Vitamins and minerals
A balanced, healthy diet is important if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Although all vitamins and minerals are important to give a balanced diet, it is important to make sure you are getting enough iron and vitamins A, C and D. Your body needs time to build up iron throughout your pregnancy.
Iron
Pregnant women can have low levels of iron so it’s important to make sure you have plenty of iron-rich foods.
The best way for your body to absorb iron is from the foods you eat. Good sources of iron include:
- Red meat and some offal (kidney, heart and tongue)
- Eggs
- Pulses, such as peas, beans and lentils
- Wholegrain bread and cereals
- Dark green vegetables
- Blackstrap molasses
- Yeast extract, e.g. marmite and vegemite
- Dried fruit, especially prunes figs and apricots
- Tinned fish, e.g. tuna, salmon and sardines and pilchards
To help you absorb the iron from these foods, you also need to make sure you have some vitamin C with your meal from vegetables or citrus fruit.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is needed to keep bones and teeth healthy. It’s particularly important in preventing newborn babies from getting rickets. You should take supplements containing 10mcg of vitamin D every day.
Vitamin D is found in a few foods such as oily fish, eggs, margarine and fortified breakfast cereals, but we get most of it from being outdoors and in the sun. However, it is not possible to get enough vitamin D from food alone, and in Scotland there is not enough sunlight from November to April, so you should take vitamin D throughout your pregnancy and while you are breastfeeding. If you have dark skin, or cover your skin, you are particularly susceptible to vitamin D deficiency and should speak to your midwife or GP to get a suitable supplement.
Vitamin A
Make sure you don’t have too much vitamin A. This means you should avoid eating liver and liver products, such as pâté, and avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oils. These contain high levels of vitamin A. You only need a small amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A ins one of the vitamins which we store, which mean that an excess builds up in the body. High levels may harm your unborn baby. Ask your midwife or GP if you want more information.
Vitamin support
If you or your family receive income support, income-based job seekers allowance, child tax credit, are on a low income, or are a teenager, you will be eligible for free vitamins through Healthy Start. Speak to your midwife about how to get these.
