Vitamins in pregnancy

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D

Vitamin A

A normal balanced diet will give you all the vitamin A that you and your baby need. Too much vitamin A may harm your developing baby. During pregnancy it is best if you:

• Don’t eat liver, or liver products such as liver pate (liver may contain a lot of vitamin A due to the type of food the animals have been fed on)
• Don’t take any fish oil supplements (these may also contain high levels of vitamin A; better to eat oily fish such as mackerel and sardines)
• Don’t take any vitamin supplement that contains the retinol form of vitamin A (check the labelling)

There is no need to limit your intake of the carotene form of vitamin A. This is found in dark green, orange and red vegetables. Carotene is a valuable antioxidant.

Vitamin B12

A good intake of vitamin B12 (or cobalamin) is particularly important during pregnancy - to make new cells (especially blood cells) and build a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B12 is found in:

• Meat
• Fish
• Eggs
• Milk
• Hard cheese
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Soya products

Getting enough vitamin B12 can be difficult if you eat a vegan diet with no animal foods at all. If this is so, it may be a good idea to take a B12 supplement. Have a word with your pharmacist or family doctor.

Vitamin C

The role of Vitamin C in keeping us healthy has been somewhat contentious recently as recent research has shown that very high doses of vitamin C (greater than 500mg daily) might actually be doing us more harm than good.

But, there should be no problems in taking the manufacturers' recommended dose of Vitamin C during pregnancy, although do not exceed the 500mg without consulting your doctor. Eating fresh oranges or drinking fresh orange juice is a good way of taking a safe amount of Vitamin C in your diet and will also help with the constipation that can affect many women in pregnancy.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is sometimes called the sunshine vitamin because we can make it under our skin when exposed to light. Calcium and vitamin D are particularly important during pregnancy as they help your baby’s bones and teeth develop. These two nutrients go hand-in-hand, since our bodies need vitamin D in order to use calcium. Although vitamin D is stored in our bodies, some pregnant women may not have enough stored to meet both their own needs and those of their developing baby.

Talk with your family doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement if:

• You drink little or no milk and do not eat other dairy products, oily fish or eggs
• You do not go out of doors between 11am and 3pm each day (it doesn’t matter if the sun isn’t shining)
• You usually cover your arms, legs and head when out of doors
• You live in the north of England, Scotland or other places where the winter days are short

Eating well in pregnancy and afterwards simply means getting the balance right. If you want to know more, talk to your midwife or doctor or contact the Eating for Pregnancy UK telephone helpline*. Other useful organisations include The Eating Disorders Association* (EDA) and the Women’s Nutritional Advisory Service (WNAS).

by babyworld midwife Hannah Hulme Hunter

• Find out more about health and wellbeing in pregnancy
• Get some star-style pampering for your bump
• Find out just how much alcohol is safe in pregnancy
• Read all about pregnancy complications
• Talk to others, in our Pregnancy discussion forum