Pregnancy and the Use of Nutritional Supplements - Women's Health Update

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  Jan, 2002  by Tori Hudson

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Food sources of vitamin C are fruits (particularly citrus), green chilies, tomatoes, honey, cabbage, cucumbers, prunes. Herbal sources include elderberries, rose hips, parsley, dandelion greens, nettles, alfalfa, and cayenne.

Vitamin C: 70 mg per day, RDA

Nursing: 95 mg per day

Food sources: cabbage, cucumbers, fruits (especially citrus), green chilies, honey, tomatoes

Herbal sources: alfalfa, cayenne, dandelion greens, elderberries, nettles, parsley, rose hips

Vitamin D

The absorption of vitamin D (as well as calcium, which vitamin D helps metabolize) is enhanced during pregnancy, and since vitamin D tends toward toxicity, supplementation should be "judicious," to prevent excessive amounts of it from spilling into the urine. Fish oil and sunshine are good sources of natural vitamin D, which benefits the development of good teeth and bones. Herbal sources of vitamin D are alfalfa and nettles; and, of course, sunshine!

Vitamin D: 10 mcg per day, RDA

Nursing: 10 mcg per day

Source: Sunshine

Food sources: fish

Herbal sources: alfalfa, nettles

Vitamin E

Vitamin E status declines during pregnancy creating deficiencies, and fetal vitamin E levels are usually low. (55) Lower plasma levels in the mother may be associated with increased risk of pre-eclampsia, as well as premature and low birth weight infants. (54) Supplementation has been shown to be effective in preventing habitual or chronic abortion. (55) Good food sources are parsley, brown rice, and wheat germ. Herbal sources include alfalfa, rosehips, raspberry leaf, dandelion, seaweeds, and watercress (although watercress should be avoided in the first trimester).

Vitamin E: 10 mg per day, RDA

Nursing: 12 mg per day

Food sources: brown rice, parsley, wheat germ

Herbal sources: alfalfa, dandelion, raspberry leaf, rosehips, seaweed, watercress

Vitamin K

Necessary for bone metabolism, vitamin K (required by law in most states) is given to newborns in the hospital by injection in the foot immediately after birth, or a shot is given during labor, to prevent hemolytic disease in the newborn, characterized by anemia, jaundice, enlargement of the liver and spleen, and generalized edema. Naturopathic doctors recommend checking the pregnant mother's diet for vitamin K deficiency (to see if she is getting enough of the vitamin through her intake of squash and dark leafy vegetables), and adding oral supplementation of vitamin Kin the last month of pregnancy, if needed, rather than automatically giving the shots, which have been shown in some studies to link with childhood cancer. (56)

Vitamin K (along with vitamin C) is effective in preventing the nausea and vomiting of early pregnancy, and may reduce the risk of intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants. (57) Some food sources are parsley and brown rice. Nettle or alfalfa leaf infusion or tea taken throughout the pregnancy will increase available vitamin K and hemoglobin in the blood; also helpful is kelp.

Vitamin K: 65 mcg per day, RDA