Hello my beloved readers,

vitamins and food supplements are a huge topic during pregnancy: after all you supply your unborn treasure the best you can. Which vitamins you need and why you can read in the following.

Folacin:

Folacin for pregnant women is like Bonnie for Clyde – something that belongs together above all. Have you heard of women with the desire to have children pouncing upon spinach or broccoli? The desire to have children itself begins with folacin: as a part of the vitamin B group it is as well known as vitamin B9 and vitamin B11 or vitamin M. Folacin supports the growth, the blood formation as well as the celldivision and therefore is the basic for the creation of new life.

Included in this food:

• Vegetables: salad, asparagus, tomatoes, cabbage
• Pulse: soybean, peas
• Wholegrain products
• cooking salt, egg yolk, lever

Vitamin D:

Becoming sick is never good but during pregnancy and breast-feeding even more. Vitamin D is going to supply among others your baby’s and your immune as well as nervous system and as it often goes together with calcium strengthen the bones and development of your baby.
Hint: Vigantolvit is the optimal pill to take. It includes vitamin D, vitamin K (for the balance) and calcium in one in order not to harm you.

Included in this food:

• Fish with high amount of fat: tuna, mackerel, salmon
• lever
• oyster
• butter, milk, eggs
• oat flakes
• sweet potatoes

Hint: With walks under the sun you can as well fill yourself up with vitamin D

INFO 1: What if I forget to take one of the supplements one day?

Do not worry, if you forget to take your vitamins one day just take care of you making it up the next day. Try your best to simply not forget to take them at all.
Attention: If you are not sure whether you have taken your vitamin or not go without them. In this case less is more because one pill a day might be too much and therefore cause a negative effect.

Good ways to remember to take your supplements

• Implement a calendar
• Take your vitamins at a certain time of the day like in the morning with your breakfast or evening before going to bed
• Set a reminder on your smartphone

Iron:

Iron is a common problem especially with young women during their period due to the immense blood loss. During the pregnancy your iron value can sink so much that even your iron storage may get lost at a certain point of pregnancy (probably at the end of the second trimester). Red food with iron content, such as cranberry or beetroot on their own are not going to be enough. You are going to need iron fluid of firm as sap or pill once a day to balance it and in order to supply your unborn treasure which serves itself from you.

Included in this food:

FOOD	IRON AMOUNT (IN MG) PER 100G	HOW MUCH TO EAT TO GET 15MG OF IRON
MEAT & SLICED
Black pudding*	30	50g
Pig lever*	18	83g
Beef ham	10	150g
Veal lever*	7,5	200g
Lever sliced*	3	200g
Beef	2,1	714g
Veal	2	750g
Pig meat	1,4	1.100g
Ham	1,1	1.360g
Chicken	0,7	2.200g
GRAIN & GRAIN PRODUCTS
Wheat bran	15	100g
Millet flakes	9	160g
Wheat germ*	7,6	197g
Oat flakes	4,2	360g
Buck wheat	3,5	428g
Rye flour	2,1	714g
Rice	1,7	880g
Rye bread	1,7	880g
Flour	1,5	1000g
Rice parboiled	1,4	1070g
Rusk	1,3	1150g
White bread	1,2	1250g
Semolina	1,1	1360g
Peeled rice	0,6	2500g
NUTS & PIPS
Pumpkin seeds	11,2	170g
Pine nuts	9,2	163g
Almond	4,2	360g
Hazelnuts	3,7	400g
Walnut	2,5	600g
Peanut	2,4	625g
FRUITS
Rosins	2,3	650g
Bilberries, lemon	0,5	3000g
Strawberries, cherries	0,4	3750g
Kiwi, clementines, peaches	0,4	3750g
Grapes, bananas	0,4	3750g
Ananas, plums, rhubarb	0,3	5000g
Apple, pear, melon	0,2	7500g
Oranges	0,1	15000g
VEGETABLES, POTATOES, PULSE
Dried soybeans	9,7	154g
Lentils	8	187g
Dried white peas	7	215g
Dried chickpeas	6,1	245g
Tofu	5,4	270g
Black salsify	3,3	450g
Spinach	2,7	555g
green peas	1,9	790g
green beans	1	1500g
Mushroom	1	1500g
Leek, asparagus	0,9	1666g
Kohlrabi	0,5	3000g
Red cabbage, sauerkraut	0,5	3000g
Tomatoes	0,5	3750g
Potatoes	0,3	5000g
FISH & SEA FRUITS
Oysters*	5,8	260g
Sardine in oil*	2,5	600g
Salmon	0,2	7500g
MILK PRODUCTS
Egg yolk	5,5	272g
Eggs (100g = 2 pieces)	1,8	830g
Soy milk	0,4	3750g
Hard cheese	0,3	5000g
Soft cheese*	0,2	7500g
Milk, yogurt, cream	0,1	15000g
Egg white

*Source: Eisencheck.at, do not eat during pregnancy.

Magnesium:

The cramps in the calf are calf are real during pregnancy – the emergency treatment is to give yourself a massage but in the last stage of pregnancy you are going to need magnesium exceeding this: magnesium supports soft bowel movement which you are going to need as diarrhoea is one of the first signs for the birth to begin.
Hint: I suggest you to take magnesium powder once a day before going to bed but attention: once your bowel movement gets too soft reduce the amount to once every two days.

Included in this food:

• Broccoli
• Wholegrain bread
• Natural rice
• Pulse
• Nuts
• Potatoes
• Sunflower seed

INFO 2: Do I Still Need to Take These Supplements after Pregnancy?

For what concerns folacin – not if you do not wish to get pregnant immediately again. It is similar with magnesium: it shall help you get a soft stomach which you need during the birth of you child. Apart from pregnancy people usually use magnesium against muscle ache after sports and as a side-help to lose weight quickly.

What depends on your blood results is the amount of iron. I do not want to fool you as one of my best friends did not want to fool me: the female menstruation after giving birth once becomes worse and stronger. Personally, I have experienced dizziness as well as all being blurry in front of my eyes. Therefore I continue to take iron pills if it happens to be this serious during my period. If it is the case with you I can recommend you them, too. Besides from that you might need it during your postpartum period.

The only thing that remains if vitamin D. In cold and rather cloudy countries such as Germany the majority suffers from lack of vitamin D whereas this vitamin is important for your bones and immune system. Apart from pregnancy it is never bad to take it.
Attention: Vitamin D can cause kidney damage. Therefore you need to take it with vitamin K in order to get a balance.

Good Care For You & Your Baby

All this above named sounds like a real vitamin cocktail which might seem not alright to one. But you rather take this cocktail once a day then strong ibuprofen as a result of being sick. Pregnancy along with its symptoms is hard enough therefore you need your health and in addition it is better for your unborn baby this way.

Nevertheless these pills do not replace a balanced meal. Try to eat many fruits, vegetables, meat and drink a lot during pregnancy, on the one hand for your baby to grow well and healthy and on the other hand to support your milk-production.

Love, Johanna