10 Vitamins and Minerals Your Body Needs During Pregnancy

Pregnancy comes with tremendous transformations for you and your baby, and keeping your health in check is now your primary priority. A healthy diet for a soon-to-be mom includes proper vitamins and minerals to ensure an optimally healthy pregnancy. Of course, consult with your doctor or midwife before beginning a new supplement.

10 Vitamins and Minerals You Need During Pregnancy

1. Vitamin A

One important rule in consuming Vitamin A is consuming it together with healthy fats, as the vitamin is soluble in fat.¹ Therefore, it will be better absorbed and become more efficient.

Your Benefits: it supports the health of your eyes and skin, but also your teeth — being essential for genetic transcription, immune system boost, and protection of vision.¹
Baby’s Benefits: it allows healthy eye, bone, and skin development.¹
Resources: carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, broccoli), lettuce, dried apricots, cooked tuna fish, sweet red peppers, cantaloupe, liver, eggs, milk, mango, and peas.

2. Vitamin B

Vitamin B group consists of many B vitamins.² You need to carefully add these vitamins to your diet, as they are some of the most important vitamins and minerals for pregnant women.³

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): regulates the nervous system and raises energy levels for you and your baby. The best foods for thiamin are organ meats, eggs, rice, pasta, berries, nuts, whole grain, fortified cereals, vegetables, pork, and wheat germs.^2,3
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): improves visual neural networks and boosts eyesight for both you and baby, contributes to skin health, and maintains energy levels. Foods rich in riboflavin are eggs, dairy products, fish, meats, and poultry.^2,3
Vitamin B3 (Niacin): boost the nerves’ functioning and promotes your digestive system’s health, with added benefits for your skin. Some of the best sources of niacin are meats, eggs, fish, milk, nuts, and fortified cereals.^2,3
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): excellent for the strength of your nervous system, the vitamin also boosts the formation of red blood cells for you and your baby, being an excellent adjuvant to help you alleviate morning sickness. Foods to consider are poultry, fish, liver and other organ meats, vegetables, dairy products, nuts, bananas, beans, brown rice, and oats.^2,3
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): this vitamin is essential for DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, brain functions, and neurological development. B12 is bound to proteins. Thus it is found in fish, meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. It also comes as a supplement and is added to some foods (like fortified cereals), as it can’t be taken from vegetables or fruits. According to national health experts, vitamin B12 is the engine of a healthy pregnancy, and you should consider talking to your doctor about recommended daily intake or supplementation.⁴

3. Vitamin C

Your Benefits: It is an antioxidant that protects cells and tissue, strengthens blood vessels, and boosts skin elasticity. It also contributes to better iron absorption.⁵
Baby’s Benefits: builds a healthier immune system and allows better iron absorption.⁵
Resources: citrus fruits, broccoli, guava, green and red peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, strawberries, papaya, and other exotic fruits.

4. Vitamin D

If your doctor allows, you can spend a few minutes in the sun, as this is how Vitamin D is produced naturally.⁶ You can also get healthy doses of Vitamin D from certain foods.

Your Benefits: promotes the health of teeth and bones and helps with the absorption and efficient use of calcium and phosphorous.⁶
Baby’s Benefits: promotes the healthy development of bones and enhances calcium metabolism throughout the body.⁶
Resources: fish, mushrooms, milk, eggs.

5. Vitamin E

Vitamin E ensures protection against free radicals throughout our life.⁷ In pregnancy, vitamin E is essential and you get it from delicious foods and products.⁷

Your Benefits: it helps your body form and utilizes red blood cells, also strengthening the muscular system and the tissue of the internal organs.⁷
Baby’s Benefits: improves red blood cell formation, enhances blood circulation, and ensures protection from free radicals, also contributing to the healthy development of muscles.⁷
Resources: spinach, nuts (with an emphasis on almonds), vegetable oil, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, wheat germs, fortified cereals.

Minerals, Fatty Acids, and Other Compounds You Need During Pregnancy

Besides these vitamins mentioned above, you also need plenty of minerals and other substances to ensure your and your baby’s health.

6. Calcium

Your Benefits: it protects your bone density and prevents high blood pressure during pregnancy. It also prevents blood clots and strengthens muscle and nervous system functioning.⁸
Baby’s Benefits: calcium ensures the proper development of bones and teeth.⁸
Resources: dairy products, soy milk, fish, bread, fortified cereals, dark green leafy vegetables, orange juice

7. Iron

Your Benefits: by helping the production of hemoglobin, iron prevents anemia, low birth weight, and premature delivery, and helps to strengthen your muscular system.⁹
Baby’s Benefits: strengthens the muscular system and helps develop a healthy blood circulatory system, preventing anemia and premature delivery.⁹
Sources: clams, oysters, organ meats (liver), beans, lentils, spinach, fortified cereals, dried fruits, wheat germs, oatmeal, grains, beef, and pork

8. Folic Acid

Your Benefits: prevents anemia and cell renewal, supporting your placenta.¹⁰
Baby’s Benefits: during the first months of pregnancy, folic acid prevents spinal cord birth defects (spina bifida) and other neural tube defects. It also prevents early miscarriage and premature delivery.^10,11
Resources: dark leafy greens, asparagus, beans, broccoli, citrus fruits, peas, pasta, fortified cereals, beets, cauliflower, nuts, strawberries, seeds, and corn.

9. Choline

Your Benefits: Choline enhances the strength of your bone system while preventing high blood pressure.¹²
Baby’s Benefits: enhances brain development and functions, preventing problems at the spinal cord and neural system, and prevents neural tube birth defects.¹²
Resources: poultry, pork, beef, fish (with an emphasis on cod and tuna), eggs, broccoli, and cauliflower.

10. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids are tremendous for our health in the long term, but when it comes to pregnancy, you should know that Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) is one of the most important ones.¹³

Your Benefits: reduces the risk of heart disease during pregnancy and later in life.¹³
Baby’s Benefits: helps with the development of vision and brain functions.¹³
Resources: fish and seafood (and most importantly, salmon, tuna, crab, catfish, clams, and oysters) and eggs

These are most of the essential vitamins and minerals you need to know about and include in your diet during pregnancy. As always, check with your doctor or midwife. Make sure you work together to ensure the healthiest pregnancy for you and your baby.