The Importance of Vitamin D During Your Pregnancy

What the sunshine vitamin does for you and your baby.

 

Vitamin D, like other vital substances, supplies your unborn baby’s body with the essential vitamins and minerals it needs while it grows and develops. Making the minerals calcium and phosphorus easier to absorb, the ‘sunshine vitamin’ creates your child’s bones and teeth while you are pregnant. Making sure that you get the right amount of Vitamin D daily helps your baby’s development be in alignment with doctor’s recommendations based on the age of the fetus and increases the chances of you delivering a healthy child to term. A deficiency of the vitamin can cause major health concerns including rickets, fractures, and even abnormal bone growth in newborns.

The Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin for good reason. Spending time outdoors in the sunlight for at least 15 minutes a day without protection helps your body produce it. As a pregnant woman, though, you need to be very careful about how much exposure you get to UV rays. If you get overheated, you could harm your unborn child because their body temperature rises, too. Pay close attention to your body and how it feels so you’ll know to go indoors before you become too hot.

Too much of a good thing can be harmful. It’s important to know your limits and to keep your skin protected most of the time you spend outdoors. Using a pregnancy safe sunscreen with a high SPF helps you prevent sunburn and free radical damage caused by harmful UV rays.

How Much Vitamin D is Necessary?

There isn’t a consensus currently about the right amount of Vitamin D for pregnant women and new mothers who breastfeed. One institute recommends 600 IU daily while others find 1,500-2,000 IU more ideal. Working with your primary care physician to come up with the right amount helps you plan your diet and daily routine easier. The medical professional takes a lot of factors into account including your age, weight, medical history, and unique dietary needs.

How to Include Vitamin D in Your Diet

There are several ways to get more Vitamin D into your diet. The easiest is by drinking low-fat milk or fortified orange juice. You’ll also get plenty of the substance by eating certain varieties of canned fish. Pink salmon, mackerel, and sardines are good sources of Vitamin D and can be eaten in three-ounce servings at a time.

You can also consume egg yolks and cereal fortified with the vitamin. Learn to read the ingredient panel of the products you buy to see which brands are the best for you. You’ll find the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) breaking down the vitamin, mineral, and nutrient content of cereal so you can see how much Vitamin D you’re getting from a single serving.

The suggestions listed here help you prevent growth-related issues in your baby. By getting enough Vitamin D, you’re able to supply their tiny body with calcium and phosphorus which gives their skeleton and teeth strength. You can spend time outdoors in the sun but it’s best to do so earlier in the day before the glowing orb becomes its hottest. That way, you’ll kickstart your body’s Vitamin D protection without scorching your skin or putting your baby’s life at risk.