What nutrients should you supplement every month during pregnancy?

After a woman becomes pregnant, she should pay attention to her eating habits not only for her own life but also for the better growth and development of her fetus. She should not eat and drink as much as she wanted like before pregnancy. Different nutritional supplements are needed at different stages of pregnancy, and pregnant women should understand this so that they can achieve better health care results. So, what nutrients should pregnant women supplement every month?

Early pregnancy

The first three months of pregnancy are the early pregnancy, which is the period when the major organs develop and form, especially the development of the neural tube and major internal organs.

First of all, the critical period for fetal neural tube development is from 17 to 30 days in early pregnancy. At this time, if folic acid intake is insufficient, it may cause abnormal development of the fetal nervous system, leading to irreversible lifelong disability or even death. If you start taking folic acid supplements when you plan your pregnancy, you can effectively prevent fetal neural tube defects.

After a woman becomes pregnant, her blood volume expands and her iron requirement doubles. If you do not pay attention to your iron intake, you can easily develop iron deficiency anemia, and your fetus may also develop iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, pregnant women should supplement iron as early as possible to prevent iron deficiency anemia and its adverse consequences. In addition, adequate zinc is important for the early development of fetal organs and helps prevent miscarriage and premature birth.

In the early stages of pregnancy, the development of the fetus's organs particularly requires vitamins and minerals, especially folic acid, iron, and zinc, which contribute to the healthy development of the fetus. However, it is usually difficult for pregnant women to determine when they are pregnant, so they must pay attention to supplementing additional vitamins and minerals from the beginning of preparing for pregnancy.

Second and third trimester

The 4th to 10th months of pregnancy are the middle and late stages of pregnancy, which is a period of rapid fetal development and weight gain, and the nutritional needs are correspondingly greater, especially energy, protein, calcium and iron.

By the fourth month of pregnancy, all the fetus's organs have been formed, and the fetus will continue to grow larger and gain weight, so the demand for energy and protein increases greatly. Adequate protein and energy intake can promote fetal growth and development and reduce the chance of giving birth to a low birth weight baby.

To ensure the normal bone development of the fetus during this period, the calcium demand will increase by 40%. About 1200 mg of calcium is needed per day to meet the needs of the mother and the fetus. Insufficient calcium intake can have serious consequences for the fetus and may cause congenital rickets. Therefore, pregnant women must take in adequate calcium and supplement vitamin D to help calcium absorption to ensure that the baby is born with a strong physique.

In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, it is still very important to supplement with iron, folic acid, and various vitamins and minerals. In addition to preventing fetal anemia, adequate iron can further prevent premature birth and miscarriage, and ensure that the birth weight reaches the appropriate standard.

In order to meet the various nutritional needs of the fetus's development and growth at this stage, in addition to daily diet, it is best to choose nutritional supplements that suit you. Some nutritional supplements are complete and balanced nutritional supplements specially prepared for pregnant women. In addition to the three major nutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates), they also contain 24 vitamins and minerals, especially rich protein and energy, sufficient iron and calcium.