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MINIMUM MINERALS
Minerals help orchestrate many processes in your body. As a group, the minerals are versatile. They ferry oxygen, normalize heartbeat, and make for strong bones and teeth, among many other functions. The most important ones are listed here.
CALCIUM
Calcium is the body's most abundant mineral. A pregnant woman needs enough calcium during pregnancy to meet her own needs as well as those of the baby needs to construct healthy bones and teeth. A small but critical fraction of total body calcium circulates in the bloodstream to aid in cell function and nerve transmission, and to maintain a normal heartbeat.
Nearly all calcium is stored in bones, making them your calcium "bank account". Your baby gets the calcium needed from your bones, and vitamin D helps facilitate the transfer. To make up for your baby's calcium "withdrawal", hormones help you absorb more calcium from food, and deposit it in your bones. Pregnant women may absorb nearly twice the amount of calcium of their non-pregnant counterparts.
Even with the boost in absorption, you need a steady supply of dietary calcium to satisfy the demands pregnancy puts on your calcium stores. If you don't get enough calcium with each pregnancy, and between, you could be at risk for osteoporosis, a crippling bone disease that causes bones to become brittle and increases your risk of bone fractures later in life. Pregnant women require a minimum of 1,000 mg of calcium each day. You need to consume at least 3 to 4 servings a day from Milk, Yogurt and Cheese Group, or by consuming the equivalent in plant foods. Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D. Plant foods may contain substances that reduces calcium absorption (spinach, Swiss chard, and wheat bran), but calcium-fortified plant-based foods can provide substantial calcium, such as some juices, soy milk, and bread products.
If you need a calcium supplement, take it with meals and avoid any added vitamin D. Split the dose between meals and do not take it at the same time with iron supplements. Never take calcium supplements made from bone meal, oyster shell, or dolomite, since they may contain contaminants like lead.
If you are lactose-intolerant or sensitive, you may find that dairy products will give you gas, bloating and diarrhea after eating foods that contain dairy foods. This means you cannot break down the lactose because you lack adequate lactase, an intestinal enzyme responsible for lactose digestion. If you can tolerate lactose-reduced foods, such as Lactaid brand milk, this is good. Over-the-counter drops of the enzyme can be added to foods like milk, yogurt or pudding to lower lactose levels. Tablets containing lactase can be consumed along with other lactose-containing foods such as pizza, lasagna and milk-based soups. If you have allergies to dairy products, consulting an allergist may be necessary and adjusting your dietary plan a must. Talk with the midwife about planning a pregnancy diet with these problems in mind.
IRON
A developing baby requires lots of oxygen. Iron is involved in hemoglobin production. Hemoglobin is the portion of the baby's and mother's red blood cells that carries oxygen and make it available to cells. Iron also promotes a healthy immune system and plays a role in energy production. In pregnancy, a minimum dose of iron should be 30 mg daily. This can be difficult to obtain totally from foods. In addition, women tend to be iron-poor due to our monthly menstrual periods coupled with a low-iron diet. The baby's demand for iron increases during the second trimester where many women experience iron-deficiency anemia. Many prenatal supplements contain the necessary iron, although some may produce an unwanted side effect such as constipation. Increase your fiber and fluid intake. Nausea can also be a side effect to supplements.
Food iron is found in two forms: heme, found in mostly animal foods, and non-heme, present primarily in plant foods but found in animal foods too. Heme iron is better absorbed than non-heme iron. Consuming vitamin C rich foods with meals helps to boost absorption as does eating animal and plant sources of iron. Do not consume with coffee or tea. Foods rich in iron are: beef, shrimp, tuna, chicken, pork, fortified breakfast cereal, molasses, spinach, potatoes, red kidney beans, enriched rice, raisins, and whole wheat bread.
SODIUM
Sodium is critical for maintaining normal blood pressure, especially during pregnancy. This mineral is needed for normal muscle contraction and nerve conduction. It is also needed for the expanding blood volume women experience with pregnancy. Usual rule of thumb is to salt to taste. The minimum pregnancy requirement is about 570 mg daily, 635 mg if you are breastfeeding. Aim for about 3,000 mg sodium daily as an average level.
PRENATAL SUPPLEMENTS
Some women need to have prenatal supplements. Your midwife will recommend sources for these supplements. HerbalRemedies.com: Prenatal Vitamins & Minerals has a selection of prenatal supplements. Mountain Rose Herbals has a great selection of organic bulk herbs, quality aromatherapy oils and other bulk items.
MoonDragon's Herbal Pregnancy Formula Tea is usually recommended to my clients and consists of:2 parts Red Raspberry Leaf
1 part Alfalfa Leaf
1 part Nettle Leaf
1 part Peppermint Leaf
This tea provides a wealth of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed during pregnancy as well as helping to alleviate some of pregnancy's irritating symptoms. This tea should be taken daily throughout pregnancy. The peppermint helps with digestion and nausea problems and adds a nice minty flavor to the otherwise "green" flavor.
Avoid prenatal or nutritional supplements from drug stores, supermarkets or other over-the-counter suppliers. These supplements may have been on the shelves for some time and have many artificial derivatives, preservatives and other additives that are not acceptable for the pregnant mother and her baby. Obtain supplements that are naturally derived and made from organic food sources. These are assimilated faster and more thoroughly than artificial counterparts and are much safer to use.
Unless recommended by your midwife, avoid supplements with iron. Iron supplements can cause constipation in some women.
Caution: Do not take any herbal supplements, teas, or remedies without consulting with your midwife before hand. Many herbs should not be taken during pregnancy or only near full term to aid in labor and delivery. Be sure discuss any concerns with your midwife.
Here are a few suggestions for natural prenatal vitamins. I have not personally tried most of these brands (as a grandmother and great-grandma, my birthing days are long gone), but from reading about them they sound like reasonable alternatives to prescribed drugstore brands of prenatal vitamins. Rainbow Light Prenatal Supplements have been approved by ConsumerLab.com in a multivitamin review. Not any one supplement will be appropriate for all women. If any supplement does not agree with you, discontinue immediately and try a different brand. Some women may have sensitivities to an ingredient in the product.
PRENATAL SUPPLEMENTS
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