Should I Take Different Pre-Natal Vitamins If I Am Vegetarian?
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A pregnant woman needs certain nutritients, both for her health and for the health of her baby. The basic nutrients that a pregnant woman and her baby need do not change just because a woman does or does not choose to be a vegetarian. A pregnant woman who eats meats has the same nutritional needs that a pregnant woman who does not eat meats has. Still, it is true that vegetarians have certain nutritional advantages over non-vegetarians, in that they are more likely to get many of the vitamins that they need in their regular daily diets. On the other hand, non-vegetarians are more likely to have more protein, zinc, and iron than vegetarians. Regardless of your dietary or lifestyle choices, it is important to be aware of the affect that they will have on your pregnancy. Every woman, vegetarian or not, has nutritional needs that she needs to be aware of, and most pregnant women will rely, to some degree, on pre-natal vitamins to fill in the gaps.
There are several areas of concern for vegetarians who become pregnant. Some of the biggest areas of concern are vitamin B12, zinc, iron and protein. This is true of non-pregnant vegetarians, as well. Vegetarians who are normally diligent about their diets will find that they will have to pay more attention to these nutrients during pregnancy. Another area of concern is Omega-3 fatty acids. For non-vegetarians, fish is the most common source of this nutrient. For vegetarians, there are several options, including walnuts, soy products, wheat germ, flax seeds, canola oil, and hempseed oil. Calcium will also be important for the vegetarian during pregnancy. Here again, many vegetarians are already aware of the general need for calcium, and consume foods like broccoli, sesame seeds, kale, fortified orange juice, soy milk and rice milk. Along with Calcium, vitamin D is necessary to aid with absorption of the calcium. Egg yolks or fortified soy and rice milks are again a good source of Vitamin D.
There are specific pre-natal vitamins that are designed with these general ideas in mind. A woman who is a vegetarian might consider these different pre-natal vitamins to make sure that she is getting what she needs, just as a woman who is not a vegetarian might consider standard pre-natal vitamins. Your specific lifestyle choices and nutritional needs should be discussed with your health care provider, who can help you to make sure that you are getting what both you and your baby need for a successful and healthy pregnancy.
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