Take Prenatal Vitamins (Even If Your Not Planning Motherhood)

Of course, we all notice pregnant women have a healthy glow. But, why? Can’t women who are not pregnant obtain the same fresh factor? Increased blood flow, new mommy excitement and a boost in health and vitality all attribute to rosiness. However, pregnany rituals can be done by all women to get better skin and healthy looking hair. By simply taking Prenatal vitamins you will be on your way to a beautiful glow without having to put a bun in the oven.

Kid-less after all, I didn’t even know what prenatal anything was. I assumed you should be trying to make a baby or expecting one to be taking prenatal vitamins — not the case. Women prepping for motherhood should definitely be taking them but other women can too. It’s merely a specially formulated multivitamin with extra iron, folic acid and calcium. These vitamins are to help make up for any deficiencies in the mother’s diet. Therefore, making up deficiencies in our diet too. When I asked my doctor about them, he said, “you should be taking them anyway.”

Vitamin Benefits:

Folic Acid:

Beauty Benefits – A type of B vitamin that’s key for cell growth and metabolism. Healthy new cells mean shiny hair, strong nails and rejuvenated skin.

Pregnancy Benefits – Folic acid can lower the risk of preeclampsia and early labor. Folic acid also reduces the risk for devastating birth defects of a baby’s brain and spine — spina bifida and anencephaly — by 50% to 70%.

Iron:

Beauty & Pregnancy Benefits – Iron helps carry oxygen in our blood stream which means more nutrients can get to all our vital organs as well as skin cells, hair and nails.

Calcium:

Beauty Benefits – Calcium can regulate your metabolism making it easier to maintain a healthy weight, aid in cell renewal, help with lipid barrier function, and is important for antioxidant protection from DNA damage. Known for it’s role in building and maintaining bone and teeth health as well as calming the nervous system, a deficiency can lead to brittle nails, and osteoporosis.

Pregnancy Benefits – Calcium during pregnancy can prevent a new mother from losing her own bone density, as the foetus uses the mineral for bone growth.

If you are pregnant, you might be wondering… Are all prenatal vitamins the same? (webmd.com)

No, they are not. Look for one that includes approximately:

• 400 mcg of folic acid
• 400 IU of vitamin D
• 200 to 300 mg of calcium
• 70 mg of vitamin C
• 3 mg of thiamine
• 2 mg of riboflavin
• 20 mg of niacine
• 6 mcg of vitamin B12
• 10 mg of vitamin E
• 15 mg of zinc
• 17 mg of iron

Your doctor or midwife can also advise you on certain brands. In some cases, your GP will give you a prescription for a certain type of prenatal vitamin.