruits and vegetables that are high in fibers and vitamins, and healthy unsaturated fats (e.g. olive oil, raw nuts, and omega-3 rich foods), and carbohydrates which are essential in a healthy diet since they are considered as the main source of energy for both of you and your baby (5).
To wrap things up, it is normal to have fears and doubts during pregnancy. But hopefully, by answering some of the most frequently asked questions around pregnancy, you have an easy guide to help you be more prepared and less worried during this journey.
As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of barriers that you can encounter during pregnancy but trying to lead a healthy lifestyle by eating mindfully, exercising moderately, and regularly checking up with your physician can be a foundation for building a healthy future for you and your baby! Most importantly, make sure you have a strong support system including family and friends which will make you overcome any obstacle you may be having and give you the extra motivation you need.
Vitamin E (as natural d-alpha tocopherol), fish oil concentrate, DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid). Soft gel shell: beef gelatin, glycerin, water. Contains fish (anchovy, sardine, mackerel).
Gluten, artificial preservatives.
Carlson Mothers DHA is a DHA based soft gel that promotes fetal development, prenatal support, and immune health. It is good to know that omega-3 fatty acids are “healthy fats” that may support your heart health. Specific types of omega-3s include DHA and EPA (found in seafood) and ALA (found in plants).
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin k, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Biotin , Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Iodine, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, Chromium. Organic Food Blend Ingredients: Organic Curry leaf, Organic Sea Kelp, Organic Psidium guava, Organic Apple, Organic Lemon, Organic Annatto, Organic Ocimum sanctum, Organic Mushroom, Organic Moringa oleifera, Organic Strawberry, Organic Blackberry. Clean Tablet TechnologyTM Blend: Organic Dextrose, Organic Gum Arabic, Organic Coating, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Potato Starch.
Dairy, soy, gluten, peanut, tree nuts, shellfish, synthetic binders and filler. Manufactured in a facility that also processes soy, dairy, peanut, tree nuts and shellfish.
Folate, Di-calcium Phosphate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Vegetable Stearic Acid, Silica, Vegetable Cellulose.
Gluten, wheat, yeast, sugar, salt, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives, artificial colors
Change requires effort, but it doesn’t have to be hard if you have the right knowledge and tools. We believe the first step in being your best healthy version is knowledge. We encourage everyone to be informed about their health and understand how nutrients, supplements, and products affect the overall wellness. And we are here to do just that. We are committed to educating the world about what wellness truly means.
