the 4-1-1 on prenatal supplementation
Written by Sofie Van Kempen, Nutritionist
Pre, during and post pregnancy demands so much from our bodies. It is no wonder we need a nutrient rich diet along with a good quality prenatal product / products to help support us through this incredible journey.
I suppose you could say this is a topic I really wanted to discuss because as someone with a bowel disease I had a tricky time navigating this through my pregnancy as prenatal’s are certainly not a one size fits all. I also found there was a lot of fear based practice when it came to discussing a prenatal and the consequences of not taking one. I think we can agree that all each one of us wants to do is the best for our baby or babies!
Unfortunately very generic prenatal brands (which tend to be the most popular) are made up of synthetic ingredients which aren’t very well absorbed by our bodies and they can also cause varied side effects. I don’t know about you but the last thing I needed during pregnancy were added side effects thrown in with the already constant nausea, vomiting, farting, crying and the list goes on. Am I right or am I right.
While supplementation does not replace a nutrient dense diet it can be essential and encouraged as an add on for individual needs and requirement. Hence the one size does not fit all pre natal approach.
When to start & stop
Ideally if you are able to plan your pregnancy then the sooner the better - at least 3 months prior to conceiving is a common recommendation. That however is not always the case for everyone.
Mine personally was a SURPRISE pregnancy I would, however, say not unplanned. I personally have suffered with endometriosis for a long time and infertility is a common word used when discussing and treating Endo. Therefore whilst working for many years on my gut health and hormone health we decided to track my cycle and never use protection.
Alongside this we can start to implement other lifestyle changes if we haven’t already… skin care is a big one which Mon can personally help you with. What we put on our body is just as important as what we put in it! As well as our water consumption, checking in with our gut health and especially mental health, moving our bodies in a way that feels good to us and so forth.
No one ever had mentioned when to stop and when I did a poll on my IG so many of you said you stopped as soon as bub was born or shortly after. However a switch doesn’t just flick off and our nutrient stores are just immediately replenished. If anything it is quite the opposite especially if you decide to breastfeed!
We need to replenish our stores post birth and support our breastfeeding journey and if not breastfeeding we still need to support the continuous waking during the night, the hormonal changes and healing post birth (no matter our birth story). Having post birth bloods done are just as important as pre birth bloods. Get an idea of where you are at and what you need and have a supportive plan from there.
Are prenatals really necessary? And if so, how do I choose?
Our nutrient requirements change so much once we become pregnant and certain nutrients play an essential role in each trimester for various reasons. You will also remember if you have been pregnant before how much your immune system takes a hit when pregnant. I felt as someone who NEVER gets sick someone could cough 5 streets over and I would get it.
Here is a very brief run down on some of the main nutrient requirements specifically for each trimester:
First trimester:
• basic water soluble vitamins B & C
• B9 (folate) most well known and buzzed on about
• B12 - especially important for those following strict plant based diet
• Vitamin C is IMPORTANT during entire pregnancy
Second trimester:
• IRON key nutrient as our blood volume increases by 40-50%
• Which is also why vitamin C is so important (aid in absorption)
• Coffee can also sometimes be discussed about being reduced or taken out if not absorbing iron well as it can inhibit iron absorption
Third trimester:
• IRON & VIT C continue
• Calcium - poor bone health for birth and post if not supplemented and important for breastfeeding
• Vitamin D3 - deficiency can be common and there is rapid skeletal growth for bub at this stage
• Vitamin K2 - very common back in ancestors diet but not often now… think organ meat & fermented foods
• Essential fatty acids (DHAs) - babies brain (60% fat) & help store for breastfeeding
It is also IMPORTANT to note that a prenatal supplement does not replace a well balanced diet. Also the above are just the general required nutrients for ourselves and bub whilst pregnant. They aren’t including anything we are deficient in or any symptoms we personally may have during pregnancy that require other nutrients. Which is what we discuss in our live on Instagram because no pregnancy journey and required supplementation is the same…
Personally myself I took and still do take DHAs, D3, Zinc, Selenium, greens powder and more.
We need to consume an abundance of real food for every meal, as well as during labour and post birth. Hence why there is such a value to seeing a Nutritionist during your conception, pregnancy and postpartum journey because food is always first and foremost best!
Plus we don’t know what we don’t know until we know it… (how’s that for a tongue tie!)
Folic vs folate – what’s the deal?
Folic acid / Folate gets as much attention as Kylie Jenner’s pregnancy when it comes to getting pregnant and how often it is brought up in appointments and general check ups. That is because it is an extremely important nutrient and has been found to help protect your baby from the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida and cleft lip/palate.
Folate: natural sources found in dark leafy greens, grass-fed liver, lentils/legumes, broccoli etc.
Folic acid: is the synthetic form found in many prenatal products. Starting to become less highly recommended due to poor absorption, limited conversion to folate as well as various side effects.
You can choose activated folate or methyl folate as it is much better tolerated than folic acid. You do not require the enzyme that many of us lack to convert it into a usable form.
Can I just take a food based Prenatal?
I personally as I mentioned previously took Foraged For You but I also required other practitioner based supplements due to testing my bloods and urine to find other deficiencies. This is something the Maia Mothers team can organise for preconception, during pregnancy and post as they can really give us an overall outlook at what we may need, may not need or may need to keep an eye on.
From here an individualised supplement consult and plan can be provided - rather than a guess! We believe in test don’t guess… because as you would have heard in the Instagram Live Emma is a vitamin D overachiever and has great levels where as myself I can’t absorb it well in general and sit very low on the Vit D scale hence why I supplemented. However… imagine if we both had been supplementing and at the same dose! It could have quite possibly not been enough for me and way too much for Em.
Is there really a difference between an off-the-shelf product and Practitioner Quality?
The short answer to this is… yes. Not only do cheaper, off the shelf products contain less bioavailable nutrients, they often do not contain a significant amount. Let’s take choline for example – a very important nutrient for pregnancy which is required for fetal brain development, placental function and helps prevent neural tube defects. A very well known Pregnancy supplement starting with E contains no choline at all, whilst practitioner quality supplements do. I could go on and on but I’m going to stop myself there.
Brands we recommend
Possibly the most asked question we get. This is not an exhaustive list, but here are a handful of brands we recommend:
· Foraged For You
· Naturobest
· BioCeuticals
· Orthoplex
· Eagle
· Thorne
If you are ever confused about which supplements to take, or need some personalised advice, the team at Maia Mothers offers short Supplement Consults which allow our qualified practitioners to accurately prescribe appropriate supplementation to women at any stage of preconception, pregnancy or postpartum.
As always I wish you all nothing but the most enjoyable, supported and nourished motherhood journey
Sof x
@sofievankempen
