Prenatal Nutrition

Byron J. Richards, CCN -
The nutritional status of every woman of childbearing years is of immense importance to the future health and intelligence of our society. Important steps should be taken in preparation for pregnancy, during pregnancy, and following pregnancy not only for the health of the mother -- but for the current health and future health of the child.

Ideally, you should be of proper body weight, fit, and eating in harmony with the fat and pregnancy hormone known as leptin -- before getting pregnant. Various macro and micro nutrients are vital for proper pregnancy preparation and intellectual ability of your child. Special attention should be given to your history of stress and depression, thyroid issues (as well as family history of thyroid issues), and dieting history. There is a right way to do it.

During pregnancy your body is called upon to work overtime to build another body. Any metabolic weak spot existing prior to pregnancy will now be magnified. This is especially true of thyroid-related issues, adrenal-stress issues, and weight-related issues. Proper fetal programming of neuro-circuits and maximizing genetic potential (including normal organ development) are based on your nutritional status. There are effective ways to nutritionally manage these topics for optimal results.

What You Need to Know About Prenatal Nutrition

In the following sections I discuss the key topics involving pregnancy and nutrition. On a different health topic page I expand on this information to discuss postpartum nutritional needs, especially regarding your mood and your baby's development. Click here to read about Postpartum Nutrition.

The basic supplements for healthy prenatal nutrition are Daily Energy Multiple Vitamin™, Blood Builder, DHA, and Iosol Iodine. Various other nutrients may be very important, based on your current health, health history, stress level, and typical diet. The key points of prenatal nutrition are explained in the following sections.

Best Prenatal Supplements:

Daily Energy Multiple Vitamin™

Provides a foundation of high quality nutrients to support pregnancy, including coenzyme b-vitamins and coenzyme folic acid called folate.* Adequate folic acid is essential for the proper development of the nervous system, and ideally should be started several months before pregnancy.* A common pregnancy dose is three per day.*

	Qty.	Option	Web Sale
		90 caps $28.00	20% off $22.40
		270 caps $78.00	20% off $62.40

Blood Builder™

High quality iron is needed during pregnancy.* Inexpensive iron salts such as ferrous sulfate can cause constipation and digestive discomfort, plus do not absorb very well. Blood Builder™ offers fine quality iron bisglycinate along with extra folic acid, B12, and B6. Take 1-2 capsules per day. Take 1 capsule if red meat is consumed 2-3 times per week, otherwise take 2 capsules.

Qty.	Option	Web Sale
	180 caps $31.00	20% off $24.80

Daily DHA

DHA is an fatty acid required for the proper development of healthy brain cells and the visual system, both during pregnancy and lactation.* This important oil is in short supply in food and foods that do have it, like salmon and tuna, are oftentimes contaminated with mercury, a potent neurotoxin that should not be consumed during pregnancy.* This makes high quality supplemental DHA a priority.* Our DHA is molecularly distilled to ensure absolutely no trace amount of mercury or other toxic metal. A common pregnancy and lactation dose is three per day.*

	Qty.	Option	Web Sale
		90 caps $24.00	20% off $19.20
		180 caps $44.00	20% off $35.20

Iosol Iodine

Iodine is another top nutrient for pregnancy.* Iosol Iodine is a metabolically active form of iodine.* Place 1 drop in 2-3 ounces of water, use daily. Numerous studies in the past decade have illustrated the importance of iodine in the development of the brain and cognitive function, in addition to its role as thyroid support.* This is a significant issue as a failure to get adequate iodine during pregnancy results in lost developmental ground that cannot be made up following birth.* Furthermore, the need for iodine is even more important due to widespread contamination of our food supply with perchlorate, a rocket-fuel ignition waste product and toxin that contaminates the ground water in major regions of the United States that grow food for the rest of the country. Perchlorate binds to iodine receptors (in baby and mother) and interferes with proper iodine function.* Ensuring iodine adequacy is one step that may help both mother and baby.*

Qty.	Option	Web Sale
	1 oz $18.00	20% off $14.40

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