Frequently asked questions
During pregnancy your body is working hard to create your new baby. This amazing biological process needs extra energy and nutrients. Unfortunately this doesn't mean you can 'eat for two!' Your body’s need for vitamins and micronutrients increases and the calories needed go up by 15% - that’s just 200 – 300 extra calories a day. So try to eat better not more.
A well balanced diet should include all the main food groups: fresh fruit and vegetables, protein from fish, meat and eggs, fat, carbohydrates and dairy products.
If you find that nausea, heartburn or total exhaustion of early pregnancy are making it difficult for you to eat a full, varied and balanced diet seek advice from your doctor. A supplement such as Sanatogen Mother can help to make sure that you are not missing out on essential vitamins and minerals.
The vitamin folic acid plays a vital role in the healthy development of the brain and spinal cord. Folate taken around the time of conception and the first 12 weeks of pregnancy can ensure the healthy development of the baby’s spinal cord.
It is sensible to choose folate-rich foods during pregnancy, but you should also take a supplement containing at least 400 micrograms of folic acid. This is because you need lots more folate than usual during pregnancy and although it's found in a wide variety of foods, including green leafy vegetables, beans, wheat germ, yeast, eggs and orange juice, it rapidly loses it's strength during storage and cooking. Fresh vegetables can lose up to 70% of their folate in three days, up to 95%is lost into cooking water, and more disappears when food is heated. So start taking a supplement containing folic acid from the moment you throw away your contraceptives!
Many mums are understandably frightened of taking any medicine or supplement during pregnancy in case it harms their baby. It's very important not to pick and mix supplements off the supermarket shelf because high doses of certain vitamins can be dangerous. Some research suggests that too much Vitamin A might be harmful to the baby and the Department of Health recommends that excess is avoided in pregnancy. But tailored pregnancy multivitamin supplements can help maintain the health of pregnant women and may help the development of the baby.
A single multivitamin that has been specifically formulated for the needs of women before, during and after pregnancy can be the simplest choice.
There is really no 'normal' weight gain. Every woman is different; it depends on your usual weight, the size of your baby and any fluid retention. There's no need to worry obsessively about your weight during pregnancy and lots of doctors and midwives have stopped routinely weighing women at antenatal appointments.
Having said all that, the average weight gain tends to be around two stones or twenty four pounds, although it ranges from one to three stones. This is made up of the baby, the placenta and fluid, the enlarged breasts and some increase in body fat stores.
If you notice a sudden, rapid increase in weight with somebody swelling it is worth seeing your doctor as this could indicate fluid retention which may be associated with high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia.
It's better if the body is well stocked with folic acid and other micronutrients before conception. Scientists have discovered that if you take multivitamins at around the time of conception you may help to ensure a healthy baby of healthy birth weight.
It's recommended that supplements are taken immediately after contraception is stopped, preferably for three months before pregnancy. They should be continued until at least twelve weeks gestation - but tailored pregnancy multivitamin supplement like Sanatogen Mother To Be can be taken throughout the pregnancy and Sanatogen New Mother can be taken through the physically demanding postnatal period. Continuing in this way can help the body recover and maintain the nutrient stores... so that the body is better prepared for the next pregnancy!