Essential Nutrients in Pregnancy Diet: Calcium

In my previous post, I mentioned there about the new sets of vitamins and minerals that my obgyn prescribed to me and calcium is one of them. So, as a continuation of my post regarding essential nutrients in pregnancy diet, I will give you some insights about calcium.   

image source: eatrundoyoga.com

Why is calcium so important during pregnancy? This is probably the same question that runs in your mind. Well, it is known to many that this particular mineral aids in building strong bones and teeth. As early as the developing period of the baby, it is very essential that he or she is able to get the right amount of calcium. This can only be achieved if the mother is taking calcium supplements during her pregnancy.

Calcium also has other important roles played. It keeps the heart, nerves, and muscles grow healthy. It helps develop a normal heart rhythm and prevents blood clotting. A pregnant woman with sufficient amount of calcium in the body does not only help in the development of the baby inside her womb. She too can avoid that bone loss or osteoporosis, which is a common disorder experienced by women as they get older.

How much calcium does a pregnant women need? Well, this will depend on her age. According to BabyCenter.com, women who are above 18 years old are recommended to have 1,000 milligrams of calcium every day while women below 18 years of age need a much higher dose – 1,300 milligrams a day. This amount of calcium is needed before, during, and after pregnancy.

There are so many sources of calcium however; among its top sources are milk and dairy products. Supplemental forms of calcium are also available in the market these days and one of them is Calciday, which my obgyn prescribed to me.

Good News on My 2nd Prenatal Checkup

Yesterday, I just had my 2^nd prenatal check-up. As usual, my obgyn had a hard time searching for the heart beat of the developing baby inside my womb using her Doppler. But after so many re-try, still she was able to find it. On my 13th week of gestation, the heart seems to be working normal and beating 140-150 beats per minute. Of course I am very glad with this current result and hoping that these signs of good gestation will last until delivery.

Another reason why I am so glad with my yesterday’s prenatal checkup is that my blood pressure is getting normal too. Compared to my previous BP which is 140/80 mmHg, it is now 120/70 mmHg. I am hoping that I will be able to maintain my BP at normal level to prevent possible complications. Though I have a normal BP reading, one thing that makes me worry a little is that my current weight is just the same as the previous – 52 kilos. Maybe  it is because I did some dieting when I learned that I have a little bit higher BP in the previous month.  Aside from that, I also vomit once in a while.

Since my body weight didn’t change, my obgyn recommends me to drink milk “Mom & Me” in particular. This is one of the milks specially formulated for pregnant women as it contains enough amount of vitamins and mineral needed during pregnancy. But aside from the milk, she also prescribed me other essential nutrients which come in a form of food supplement. These vitamins and minerals include folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and iron; which all come in a capsule of Eurroferon. And for calcium, she prescribed Calciday, which is also compact with vitamin D3. She too added Obimin in  my daily medicines.

Essential Nutrients in Pregnancy Diet: Folate and Folic Acid

For expectant moms, eating the most nutritious foods is very important to promote your baby’s overall growth and development. The foods that soon-to-be-mom eats during her pregnancy do not only affect the baby’s health while inside your womb but also for the years to come.

There are essential vitamins and minerals that deserve more attention during pregnancy. And this is what I will be featuring in this blog – the essential nutrients that expectant mom should intake more while in her pregnancy stage. For the meantime, I will be giving some insights about folate and folic acid, its importance, and what are the possible effects to the baby when pregnant women is unable to have enough amount of folate during pregnancy.

Folate is a vitamin B, B9 in particular, that is found naturally in certain foods like leafy green vegetables. This essential vitamin helps prevents defects in the neural tube. This neural tube that develops 4-6 weeks after her last period becomes the spine and brain of the baby. Any defect in the formation of neural tube, due to lack of folate, could lead to serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. Aside from that, a woman with insufficient amount of folate in her pregnancy is very at risk to preterm delivery or give birth to babies who are under normal weight or weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces. This is exactly the reason why it is very important for a woman to immediately consult to the obgyn the moment she missed her period so as to be able to have the right vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy.

Before conception and throughout pregnancy, it is recommended for a pregnant woman to have 800 micrograms of folate or folic acid a day.  And to ensure that she has an enough amount of folate in the body, the synthetic form of folate – known as folic acid – is often prescribed by most obgyn. This synthetic form of folate is usually available in supplements and fortified foods.

By the way, for my folic acid supplement, my obgyn prescribed me to take folart. 

Pregnancy Symptoms Varies

After 28 years, I am now experiencing the biggest changes in my life and that is – pregnancy. In 7 months time, I will be a mother and (I’m keeping my fingers crossed).

This isn’t the first time for me to become pregnant. This is actually my second time. The first one was perhaps not yet meant for us. I was on my early 2nd trimester then when I lost our supposed-to-be first child. I was at the office by the time when I had spotting. So I decided to go home early. Since I am working in Legazpi City, which is 60 kms away from our real house, I dropped by in my boarding house and tried to call and inform my obgyn for this unusual incident. At first she said, I just need a bed rest. But 2 hours after, the bleeding continues. I am so worried and started crying for I would never want to lose that little creature currently developing in my womb. I asked my bother to accompany me to the nearest hospital in our area with my hopes that I will still save my "baby". Unfortunately, after thorough examination, the obgyn in that hospital (where I am admitted) told me that it’s a threatened abortion and I have to undergo D&C. Though it is very painful in my part, I have to accept the fact that it will always be impossible to cuddle the fruit of my very first pregnancy.

Just 2 months after my D&C, I am pregnant again. 

image from www.realsavvymoms.com

Compared to my first pregnancy, I am having difficulties this time. I am already experiencing that weird symptoms of pregnancy, which I am lucky enough not to encounter them before. Morning sickness, vomiting, picky to foods, sensitive to strong smell, mood swing – I am experiencing right now all of these weird common symptoms of pregnant women. During my first pregnancy, it is still fresh in my mind that I only crave for food that  that is white like somai, buko  pie,  buko salad, fresh buko, and the likes. And guess what's my favorite drink? None other than but buko juice - either pure  or in shake form.  So, I can positively say that it is really true that pregnancy symptoms are not the same all the time. 

What is Just a Minute Update for?

For my first post, there's nothing better to share than the prime reason why I created this blog.

This is not my first time in blogging world. I have been into blogging for several years already. However, most of my posts were work-related so I seldom share something that is more personal. This is the reason why I decided to create this just a minute update blog where I can post or share anything about my personal life.

Hopefully, you will always have a time to read whenever I post some updates in this blog. :)