Vitamins and Minerals To Help Baby Growth. Want to know how much vitamin C you need during pregnancy?

Or should you take vitamin D supplements? You will get most of the vitamins and nutrients you need from eating a healthy and varied diet, but there are some supplements that you need to take.

From calcium to zinc, read our AZ guide to all the vitamins and minerals you need for a healthy pregnancy.

Vitamins and Minerals To Help Baby Calcium Growth

Daily Amount:700mg (800mg for teens)

Do you need any supplements? Not

Beneficial for your baby: For strong bones, teeth, healthy nerves, heart, and muscles. Also develops heart rhythm and blood clotting

Food Sources:

• 200ml milk (240mg)
• 200ml of fortified soy milk (180mg)
• 150g carton yogurt (210mg)
• 1 naan bread (300mg)
• 4 dried figs (200mg)

chromium

Daily amount: No RNI

Do you need any supplements? None

Benefits for your baby: Regulates blood sugar levels and helps tissue development

Food Sources:

• 100g skinless grilled chicken (22mcg)
• 1 slice of wholemeal bread (16mcg)

Copper

Daily Amount:1.2mg

Do you need any supplements? Not

Benefits for your baby: Helps to form the heart, bones, nervous system, arteries, and blood vessels

Food Sources:

• 80g ripe green lentils (0.3mg)
• 20g plain cashew nuts (0.2mg)
• 1 mango (0.18 mg)

Folic acid

Daily amount:300 micrograms (mcg). 400mcg supplement before conception and during the first three months of pregnancy

Do you need any supplements? Yes

Benefits for your baby: Helps close the tube that houses the central nervous system. Also helps to normalize brain function

Food Sources:

• 90g Brussels sprouts (99mcg)
• 45g bran shale (166mcg)
• 2 slices of granary bread (64mcg)
• 2 ripe broccoli stalks (58mcg)
• 1 large orange (65mcg)

Iodine

Daily amount:140mcg

Do you need any supplements? Not

Beneficial for your baby: Regulates metabolism and helps develop the nervous system

Food Sources:

• iodized table salt
• fish
• seaweed
• milk
• dairy products

Iron

Daily Amount:14.8mg

Do you need any supplements? Yes, if prescribed medically

Benefits for your baby: Create red blood cells, supply oxygen to cells for energy and growth, and build bones and teeth

Food Sources:

• 100g beef sirloin (2.4mg)
• 3 tbsp cooked peas (1.5mg)
• 100g cooked spring vegetables (1.4mg)
• 45g bran flakes (12.1mg)
• 200g roasted beans (2.9mg)

Magnesium

Daily Amount:270mg

Do you need any supplements? Not

Beneficial for your baby: Helps build strong bones and teeth, regulates insulin and blood sugar levels, and builds and repairs tissues. Food Sources:

• 7 Brazil nuts (96mg)
• 100g spinach (54mg)
• 100g okra (71mg)
• 180g cooked brown rice (77mg)

Manganese

Daily amount: No RNI

Do you need any supplements? Not

Benefits for your baby: Helps the development of bones and pancreas, as well as the processing of fats and carbohydrates

Food Sources:

• 7 pecans (2.4mg)
• 160g slurry (0.74mg)
• 60g ripe black beans (0.3mg)

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)

Daily amount: No RNI

Do you need any supplements? None

Benefits for your baby: Regulates stress hormones, antibodies, and growth. Helps protein and fat metabolism

Food Sources:

• 1 medium-boiled egg (1.7mg)
• half medium avocado (0.8 mg)
• 200ml semi-skimmed milk (1.6mg)

Phosphorus

Daily Amount:550mg

Do you need any supplements? Not

Beneficial for your baby: Build strong bones and teeth, and develop blood clots and normal heart rhythms

Food Sources:

• 100g canned salmon with bones (290mg)
• 60g ripe pinto nuts (90mg)
• 200ml of semi-skimmed milk (188mg)
• 60g hummus (96mcg)

Potassium

Daily amount:3.5g

Do you need any supplements? Not

Beneficial for your baby: Helps with muscle activity and contraction, metabolism, and nerve function

Food Sources:

• 1 medium potato jacket (122mg)
• 200ml grapefruit juice (200mg)
• 30g raisins (306mg)
• 1 medium banana (400mg)

Riboflavin

Daily Amount:1.4mg

Do you need any supplements? Not

Beneficial for your baby: Promotes growth, good eyesight, and healthy skin. Important for the development of bones, muscles, and nerves

Food Sources:

• 150ml of carton yogurt (0.3mg)
• 100g pork fillet (0.4mg)
• 50g mushrooms (0.2mg)
• 50g half-fat cheddar (0.3mg)

Thiamine (vitamin B1)

Daily amount:900mcg

Do you need any supplements? None

Benefits for your baby: Converts carbohydrates into energy. Important for brain development. It also helps the growth of the heart and nervous system

Food Sources:

• 100g turkey breast (2.4mg)
• 45g fortified breakfast cereal (0.47mg)
• 1 naan bread (0.4 mg)

Vitamin A (beta-carotene)

Daily amount:700mcg

Do you need any supplements? Not

Beneficial for your baby: Cell growth, eye development, skin and mucous membrane health, resistance to infections, bone growth, fat metabolism, and red blood cell production

Food Sources:

• 1 baked sweet potato (6682mcg)
• 1 raw carrot (8351mcg)
• 150g melon (2647mcg)
• half mango (772mcg)

Vitamin B6 (pyroxide)

Daily Amount:1.2mg

Do you need any supplements? Not

Beneficial for your baby: Helps the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Helps the formation of new red blood cells as well as the development of the brain and nervous system

Food Source :

• 1 medium banana (0.3mg)
• 1 medium potato jacket (1mg)
• 100g canned tuna (0.5mg)
• 100g chicken breast (0.5mg)

Vitamin C

Daily Amount:50mg

Do you need any supplements? Not

Beneficial for your baby: For tissue repair and collagen production. Helps growth and strengthens bones and teeth

Food Source :

• 160ml of orange juice (62mg)
• 100g strawberries (77mg)
• 2 sticks of broccoli (40mg)
• 2 tomatoes (30mg)

Vitamin D

Daily amount:10mcg

Do you need any supplements? Yes

Benefits for your baby: Helps the formation of bones and teeth

Food Sources:

• 100g salmon meat (8.7mcg)
• 1 boiled egg (0.9mcg)
• 2 tsp (10g) margarine (0.8mcg)

Zinc

Daily Amount:7mg

Do you need any supplements? Not

Benefits for your baby: Helps to form organs, skeleton, nerves and circulatory system

Food Sources:

• 2 thick slices of beef or lamb (5mg)
• 16g sunflower seeds (0.8mg)
• 100g canned sardines (2.3mg)