Pregnancy is a great moment in a woman's life. In this phase, they may feel that they become a ‘true’ woman. Various methods are taken by pregnant women to keep their babies healthy and develop well, starting from maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet to taking supplements

Pregnant women need more nutrition compared to those who are not. No wonder doctors always prescribe vitamins and other additional supplements to meet their nutritional needs. Not only from doctors, information on recommendations for vitamin and supplement intake during pregnancy can also be obtained through the internet, magazines, and advertisements. Due to the amount of information available, many of them don't know that there are some vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements that should be avoided.

Reporting from the Healthline page, here are some vitamins, minerals, or supplements that are recommended and not recommended during pregnancy.

Recommended:

• Prenatal vitamins, multivitamins that can help meet nutritional needs during pregnancy.
• Folate, a type of vitamin B that plays a role in DNA synthesis, red blood cell production, and maintaining fetal growth and development.
• Iron, plays a role in the movement of oxygen and helps maintain the growth and development of a healthy fetus and placenta.
• Vitamin D, maintains the performance of the immune system, bone health, and cell division.
• Magnesium, plays a role in maintaining the immune system, muscles, and nerve function.
• Fish oil, containing DHA and EPA which play an important role in fetal brain development.
• Probiotics

Not recommended:

• Vitamin A, although it can play a role in the development of vision and immune system function, excess vitamin A during pregnancy, can harm your fetus. Excess vitamin A will be stored in the liver, which can be toxic to the body and fetus.
• Vitamin E, this vitamin can increase the risk of stomach pain and premature rupture of membranes.
• Black cohosh, a herbal supplement commonly used to treat stomach cramps during menstruation, can increase the risk of uterine contractions that lead to premature labor.
• Goldenseal, a herbal supplement commonly used to treat respiratory infections and diarrhea, is known to increase the risk of jaundice in babies.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Google Search Images

Source:

• Healthline - Supplements During Pregnancy: What's Safe and What's Not (2020). https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/supplements-during-pregnancy#supplements-to-avoid, April 22, 2020.