The nutritional state of the mother during pregnancy can not only affect her health, but also the growth and nutrition of her baby, even after birth. Deficiency in essential vitamins and minerals before and during pregnancy, such as folic acid, for example, can predispose your child to developing birth anomalies or fetal growth problems.² Acquiring a nutritional deficiency is not only caused by decreasing your intake of food because you feel nauseous or fatigued while being pregnant, but it can also happen if you eat larger amounts of food that are nutritionally deficient.

Evaluating your food choices and coupling your meals with supplements are vital steps in achieving optimal pregnancy outcomes.

The Importance of Prenatal Nutrient Supplementation

Supplementing your diet with essential vitamins and minerals during pregnancy is important to help your body cope with the different changes that happen within to provide space and nutrients for the growth of your baby.

During the early stages of pregnancy, your baby grows by means of hyperplasia, wherein cells in the body of the fetus multiply and increase in number.⁴ If your baby is deprived of nutrients during this stage, it may have a smaller weight than what is considered normal due to the inadequate number of cells being produced and formed in the body.

As the fetus grows inside your uterus, body cells undergo hypertrophy, wherein they enlarge rather than multiplying in numbers.⁴ Lack of nutrients during this stage can also restrict growth since the cells of your baby are unable to grow to the full extent that they are potentially able.

Do You Need to Follow a Strict Diet During Pregnancy?

Rather than establishing restrictions associated with the word “diet,” exploring foods that are best for you while you are pregnant holds more importance.

Eating healthy meals that nurture your health and the growth of your baby feels more encouraging and wholesome than holding yourself back because of unpleasant food rules. After all, pregnancy should be a unique, fulfilling experience that nurtures optimal health.

Essential Nutrients During Pregnancy

Protein

Protein is an essential component to help your baby have a strong body framework. This is why protein needs increase during pregnancy compared to non-pregnancy states.

Nurturing adequate protein levels is also important because meeting your body’s protein needs may also mean that iron, calcium, and vitamin B levels are adequate, especially when you source your protein from eating meat, fish, eggs, or poultry.

Essential Fatty Acids

Although very important during pregnancy because of their role in the development of the baby’s brain and eye tissues, essential fatty acids (EFAs) cannot be synthesized by the mother’s body. This means that the baby can only rely on receiving fatty acids from the food you eat and fatty acid supplements you take.

Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are important to maintain the fluidity and permeability of cell membranes (the outer layer of cells made up of phospholipids), as well as the production of enzymes that regulate inflammation.²

Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, can help regulate inflammation and promote vasodilation (widened blood vessels), which can help reduce the mother’s risks of developing hypertension during pregnancy, as well as prevent premature delivery and fetal growth problems.²

Vitamin B Complex

Each subtype of vitamin B plays an important role in the production of essential enzymes that regulate cellular processes in the body. These include the production of antioxidants, regulation of amino acid levels (which form proteins), and nurturing the expression of genes.¹

Folate (vitamin B9), in particular, is vital in preventing the development of neural tube defects and growth delay since this nutrient plays a crucial role in DNA synthesis, which is important for the optimal growth and replication of cells in the body.

Aside from folate, cobalamin (vitamin B12) is an essential nutrient to be supplemented during pregnancy because it also helps in DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, and myelin production (the outer covering of neurons in the brain that protects them from damage), thereby preventing the development of birth defects, especially in the baby’s nervous system.

Thiamine (vitamin B1), on the other hand, is important in maintaining optimal glucose levels in the blood (normoglycemia) through its role in producing and secreting insulin.²

Another important vitamin is riboflavin (vitamin B2), which is vital in producing immune cells, red blood cells, and thyroid hormones.²

To nurture the healthy growth and development of your baby, niacin (vitamin B3) supplementation is important because this nutrient is needed for normal digestive system, skin, and nervous system development.²

Some neurodevelopmental problems or incidence of cleft lip or palate can also be prevented through appropriate pyridoxine (vitamin B6) supplementation.²

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an antioxidant that helps nurture the growth of vital organs in the body, such as the heart, lungs, and eyes.² During pregnancy, vitamin A supplementation is important to prevent anemia (low hemoglobin levels in the blood), as well as reduce your baby’s risks of having eye disorders, especially vision problems, delayed growth, and birth defects.

However, it is important to remember that you should stop using high doses of vitamin A supplements for skin conditions at least 6 to 12 months before getting pregnant, since prolonged storage of these forms of the vitamin may cause birth defects or, in worse cases, miscarriage.²

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another important antioxidant that is needed by the body during pregnancy to grow and repair collagen, which is a structural protein that strengthens your bones and teeth.²

Supplementation of this essential nutrient during pregnancy can help prevent preeclampsia (high blood pressure levels during pregnancy), urinary tract infections, and preterm birth.²

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential in the body because it supports bone growth and a healthy immune system.

During pregnancy, vitamin D is especially important to be supplemented because not only do vitamin D levels decrease as the baby grows, but deficient levels of this nutrient can also cause delayed growth and development of the fetus, as well as increase the risk of rickets (deformed bones).²

Additionally, vitamin D deficiency increases the mother’s risks of having hypertension or miscarriage.² Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, so you’ll get the most out of your supplement by taking it with a snack or meal that contains fat.

Iron

Iron is a vital component of red blood cells, and decreased levels of this nutrient can lead to anemia during pregnancy. Iron deficiency can lead to low birth weight and growth problems of the baby.²

Additionally, iron is important in synthesizing collagen, which provides a framework for most structures in the body.² During pregnancy, supplementing iron levels is especially important to support higher iron needs to meet the demands of the baby, support adequate production of the mother’s red blood cells, and minimize the effects of unavoidable blood loss during labor and delivery.

Fiber

Fiber is an essential nutrient that helps prevent constipation by promoting the passage of stools through the digestive tract. It also helps nurture the diversity of your gut microbiota.

Adding fiber to your diet is especially important when you are pregnant because this can help nurture appropriate gestational weight gain, blood glucose levels, and blood pressure levels.³

Nurturing a Healthy Pregnancy

The well-being of the baby greatly depends on the health of the mother throughout pregnancy, which is why adequate nutrition and nutrient supplementation are crucial during this wonderful time.

Although most nutrients are best sourced from the food the mother eats, supplementing meals with essential vitamins and minerals promotes a synergistic effect that supplies what the mother needs and nurtures optimal levels of specific nutrients for fetal growth and development.

Because each pregnancy is unique, the first step to having optimal health for both you and your baby is identifying which nutrients and forms of supplementation are best suited for your case. At Natural Path to Wellness, we will help you discover the best ways to nurture a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Talk to us today!

Written by Kate Nemenzo 

Edited and medically reviewed by Marney Johnson, ND, MSCI-TS 

This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your licensed naturopathic physician or other licensed healthcare provider before making changes to your medications or supplements.
​Disclosures & Policies: This and other blog posts may contain affiliate links. Please view our disclosures page for more information.

References

1. Li S, Liu D, Kang Y, et al. Associations of B Vitamin-Related Dietary Pattern during Pregnancy with Birth Outcomes: A Population-Based Study in Northwest China. Nutrients. 2022;14(3):600. Published January 29, 2022. doi:10.3390/nu14030600
2. Adams JB, Kirby JK, Sorensen JC, Pollard EL, Audhya T. Evidence based recommendations for an optimal prenatal supplement for women in the US: vitamins and related nutrients. Matern Health Neonatol Perinatol. 2022;8(1):4. Published July 11, 2022. doi:10.1186/s40748-022-00139-9
3. Pretorius RA, Palmer DJ. High-Fiber Diet during Pregnancy Characterized by More Fruit and Vegetable Consumption. Nutrients. 2020;13(1):35. Published December 24, 2020. doi:10.3390/nu13010035
4. Pascual ZN, Langaker MD. Physiology, Pregnancy. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; May 16, 2023.