When you are pregnant, no matter if it is through San Jose surrogacy or you are pregnant for yourself, taking care of your health is so important. While most of us hope to get our vitamin and mineral needs through whole foods and healthy diets, it can be difficult, especially if your stomach just cannot handle certain things.
Just what vitamins can be extremely helpful and which ones can you skip? While this will be determined by your individual health and needs, there are some general recommendations that many organizations and surrogacy centers recommend.
Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are often taken by women who want to get pregnant. When you compare them to a regular women’s multivitamin, they contain more of certain nutrients and are just more potent. Sometimes, we will suggest that surrogates take prenatal vitamins before and during their pregnancies.
Prenatal vitamins are important because they ensure that your body is strong and healthy. They cannot replace a healthy diet, but they can bolster it since most of us do not get what we really need from our foods.
Throughout your pregnancy, prenatal vitamins can help to supplement when you get morning sickness, if you are carrying multiples, or if you cannot eat certain foods because of dietary restrictions, allergies, or you just cannot stomach them.
Calcium, Folic Acid, & Iron
There are a few nutrients that most surrogate mothers cannot get on their own and thus, they need some supplementation.
Calcium is important for a surrogate (and women in general) because it can prevent the loss of bone density during pregnancy. It can also fortify the development of the bones within the baby. With calcium, you may also want to add a Vitamin D supplement to your diet to help with proper absorption.
Folic acid is often recommended to a surrogate because it helps to prevent birth defects, especially the ones that impact the brain and spinal cord development. This type of supplementation is critical within the first few weeks of pregnancy. While many traditional pregnancies aren’t detected at this time, surrogacies are – which is why we suggest taking it early. Even so, folic acid is recommended through at least the first three months of pregnancy.
Of course, you should also supplement a diet filled with folic acid. Work leafy greens, nuts, citrus foods, and beans into your diet.
Finally, iron can help the blood in both the baby and the mother carry oxygen so that the baby continues to develop healthfully.
Iodine
Iodine is another critical nutrient that many women do not get enough of when they are pregnant. However, deficiencies can be extremely detrimental, leading to deafness, stunted growth, and even mental disabilities. Sometimes, it can even result in stillbirth or miscarriage.
Some good sources of iodine include dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese, fish (cooked), enriched or fortified grain products (make sure to check the label to ensure this is the case), and iodized salt with discretion.
Ready To Start Your Surrogacy Journey? Contact Us Today
Finding the right fit can be quite difficult, and as this is a big decision to make taking all the time you need to make those decisions is imperative. We are here for you whenever you make that choice. We are happy to give you more information now or schedule your consultation.
Surrogacy is an extremely rewarding experience that will change your life forever. If you are ready to get started on the surrogacy process, make sure to contact us today.
