Nutrition Before or Between Pregnancies – S4E8

[00:00:00] Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez: Welcome to The Parenting Brief. I’m your host, Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez, an Arizona working mom and chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. Parenthood doesn’t come with an instruction manual, but the next best thing is advice from experts in your community who know all about the joys and challenges of parenting.

[00:00:23] And the best part, they share it with you right here on this podcast.

[00:00:33] Thank you for joining me today on The Parenting Brief. There’s a lot that goes into being a parent. From picking a name to baby proofing the house and everything in between. There are important vitamins and nutrients to keep track of during the period before or in between pregnancies. Since many pregnancies are unplanned, taking a multivitamin is important.

[00:00:52] Today we’ll cover what you need to know.

[00:00:59] So with us today is Susie Leo from the Power Me A2Z program. Susie is a Professional Parent and Child Health Dietitian for the Arizona Department of Health Services and a registered dietitian nutritionist.

[00:01:11] Thank you so much for being here, Susie.

[00:01:13] Susie Leo: Thanks for having me, Jessica.

[00:01:14] Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez: Why is it important for individuals to take vitamins before or even in between pregnancies?

[00:01:23] Susie Leo: That’s a great question. So the Power Me A2Z folic acid program that I manage, we actually distribute multivitamins with folic acid. Folic acid is important for people who can get pregnant, whether they plan to or not. If somebody is physically able to get pregnant, we recommend that they take a multivitamin with folic acid.

[00:01:43] And that is to help prevent birth defects in the event that they do get pregnant. And because we know half of pregnancies are not planned, if someone is capable of getting pregnant, that folic acid needs to be in their body before they were to get pregnant.

[00:01:58] Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez: Is there any difference between the vitamins that may be needed for individuals between pregnancies? So they’ve already had a baby and maybe they are or are not planning to get pregnant again. Is there any difference or is it the same regardless if it is before or between pregnancies?

[00:02:18] Susie Leo: Yeah, so after somebody gives birth, it is recommended to continue on their prenatal vitamin, which prenatal is during pregnancy.

[00:02:26] They continue their prenatal vitamin while breastfeeding. And then when that runs out, or you know, when they cease breastfeeding or stop breastfeeding, then they would switch to say a one-a-day, which is the vitamin that the Power Me A2Z program gives out. If somebody gives birth and is not breastfeeding, then they, you know, finish out those prenatals if they want, and then go to a one-a-day, like I just spoke of, like the Power Me program gives.

[00:02:51] There are vitamins that are, you know, marketed as postnatal vitamins after giving birth, but it really is recommended to continue your prenatal after giving birth and while still breastfeeding and then switching to a one-a-day. A postnatal is not needed necessarily. I think they’re marketing a product to maybe a vulnerable audience that’s just given birth and maybe they think they need these special nutrients or a special expensive vitamin.

[00:03:18] But really, people who have given birth should be going to their postpartum checkup with their health care provider and that doctor, you know, is most likely doing labs and checking if any, you know, lab values are very low after giving birth, and that doctor would probably, you know, prescribe some type of supplement if something is very off. But in most cases, somebody doesn’t need a special postnatal vitamin. Just getting back onto a regular women’s one-a-day after birth, if not breastfeeding, and after breastfeeding if somebody is breastfeeding.

[00:03:51] Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez: We know that individuals can get pregnant while breastfeeding, so if they are taking that prenatal vitamin, which varies in nutrients than just that women’s one-a-day that you would be taking before or between pregnancies, is there any issue, concern, risk of getting pregnant while breastfeeding, taking that prenatal vitamin versus that vitamin with that folic acid?

[00:04:17] Susie Leo: That’s a great question. So the prenatal vitamin has usually 600 micrograms of folic acid, which is needed during pregnancy. And then the vitamin that PowerMe gives or a women’s one-a-day type vitamin has 400 micrograms of folic acid. And so at least the 400, which is what we give, and the 600 that’s in a prenatal, that level, at least 400, is what’s needed to help prevent birth defects.

[00:04:43] So if somebody was breastfeeding, got pregnant while breastfeeding, and they’re still on that prenatal, they should be fine because that vitamin should have at least 600 micrograms of folic acid. So they’re covered.

[00:04:55] Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez: Other than the folic acid, is there anything that they should be looking at on the label of vitamins to know whether or not it is an appropriate vitamin to be taking before or between pregnancies, other than that 400 micrograms of folic acid?

[00:05:12] Susie Leo: Yes, some nutrients of concern, you know, definitely after someone gives birth are things like the folic acid or the folate, as we mentioned, calcium, vitamin D, iron after giving birth because you know, somebody has probably lost some blood, omega-3 fatty acids. And similarly in a vitamin like the Power Me program gives, ours does not have iron, but again, ours is a women’s one-a-day type of vitamin, and so it should be meeting a good amount of their daily needs to supplement what they’re already eating in a balanced diet.

[00:05:44] Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez: Does the cost mean anything in the quality of the vitamin, or if somebody can’t afford a vitamin, what options are there to ensure that they’re getting the nutrients that they need?

[00:05:56] Susie Leo: Yeah, so vitamins are regulated, and so costs should not matter in terms of the quality of the ingredients. If they are certified by USP, which is what you want to look for on the label, then that means it has been verified to contain what it says it contains and is safe with your doctor’s, you know, approval and knowledge that you’re taking that.

[00:06:19] And then for somebody that can’t afford a vitamin, as I’ve mentioned, the Power Me A2Z program, we offer a free three month supply of our multivitamin with folic acid, and that’s a 100 day supply for free. People can reorder, get on the website and order another three months. Our hope is that after taking a three month supply from Power Me, that somebody, you know, would be in the habit and would want to purchase their own vitamin if they’re able.

[00:06:47] And now that they’re in that habit, they would want to keep that up. If they’re not able to financially, they are able to order again through Power Me A2Z.

[00:06:55] Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez: What are the risks or concerns of not taking a prenatal vitamin?

[00:07:02] Susie Leo: So, during pregnancy, as soon as someone finds out they’re pregnant, they should start taking a prenatal vitamin, and that’s for during the period of being pregnant.

[00:07:10] That prenatal vitamin provides nutrients to help that developing baby be healthy. It provides nutrients that the mom needs because she’s losing nutrients to that growing baby, so she needs some of that as well. And during pregnancy, your body needs higher levels of certain nutrients. So if you go from, you know, a women’s one-a-day type of vitamin or the Power Me vitamin, as I mentioned, you get pregnant and then you switch to a prenatal, your body now needs higher amounts of certain nutrients and that’s what that prenatal vitamin is going to provide.

[00:07:44] And one of those higher amounts needed is folic acid. Your needs go from 400, to help prevent birth defects, up to 600 micrograms in a prenatal vitamin. So that’s just one example of higher nutrient needs that are delivered in a prenatal vitamin.

[00:08:00] Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez: Can you get all of the nutrients you need from food?

[00:08:05] Susie Leo: Well, speaking specifically to folic acid, and then I’ll touch on some others, but our bodies absorb the human made form of folate, which is folic acid.

[00:08:15] The natural form is folate, the human made form is folic acid. Our bodies absorb it better from the human made form. And so that’s what’s in vitamins and supplements, and that’s what is added to foods when they are fortified. The FDA required folic acid be added to certain foods to help lower the risk of birth defects, and it is that human-made form which we absorb better.

[00:08:38] The CDC says that folic acid, the human made form, is the only way proven to prevent birth defects. And in terms of other nutrients, I doubt most of us are eating the perfect, the well-balanced, the, you know, all-inclusive diet that’s providing all of our nutrient needs. That takes a whole lot of planning and intention and tracking probably, and most of us probably aren’t.

[00:09:04] And so that’s why a vitamin is known as like an insurance policy to get those nutrients to meet our needs and what we don’t need above and beyond that, then our body gets rid of and doesn’t store that.

[00:09:17] Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez: So there’s not a risk of taking too much of a vitamin?

[00:09:22] Susie Leo: Not that would be found in a one-a-day type of vitamin.

[00:09:25] And again, in consultation with a doctor or a healthcare provider. But for most healthy people, there is not a risk of taking a multivitamin in too high of an amount.

[00:09:42] Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez: For our listeners tuning in today, we hope you enjoyed this episode. Make sure to check out our previous episodes. We have a lot of great tips and info about pregnancy. vitamins, and family care. While you’re there, be sure to follow us and share this episode so this conversation doesn’t end today. Until next time, this is Jessica.

[00:10:00] You’ve got this.