Pre + Postnatal Vitamins and Supplements To Support Both Mom + Baby's Health by Happy Healthy Littles
The most important way to support growth + development while preventing postpartum depletion is through adequate rest + real food! However, we know that specific supplementation as part of a nutrient-dense diet is essential for optimal wellbeing. You may be able to survive on food alone but we want you to thrive!
Today we are sharing our top real food + supplementation tips for a healthy pregnancy + little one and YOU!
1. Take a Quality Prenatal With Adequate Amounts of B12 + Folate.
Methylation - MTHFR? Moms are you familiar with this gene that often carries a mutation? Think of it like this: MTHFR is a detox pathway in your liver that moves out toxins, supports the clearing of viruses as well as numerous other necessary functions. Simply put, most of us are walking around with a genetic mutation affecting their ability to 'methylate' folate + b12. So if you carry this mutation and are pregnant (when the b vitamins you consume through diet are already getting used rapidly) you need b vitamins in their methylated form for optimal health (you can only get these through specific supplementation). The best way to do that is to be sure that your Prenatal contains both of these nutrients in their most active form with the right dosage - we see so many Prenatals that promise the world yet have VERY low amounts of b12 + folate and often not in the correct forms. Prenatals without methylated folate + b12 are lacking entirely in the very vitamins you + your baby need most during pregnancy + postpartum.
2. Consume animal protein.
Yes, you hear us right. Your perinatal years are not the time to explore going vegan. There may be times where you need to consume a more detoxifying diet but in your perinatal years the number one goal is diet for proper growth + development NOT detox. We find it almost impossible for women to consume adequate protein (which can be at least 100 grams daily) while pregnant or postpartum if they are not consuming sufficient animal protein daily.
3. Take Cod Liver Oil Daily!
If you follow us @happyhealthylittles you know we might sound like a broken record but until every mom is getting a daily teaspoon of cod liver oil we will not stop. CLO has been mom’s way of providing sufficient omega 3's for themself + children in traditional cultures for centuries. Omega 3's are an essential component to optimal brain development and no one in our ‘western culture’ is eating enough salmon or walnuts to reach this amount daily.
4. Consume Probiotic Rich Foods + Additional Supplementation If Necessary
If you are consuming naturally fermented foods like sauerkraut daily then you're good. However we realize not everyone will and that probiotics are how we keep your gut health strong. Think of them as the ‘good bugs’ keeping the ‘bad bugs’ at bay. Plus when your child goes through your birth canal they will be introduced to all the bacteria you have to offer good + bad. This will contribute greatly to the health of their microbiome for years to come. So if you aren't able to get fermented foods in your diet daily or they are suffering from any sort of GI issue then we always recommend a therapeutic grade multi-strain probiotic while pregnant + breastfeeding.
5. Rest When You Need To!
Our cells, tissues + bodies have the chance to properly recover when we rest. It’s that simple one of the best things you can do while pregnant + postpartum is lay down or sleep when you need to. It’s also an incredible time to connect with your baby. Trust us, no mom has ever said they rested too much!
6. Enjoy the Sunshine and Get Adequate Vitamin D
We know it's one more. We wish we could skip over it and pretend we're not all deficient but the reality is that we need it. Vitamin D deficiency is rampant and it's a powerful vitamin for immunity and brain health. Your child's bone growth is also dependent on Vitamin D because adequate Vitamin D is how calcium gets deposited into our bones. We absolutely recommend getting plenty of sunshine while also supplementing with vitamin D while pregnant.
We hope you noticed we only 'supplement' what isn't being supplied to yourself + growing little one in a nutrient dense diet ;)
Xo Dani + Whit
Dani is a certified Nutrition Consultant with 9 years experience practicing prenatal nutrition. Whitney is a mom and certified Nutritional Therapy Consultant. In 2019 Dani + Whit teamed up to create Happy Healthy Littles - to share their expertise and care all over the globe! When it comes to prenatals and supplements, reach out to Dani + Whit to get direct links to all their favorites!
Website: happyhealthylittles.com
Instagram: @happyhealthylittles