Learn more about what your diet should include when you are pregnant and which vitamins and supplements your body needs during pregnancy.
When you are pregnant, you particularly need vitamins and supplements. Don't be fooled by the myth (or the good excuse) that says you need to eat for two. You don't, but your body has to work for two. Therefore, it is important that it is charged with the vitamins and minerals that you and your baby need, so you both can get through pregnancy healthy and strong.
You cannot manage without vitamins and minerals. Your body ensures that it absorbs what it needs from the food you consume and gets rid of the excess. But the body cannot fully keep track of large amounts and sometimes needs a little help. Therefore, you need to get what you need from the outside – namely through vitamins and dietary supplements.
The diet – a good place to start!
In the first instance, it is a good idea to get control of your diet so you can get all the healthy vitamins and good nutrition from there. During your pregnancy, your diet has a significant impact on your child's health and development. Everything you consume in food and drink passes through the placenta to the baby, so as a starting point, it is a really good idea to follow the Danish Health Authority's 8 dietary guidelines:
- Eat 6 pieces of fruit and vegetables a day
- Eat fish and fish products several times a week
- Eat potatoes, rice, pasta, and whole grain bread every day
- Limit sugar, especially soda, candy, and cakes
- Limit fat, especially from dairy products and meat
- Eat a varied diet and maintain a normal weight (i.e., do not gain excess weight)
- Quench your thirst with water
- Be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day.
It may be necessary to supplement your diet with some supplements to achieve the right amount of vitamins for you and your child. You must remember that your body will be working for two for a long time, so it is just as important that you also get the vitamins and minerals you need to avoid annoying issues such as fatigue, dizziness, and headaches, which can easily be alleviated with the right vitamin balance.
Which vitamins are important for me as a pregnant woman?
Many vitamins only benefit your body if you also eat healthily. Therefore, diet is important for you and your baby – even if you take daily vitamin supplements. Below we have listed an overview of the vitamins that most pregnant women benefit from and that you can use as a guideline regarding what you need during your pregnancy. Based on these, you can determine for yourself, or in consultation with your doctor, which ones you should supplement with. And remember, of course, that you should never take vitamin supplements if your doctor advises against it for one reason or another.
Folic acid:
It is a good idea to take folic acid from the time you consider becoming pregnant until the 12th week of pregnancy. Green vegetables, nuts, whole grain bread, and meat are all foods rich in folic acid, but it can be difficult to meet your needs through your daily diet. Therefore, it is recommended that you take a dietary supplement of 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.
Folic acid reduces the risk of your child developing malformations of the brain and spinal cord. Together with an iron supplement, it also helps maintain your blood count.
Iron:
Due to the increased blood volume in your body when you are pregnant, your need for iron rises. Therefore, iron is a very important supplement for your immune system, and it also helps you avoid fatigue, dizziness, and headaches throughout pregnancy.
It is recommended that you start taking a daily iron supplement of 40-50 milligrams from the 10th week of your pregnancy. If you suffer greatly from nausea, it can possibly be postponed until the 18th week of pregnancy. You should continue with the iron supplement for a couple of weeks afteryour birth.
Because several foods can inhibit your absorption of iron in the body, it is a good idea to take the iron supplement between meals and preferably with juice. Iron is also found in meat, grains, fruits, and vegetables, which you can also benefit from eating plenty of during your pregnancy.
Calcium:
Calcium is very important for normal functioning of nerve and muscle cells. Calcium also helps build and maintain bones and teeth. To meet your daily calcium needs, you should consume what corresponds to three-quarters of a liter of dairy products. Not everyone finds it easy to consume that amount. If you are one of those who do not get enough dairy products, you should take a daily calcium supplement that corresponds to 900 milligrams of calcium.
When the time comes for you to breastfeed, your need for calcium actually increases to 1200 milligrams. Fortunately, vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium, which is also a recommended supplement for pregnant women.
Vitamin D:
Vitamin D helps ensure normal cell development in your child, and it has been shown to have good health effects. Additionally, vitamin D reduces the risk of diabetes in your child.
Vitamin D is particularly found in dairy products, fatty fish, and eggs, but you can of course also supplement your diet with vitamin supplements. Moreover, sunlight also helps provide the skin with the necessary vitamins, which are so important for you as a pregnant woman. The recommended daily dose is 5-10 micrograms, this should not be exceeded.
GraVitamin:
GraVitamin contains 21 essential vitamins and minerals, which are combined in one tablet. All vitamins and minerals are beneficial for your baby and you before, during, and after your pregnancy. It is recommended that you take 1 tablet daily with a meal.
Postpartum supplements
Hair Growth Formula:
Many experience hair loss already during pregnancy, and it can also continue after birth while breastfeeding. HairLust has developed a supplement that is packed with all the vitamins and minerals needed to strengthen and care for your hair from within.
The supplement from HairLust is made from natural ingredients, free from gelatin, lactose, and gluten. As if that weren't enough, they are also suitable for vegans.
What if I am a vegetarian?
If you are pregnant and live as a vegetarian, it requires insight into dietary composition. Most vegetarians already have a good understanding of which vitamins and minerals they need to be aware of to get enough from external sources, but as a pregnant vegetarian, it is a good idea to be extra mindful of whether you are getting everything you need. This is solely to ensure that your diet meets your needs. Therefore, it is a good idea to also be particularly mindful of getting enough zinc, selenium, B3 and B12 vitamin, in addition to the vitamins already mentioned above.
You can also choose to supplement with a multivitamin tablet that contains all the important vitamins and minerals you need before, during, and after your pregnancy
Be careful not to overdose on the vitamins!
You might get a bit too eager to do everything right and ensure that all your vitamin and mineral needs are met, and then it can happen that you end up overdosing.
For pregnant women, it is important to avoid overdosing, especially with the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). This is particularly true in the first half of pregnancy.
Too much vitamin A is suspected of causing fetal damage. For example, there is a lot of vitamin A in liver. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid eating too much of it. A single liver pâté sandwich now and then, however, does no harm…
If you are unsure about which vitamins and supplements you should take, do not hesitate to contact your doctor, who can help guide you so that you and your child have the best conditions to get through the pregnancy well.
Take care of yourself and your little one in the belly 
