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Pregnancy lasts an average of forty weeks from the date of the last menstrual period to delivery. In the first trimester, many pregnant women experience nausea. Usually these women report that they feel best during the second trimester. During the third and final trimester, the increasing size of the fetus begins to pose mechanical strains on a woman, often causing back pain, sciatica, leg swelling, and other health problems.
Dietary changes that may be helpful: Nearly all pregnant women benefit from good nutritional habits prior to and during pregnancy. The increased number of birth defects during times of famine attest to the effects of poor nutrition during pregnancy. A standard Western diet (high in fat, salt, sugar, and low in complex carbohydrates) often lacks essential vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy and breast-feeding, which can result in compromised health of the newborn.
Pregnant women should choose a well-balanced and varied diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, and fish. Foods such as refined sugars, processed foods, saturated fats, and other animal proteins should be limited. Organically grown produce is preferable to foods containing pesticides and preservatives.
Lifestyle changes that may be helpful: A woman can reduce her risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery by avoiding harmful substances, such as alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and recreational or some prescription drugs.
Even minimal alcohol ingestion during pregnancy can increase the risk of hyperactivity, short attention span, and emotional problems in a woman's child. Pregnant women should not drink alcohol.
Cigarette smoking causes lower birth weights and smaller-sized newborns. The rate of miscarriage in smokers is twice as high compared to nonsmokers, and babies born to mothers who smoke have more than twice the risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome.
Research also links caffeine to growth-retarded or low-birth-weight infants. Women should limit caffeine intake to approximately 300 mg per day during pregnancy; this is equivalent to three small cups of coffee.
Nutritional supplements that may be helpful: The requirement for the B vitamin folic acid doubles during pregnancy. Deficiencies of folic acid have been linked in studies to low-birth-weight infants as well as an increased incidence of neural tube defects. Women at high risk for giving birth to babies with neural tube defects has been reported to lower their risk by 72% if they take folate supplements prior to and during pregnancy. In another study, folate supplements in pregnant women improved birth weight and Apgar scores and decreased the incidence of fetal growth retardation and maternal infections. The recommended daily dose of folic acid during pregnancy is 800 mcg per day.
Supplementation of the niacin form of vitamin B3 taken during the first trimester has been positively correlated with higher birth weights, longer length, and larger head circumference (all signs of healthier infants). Calcium needs double during pregnancy. Low dietary intake of this mineral is associated with pre-eclampsia, a potentially dangerous (but preventable) condition characterized by high blood pressure and swelling. Supplementation with calcium may reduce the risk of preterm delivery, which is often associated with pre-eclampsia. Calcium may also reduce the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Pregnant women should consume 1,500 mg of calcium per day. Food sources of calcium include milk products, dark leafy vegetables, tofu, sardines, and canned salmon.
Are there any side effects or interactions? All vitamins and minerals have an optimal and safe recommended dose and in some cases have stricter parameters during pregnancy. Consult your health practitioner about proper prenatal supplements and their dosage. Folic acid is remarkably safe. However, if someone is deficient in vitamin B12 and takes 1,000 mcg of folic acid per day or more, the folic acid can improve anemia caused by the B12 deficiency but not affect neurological symptoms. This is not a toxicity but rather a partial solution to one of the problems caused by B12 deficiency. Anyone supplementing with more than 1,000 mcg per day of folic acid needs to be initially evaluated by a doctor of natural medicine to avoid this potential problem. The form of niacin called niacinamide is almost always safe to take, although rare liver problems have occurred at doses of several thousand milligrams per day. Niacin may cause flushing, headache, and stomachache in some people. These problems occasionally occur with doses as low as 50-100 mg. Vitamin B1 is nontoxic even in very high amounts. People with sarcoidosis, hyperparathyroidism, or with chronic kidney disease should not supplement calcium. For other adults, 1,500 mg per day is considered quite safe.
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