Everyone knows you need more folate (aka “folic acid”), B vitamins, iron, and calcium in pregnancy. But there are 2 super important nutrients that can not only support babies, development but help Mama prepare for labor.
Vitamin D
Did you know that having Vitamin D deficiency increases labor pain! A study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY ™ 2014 annual meeting found an association between low vitamin D levels and increased requests for pain medication.When the body’s ability to suppress discomfort starts to descend, the findings tie the nutrient with being able to activate pain-suppressing pathways.The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that vitamin D deficiency is also associated with increased chances of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and pre-term birth.
So it’s time to get out in the sun. Just 15 minutes a day of early morning or late afternoon sun without sunscreen can help increase your Vitamin D. Let all your skin shine and soak it up. Many of us are in offices or covered up while we are outside and don’t have an adequate amount of skin showing to soak in enough of this wonderful Vitamin. Bonus points it is also a mood booster.
When getting your Vitamin D from food,many health care providers state that an optimal intake rests somewhere between 2,000-5,000 IUs per day. Here are some of the top food sources
Magnesium:
Vitamin D and Magnesium go together like milk and cookies. Magnesium is a crucial cofactor for the enzymes that convert vitamin D to it’s hormonally active form, calcitriol. When vitamin D is consumed in an individual who is low in magnesium, it cannot be properly used by the cells. Magnesium optimizes blood pressure levels during pregnancy and increases your pain tolerance threshold, making for a more comfortable delivery.Other added benefits are that it aids in digestion, helps to relax muscles (think leg cramps), and get a better nights sleep.
Like Vitamin D the best way to get magnesium is through the skin. This can be through taking Epsom salt baths or any range of magnesium oils and lotions. Pinterest it, you will come up with a million options. (Just don’t use it if you just shaved! It’s like walking into the ocean, it can burn a little). You can also dry a magnesium drink like Natural Calm. Here are list of foods that can also help increase your intake of magnesium.
- Spinach
- Kelp
- Chard
- Pumpkin seeds
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Black beans
- Molasses
- Buckwheat
- Brazil nuts
- Dulse
- Filberts
- Millet
- Pecans
- Dark chocolate
