What to expect when you're expecting (40 page)

What’s in a Pill?

What’s in a prenatal pill? That depends on which one you’re taking. Since there aren’t any standards set for prenatal supplements, formulas vary. Chances are your practitioner will prescribe or recommend a supplement, which will take the guesswork (and homework) out of choosing a formula yourself. If you’re facing the pharmacy shelves without a recommendation, get ready to do some reading, and to look for a formula that contains:

No more than 4,000 IU (800 mcg) of vitamin A; amounts over 10,000 IU could be toxic. Many manufacturers have reduced the amount of vitamin A in their vitamin supplements or have replaced it with beta-carotene, a much safer source of vitamin A.

At least 400 to 600 mcg of folic acid (folate)

250 mg of calcium. If you’re not getting enough calcium in your diet, you will need additional supplementation to reach the 1,200 mg needed during pregnancy. Do not take more than 250 mg of calcium at the same time as supplementary iron because these minerals interfere with iron absorption. Take any larger doses at least two hours before or after your iron supplement.

30 mg iron

50 to 80 mg vitamin C

15 mg zinc

2 mg copper

2 mg vitamin B
6

At least 400 IU of vitamin D

Approximately the DRI for vitamin E (15 mg), thiamin (1.4 mg), riboflavin (1.4 mg), niacin (18 mg), and vitamin B
12
(2.6 mg). Most prenatal supplements contain two to three times the DRI of these. There are no known harmful effects from such doses.

Some preparations may also contain magnesium, fluoride, biotin, phosphorus, pantothenic acid, extra B
6
(to combat queasiness), ginger (ditto), and/or baby brain–boosting DHA.

Also important: Scan for ingredients that shouldn’t be in your prenatal supplement, such as herbs. When in doubt, ask your practitioner.

“I can’t tolerate milk, and drinking four cups a day would really make me uncomfortable. But don’t babies need milk?”

It’s not milk your baby needs, it’s calcium. Since milk is one of nature’s finest and most convenient sources of calcium in the American diet, it’s the one most often recommended for filling the greatly increased requirement during pregnancy. But if milk leaves you with more than a sour taste in your mouth and a mustache above your lip (got gas?), you probably think twice before reaching for that glass of the white stuff. Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer so your baby can grow healthy teeth and bones. If you’re lactose intolerant or just don’t have a taste for milk, plenty of substitutes are available that fill the nutritional bill just as well.

Even if milk turns your tummy, you still might be able to tolerate some kinds of dairy products, such as hard cheeses, fully processed yogurts (choose ones with active cultures, which actually help your digestion), and lactose-free milk, in which all of the lactose has been converted to a more easily digested form. Another advantage of using lactose-free milk products. Some are fortified with extra calcium. Check labels and choose one that is. Taking a lactase tablet before ingesting milk or milk products, or adding lactase drops or tablets to your milk, can also minimize or eliminate dairy-induced tummy troubles.