Vitamin & mineral supplements suggestions for pregnant daughter-in-law?

[Bertwills]

I know this is off topic, no thyroid trouble involved, but my son & daughter-in-law are expecting in July. She’s been taking a multivitamin.

I tried to explain that that’s not ideal but I’m not sure which brands etc to trust. I would think a separate mineral & vitamin tablet taken at different times of day would be better than the single tablet with iron, calcium & maybe iodine in it.

I take lots of Time Health capsules. I know it’s a confusing field, just trying to choose the best B vitamin supplement is tricky.

Are there any other supplements that she should consider too?

I much appreciate any guidance, I don’t want to fuss but I’m concerned that the best choices are made.

Many thanks

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

I’d let her get on with it to be honest.

Having been on the receiving end of copious unsolicited advice, which I found made me anxious, annoyed and resentful, I make a point of asking what they are thinking and what they think is best and listen, unless they ask my advice I don’t volunteer the info.

I took Pregnacare as recommended by my midwife and that worked a treat for me at the time, long before diagnosis. We wouldn’t recommend that here but it worked for me at the time.

pregnant younger colleagues are told by their GPs what to supplement as needed based on blood tests. I wouldn’t meddle.

[Bertwills in reply to Regenallotment]

Thanks, I just thought we know here that iron & maybe other minerals in multivitamin tablets blocks absorption of vitamins.

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Bertwills]

Yep. But I’d be very wary recommending high dose separates to a pregnant person with no existing health to condition or suspected deficiencies.

[SmallBlueThing]

Eating some prunes the other evening, my thoughts drifted back to how my mum aimed to "cover all bases" with my nutrition, although there were surely better ways to incorporate liver! There's a wealth of information available to us these days, but the good stuff can get swamped by vested interests, such as the selling of books and periodicals, supplements and more profitable foods and drink.

Not having any old Ministry of Health pamphlets to hand, a current food-based set of recommendations for pregnant women is as follows:

Protein: 71 grams daily

Sources: Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, and legumes.

Example: About 100 grams of chicken breast provides approximately 31 grams of protein.

Fruits and Vegetables: At least 5 portions daily

Aim for a variety of colours and types. This can include:

Fresh: Apples, bananas, berries

Vegetables: Spinach, carrots, broccoli

A portion is roughly 80-100 grams.

Whole Grains: 6-8 servings daily

Sources: Whole grain bread, brown rice, quinoa, oats.

Example: 30 grams of oats for breakfast.

Dairy: 3 servings daily

Sources: Milk, yogurt, cheese.

Example: 200 grams of yogurt provides calcium and protein.

Healthy Fats: Include sources of omega-3 fatty acids

Sources: Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel and sardines), nuts, seeds, and avocados.

Aim for about 30 grams of nuts or seeds daily.

Iron-Rich Foods: Important for preventing anaemia

Sources: Red meat, lentils, spinach, fortified cereals.

Aim for 27 mg of iron daily, which can be met with about 100 grams of lean beef.

Hydration: Drink plenty of fluids

Aim for at least 2-3 litres of water daily.

Sample Daily Intake

Breakfast: 30 g oats + 200 g yogurt + 1 banana

Lunch: 100 g grilled chicken + 150 g mixed vegetables

Snack: 30 g nuts

Dinner: 100 g salmon + 200 g brown rice + 100 g steamed broccoli

To reach 400 mcg of folic acid:

1 cup of cooked lentils (180 mcg)

1 cup of cooked spinach (260 mcg)

1 medium orange (40 mcg)

To provide at least 450 mcg of choline:

Breakfast: 2 eggs (294 mcg)

Lunch: 3 ounces of chicken liver (350 mcg)

Snack: 1 cup of yogurt (40 mcg)

Dinner: 3 ounces of salmon (56 mcg)

[Bertwills in reply to SmallBlueThing]

Thank you, that looks very useful & that’s a long reply!