After a positive test pack result, there are pregnant women who immediately check their pregnancy with a doctor or midwife. However, there are also some pregnant women who may delay checking their wombs for various reasons. Either because of the cost or because they are not mentally ready for the pregnancy.
Read: Amazing Benefits of Vitamin B6 For Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Due to delaying the examination, pregnant women also do not receive a prescription for pregnancy vitamins that should be taken in early pregnancy. Is this safe? When do pregnant women actually have to take pregnancy vitamins?
Let's check them below!
When Should Pregnant Women Take Pregnancy Vitamins?
After experiencing several pregnancy symptoms and getting a positive test pack result, then you are most likely pregnant right now. During pregnancy, there are some habits that suddenly change and this is due to the emergence of pregnancy hormones.
Changes in habits, such as nausea, sensitivity to smells, fatigue, or dizziness will usually be felt early in pregnancy. And because there is an embryo that will develop into a fetus, the pregnant woman's body will work 24/7 without stopping.
For this reason, it is important to immediately take pregnancy vitamins that your doctor or midwife recommends as soon as possible to meet your daily nutritional intake during pregnancy. That way, the fetus will grow healthily and optimally.
The vitamins consumed by pregnant women usually contain folic acid, iron, calcium, DHA, zinc, and vitamin A. However, that does not mean that vitamins can replace food, yes.
Despite nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to the smell of certain foods, pregnant women should still try to eat healthy, balanced, and nutritious foods. Because nothing can replace natural nutritional intake, vitamins only support and complement so that no nutrients are left behind.
Does Consumption of Pregnancy Vitamins Have Side Effects?
Although they have different effects, pregnancy vitamins do have some side effects that pregnant women may feel, but may or may not.
These side effects include constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, stomach cramps, dark stools, backache, muscle pain, dizziness, blurred vision, dry eyes, itching, or yellow teeth.
Although pregnant women will experience different side effects, this can be prevented as long as you consume lots of water, eat high-fiber foods, and do activities or exercise so that your body moves a lot.
Immediately consult a doctor if pregnant women are taking pain relievers, heart medications, drugs for high blood pressure, sulfamethoxazole, or diuretics because they interact negatively with drugs and vitamins that are usually prescribed for pregnancy.
What if Pregnant Women Don't Take Pregnancy Vitamins?
As previously mentioned, taking vitamins can help pregnant women meet their daily nutritional intake, because this is important for the formation of the fetus.
If this vitamin is not consumed immediately, it will have an impact on the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, and premature birth. Of course, you don't want that to happen, right?
Well, that's an explanation of when pregnant women should take pregnancy vitamins. So, immediately consult a doctor or midwife as soon as you feel the symptoms of pregnancy to get complete vitamins and medicines.