5 Essential Nutrients For Pregnancy: Support Your Health And Your Baby’s Development

Eat for two is one of the most common myths around pregnancy and nutrition. Contrary to the old saying, pregnant women do not need to eat for two. It is all about quality over quantity. During pregnancy, good nutrition is more important than ever, as it promotes the growth and development of the fetus. The basic principles of eating a healthy, balanced diet remain the same. However, the recommended dietary intake of certain nutrients deserves special attention.

Vital Nutrients During Pregnancy

A well-balanced diet is important for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. When it comes to good nutrition during pregnancy, the goal is to get enough nutrients to support the growth of the fetus and maintain a healthy weight.

The overall calorie intake changes throughout pregnancy based on factors like pre-pregnancy weight and age. Pregnant women with a healthy pre-pregnancy weight have the following calorie requirements:

• First trimester (1 to 12 weeks): No extra calories
• Second trimester (13 to 26 weeks): 340 extra calories a day
• Third trimester (after 26 weeks): 450 extra calories a day

The calorie requirement further increases if the pregnant woman is carrying twins or triplets.

All nutrients are important for the pregnant woman and her growing fetus. The daily requirements of both macronutrients and micronutrients increase. But five vital nutrients play a key role in keeping the developing baby healthy, and their intake is higher. Let’s look at these vital nutrients.

Folate

Folate is a B vitamin that helps in the production of blood and protein, and also reduces the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord (neural tube defects). Spina bifida (incomplete development of the spinal cord) and anencephaly (incomplete development of major parts of the brain) are the most common neural tube defects.

The brain and the spinal cord of the fetus develop during the first few weeks. Birth defects are most likely to occur within the first 3–4 weeks of pregnancy. So, it is important to have folate in the system during the early stages of pregnancy. Women of reproductive age who are trying to conceive should consult their doctors and start taking a prenatal vitamin with folic acid. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate used in supplements and fortified foods.

Recommended Dietary Intake: Pregnant women require 570 mcg of folate per day.

Food Sources: Whole grains, millets (bajra or pearl millet), green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli), beans, lentils, oranges, peanuts. A cup of bajra provides about 8% of the recommended dietary intake of folate.

Iron

Iron is essential for the production of hemoglobin, the protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen to different parts of the body. During pregnancy, the body needs more iron to make more hemoglobin. But most pregnant women develop iron deficiency. When the iron stores are insufficient, it causes iron deficiency anemia with symptoms like fatigue, headache, weakness, poor appetite, pale skin, and brittle hair and nails. Severe iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy can increase the risk of a low birth weight baby, premature birth, and postpartum depression.

Recommended Dietary Intake: Pregnant women need about 27 mg of iron per day to meet the body’s requirements.

Food Sources: Meat, liver, chicken, drumstick leaves, bajra, ragi (finger millet), legumes, dates, figs, nuts, and seeds (halim or garden cress seeds). To enhance iron absorption, pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits, strawberries, and tomatoes. A cup of bajra provides about 11 mg of iron, and one cup of ragi provides about 3.9 mg of iron.

Calcium

Calcium is a bone-strengthening mineral that is vital for a baby’s bone development and supports the growth of the musculoskeletal, nervous, and circulatory systems. The calcium requirements further increase during the last trimester of pregnancy. The doctor will increase the dosage of calcium supplements, especially during the latter stages of pregnancy. Pregnant women who do not take the recommended amounts of calcium are at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.

Recommended Dietary Intake: Pregnant women need about 1,000 mg of calcium per day to meet the body’s requirements.

Food Sources: Milk and milk products like paneer, cheese, yogurt, and buttermilk. Other good sources of calcium include millets like ragi, spinach, sesame seeds, broccoli, and red kidney beans. A cup of ragi provides about 344 mg of calcium.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for a baby’s bone growth and development, as it helps absorb calcium. This vitamin also supports the functioning of nerves, muscles, and the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy can cause soft bones in the fetus, which can lead to rickets. For pregnant women, the doctor usually recommends vitamin D supplementation, as many do not get enough of the sunshine vitamin.

Recommended Dietary Intake: Pregnant women need about 600 IU of vitamin D per day to meet the body’s requirements.

Food Sources: Fatty fish like sardines and salmon, eggs, mushrooms, red meat, and fortified foods like juice and breakfast cereals. Although fatty fish is a good source of vitamin D, it is important to avoid consuming raw fish in the form of sushi during pregnancy.

Iodine

Iodine is an essential trace mineral that is needed for the normal production of thyroid hormones, which help the body use and store energy. During pregnancy, iodine helps in the development of the baby’s nervous system. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy can cause maternal hypothyroidism and impair the neurological development of the fetus.

Recommended Dietary Intake: Iodine requirements during pregnancy increase by nearly 50%. Pregnant women need at least 220 mcg of iodine per day. When it comes to supplements, not all prenatal supplements contain iodine. So, check with the doctor for an iodine supplement.

Food Sources: Fish, shellfish (prawn, clams), milk products, eggs, liver, chicken, and iodized table salt.

Another nutrient which is important during pregnancy is omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). DHA is important for the growth and development of the baby’s brain, nervous system, and eyes. Omega-3 fatty acids play a key role in birth weight as well and can be obtained only from the diet. The macronutrient protein is also crucial for the fetus’s growth and development throughout pregnancy. The daily requirement of protein during pregnancy is 1.1 g per kg body weight.

A healthy and well-balanced diet during pregnancy helps promote the baby’s growth and development. Making healthy food choices, staying physically active, and gaining a healthy weight will go a long way toward keeping the mother and developing baby healthy.