When you are pregnant with twins, triplets or higher order multiples, you need to follow separate guidelines regarding many of the nutrients and vitamins that you need during pregnancy.  What you need to be aware of is that you should get try to get these additional vitamins through healthy foods that you eat rather than through a vitamin supplement.  This should be easy since you already have to increase your caloric intake anyway.  If you combine calories with nutrients needed then you are killing two birds with one stone.

Before we start talking about vitamins and minerals for your multiples pregnancy, you must know that when you are pregnant with multiples, you should NOT take more than one prenatal vitamin per day (unless ordered by your doctor).  Prenatal vitamins have specific measurements of vitamins and minerals in them.  Some of those vitamins and minerals can become harmful if you take them in too large of a dose.  What you will find is that you don’t need twice the amount of everything for twins and three times the amount of everything for triplets.  You will just need a slight increase in some of the most essential vitamins and minerals.

Why is proper vitamin, mineral and nutrient intake so important for your multiples pregnancy?  They all help ensure that you are healthy during your pregnancy and they help ensure that your babies are healthy and develop appropriately.  They are the building blocks for helping to develop your babies’ muscles, organs and tissues and they help your babies’ to have proper eye, ear and mental development.  When you are expecting multiples, there are certain vitamins and minerals that you will need to increase to help your babies’ development.

Calcium intake is one of the most important things to watch food-wise during your pregnancy.  It is important to help your bones and teeth to stay strong as a multiples pregnancy can take it’s toll on those two things because your babies’ are taking the calcium from you.  You need to take enough calcium in for them AND for you.  It is also essential in helping your children develop strong bones and teeth in the future.  Instead of the 1000 mg of calcium recommended daily for a woman expecting one baby, women expecting twins or triplets should get at least 1200-1300 mg of calcium daily.  This equals about four cups of milk per day. You can also get your calcium through other foods such as cheese, yogurt, fruit smoothies and broccoli.

Many pregnant women experience constipation.  When you are expecting multiples, you are even more prone to having problems with constipation.  You should eat plenty of foods high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, bran cereals and beans.  You can also discuss taking a fiber supplement with your OB/GYN.  They might have a particular brand to recommend.

Women expecting multiples have a higher risk for low iron levels and anemia.  Your OB/GYN should check your iron levels during your visits.  They might either prescribe an iron supplement or put you on a diet that contains foods that are high in iron.  Some foods high in iron include Total cereal, green, leafy vegetables, whole wheat, brown rice and watermelon.

Protein intake is also important for women carrying multiples.  If you are expecting twins, then you should aim for between 110-120 grams of protein daily and if you are expecting triplets then you should aim for between 140-150 grams of protein daily.  This means moms-to-be of twins need four protein servings daily and moms-to-be of triplets need five protein servings daily.  You can get protein from many sources including chicken breast, turkey breast, lean red meat, fish, soy-based products and eggs.

We have all heard the importance of taking Folic Acid during pregnancy.  If you are pregnant with multiples, you do not need to take any more Folic Acid than the recommended dose for a single pregnancy unless, of course, your doctor tells you differently.

Make your snacks count.  Choose snacks that are filling and rich in nutrients.  These could include peanut butter, peanut butter crackers, yogurt, nuts, cheese, dried fruit, granola and healthy bars, such as Luna Bars.  Keep these snacks handy.  To avoid temptation, clear your cupboards of unhealthy foods such as chocolate bars, pastries and cookies.  Yes, you can be bad every now and then, but the more healthy stuff you have around the better it will be for you and your babies.

This article can serve as a guideline to help you choose healthy foods for you and your babies during your pregnancy.  You should always consult with your OB/GYN and a hospital or clinic nutritionist to ensure that you are getting the proper nutrition.  By increasing some of your vitamin, mineral and nutrient intake you can help ensure that you are having a healthy pregnancy and that your babies are getting everything they need to help them develop appropriately and be healthy.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 21st, 2006 at 5:21 am and is filed under Multiples. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.