Being pregnant is like running a marathon for 40 weeks in a row. Sounds pretty tough, doesn’t it? That’s why probably women are so good at endurance sports. That’s right, if you are pregnant or were at some point of your life, you are an endurance athlete. Full stop. Hats off, mama!
Your resting metabolic rate is higher than usual, the volume of blood pumping to your heart increases by 50% (!!!) – no surprise why you are out of breath by just walking up a little hill. You also grow an entirely new organ in your body – placenta, a structure that develops in the uterus and provides oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby. You are a box of miracles for 9 months!
No wonder your body requires a much higher level of macro and micro-nutrients in order to keep your baby and yourself healthy. Let’s have a look at vital micronutrients, i.e. vitamins and minerals, you should pump up during the pregnancy.
Of course, it’s not a full list of nutrients you should look after, but I would say the most common which are at low levels in our bodies during pregnancy. Always check with your midwife or GP if you require any supplements in order to maintain healthy balance of vitamins and nutrients.
I personally advocate getting your nutrients from food first before reaching out to supplements. However, some of us could be picky or some nutrients are really hard to get from food alone.
I might pause here and look more closely at Iron levels during pregnancy as this is the most common vitamin deficiency among women in general and particularly among pregnant women.
As mentioned previously, your iron needs are 1.5 higher than usual due to a great increase in red blood cell production, as well as increased iron needs to support the growth of your baby and placenta. The main indicators of iron deficiency may include reduced physical work capacity, tiredness, lack of motivation, a high desire to have a nap or two during the day and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
We all know that the main source of iron is red meat, but in reality not all of us are big fans of it.
Also iron absorption can be impaired by what you eat with or around your choice of iron source:
- iron absorption is increased if you consume Vitamin C around your iron rich meals, i.e. it could be as easy as a squeeze of lemon or any other citrus juice on a red meat;
-iron absorption is heavily reduced by consuming dairy products around your iron rich meals: no cheese, no yoghurts, no milk or any other dairy sauces with your steak;
-iron absorption is reduced if consumed around caffeine products: coffee, tea, chocolates etc.
According to the Australian Government official recommendations, the iron dietary requirements should be around 22-27 mg for pregnant women (compare to 8-18 mg for women).
Again always and always check with a medical professional if you require any additional supplements and keep your diet rich in real and unprocessed foods.