There was a talk a little while back with Dr. Clarissa Velayo, MD., PhD, and asked what vitamins should pregnant women really be taking when they are pregnant? Are there vitamins specific to being pregnant? She said yes and that the following vitamins are a must:
Folic acid is a good vitamin for those who want to become pregnant. If you can, start taking it when you’re trying to conceive. It helps the development of the baby in your tummy.
Multivitamins, please be careful with these especially the ones over the counter: it must be OB formulation. Some over the counter brands usually have a high percentage of Vitamin A, which is not a vitamin to be taken for pregnant women.
Ferrous Sulfate – this is for hemoglobin in the blood. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) mentions that Asians are more prone to be anemic, talk to your doctor about taking this at the start of your first trimester to ensure you have enough iron. Be careful though as there are some side effects which are nausea or dizziness which may aggravate whatever “morning” sickness you may already have, so a tip is that some women opt to take it before they sleep so they do not have to get through it.
Calcium carbonate, for the baby’s bones, you should try and take two tablets daily, in case you cannot drink milk. Again always refer to your doctor first.
A note from the doctor though: Try to take everything separately from the calcium. If you take them all together, the calcium, if you need to take it, may not let your body absorb the rest of them well and at its full potential.
Check out what other vitamins for pregnant women and medicines that you can and cannot take in our MEDICINES feature on the App.