Even with a varied and balanced diet, one in three women is deficient in vitamins and minerals during pregnancy. During this period, the requirements for iron and vitamin D double and the requirements for iodine and vitamin B9 increase by 30%. It is therefore important to take the lead, even before getting pregnant.

The benefits of Omega-3 in pregnant women are increasingly demonstrated. These good quality lipids (fats) contribute to both the health of the pregnant woman and that of the unborn baby.

Some Omega-3s greatly participate in the development of fetal eye and brain cells: DHA and EPA. Studies in young children have shown that good omega-3 levels at birth speed up visual maturation and may even increase their IQ.

In addition, in expectant mothers, a good Omega-3 status helps them maintain good morale throughout pregnancy and even after childbirth: women who consume the most omega 3 suffer less from Postpartum baby blues.

Screen for Omega-3 deficiency

Blood Omega-3 dosages are possible but expensive and not widely practiced. However, it is established that Omega-3s are very often lacking in our plates. To avoid deficiencies, it is recommended to eat fish twice a week, including fatty fish once. If you consume much less, it is highly possible that you have an Omega-2 deficiency.

In this case, bet on the foods that contain the most:

• Oily fish such as herring, mackerel, fresh sardines, fresh or canned tuna, trout, eel, anchovies, etc.
• Seafood : oysters (cooked) in particular
• Flaxseed-fed chicken eggs
• Nuts: nuts especially, but also almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews
• The oils : perilla, camelina, nigella, hemp, walnuts, rapeseed, soybeans. But be careful because the Omega-3 present in these oils is only slightly transformed into DHA and EPA.

It is therefore important to favor animal products previously mentioned.

You can also possibly take dietary supplements based on fish oil during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Vitamin B9 (also called folic acid or folate) is essential from the first days of pregnancy because it is directly involved in the production of genetic material (including DNA) and the formation of the fetal nervous system which occurs very early in the pregnancy. A maternal deficiency can be at the origin, from the 4th week of pregnancy, of serious malformations of the neural tube – which is none other than the outline of the central nervous system – but also of a delay of growth in utero.

Screen for folate deficiency

A lack of folic acid is identified by a simple blood test: the red blood cells are too few and too large. However, it’s good to know that half of French women lack folic acid. And for good reason: one in two women has folate intakes lower than 2/3 of the recommended nutritional intake and more than 50% of women do not properly metabolize folic acid.

A deficiency in Vitamin B9 manifests itself by great fatigue, loss of appetite, even excessive irritability and manifests itself at the beginning of pregnancy because the needs increase from the very first weeks.

Foods that contain the most:

• Dark green vegetables: spinach, chard, watercress, butter beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, romaine lettuce, etc.
• Legumes: lentils (orange, green, black), lentils, dried beans, broad beans, peas (split, chick, whole).
• Orange-colored fruits: oranges, clementines, mandarins, melon

The National Health Nutrition Program (PNNS), however, recommends systematic supplementation from the start of pregnancy and often even from the desire for pregnancy.

Iron allows red blood cells to take up oxygen in the lungs for transport throughout the pregnant woman’s body and to the fetus via the placenta. During pregnancy, a woman’s iron needs are increased on the one hand because the blood volume of the mother-to-be increases and on the other hand because the baby’s needs are important for his development.

Because of the menstrual losses which induce a great loss of blood, the lack of iron is frequent in women. An iron deficiency induces great fatigue and shortness of breath on exertion. During pregnancy, it can cause premature delivery or hypotrophy (small baby).

Screen for iron deficiency

Iron stores can be assessed with a simple blood test. The iron level is generally lower in women who already have one or more children. In case of deficiency, iron in the form of medicine will be prescribed by the gynecologist, often from the 5th month of pregnancy.

Foods that contain the most:

• Offal : black pudding, kidneys and the heart in particular. however, the liver should be avoided (vitamin A)
• Red meats : beef, veal, lamb and game
• Poultry : chicken, turkey, duck. Focus on the parts with the most blood supply such as the thighs
• Fish and seafood : tuna, sardines, herring or grilled mackerel, clams, periwinkles, mussels and cooked oysters.

Among the foods of plant origin:

• The green vegetables : nettle, parsley, spinach, watercress
• The seaweeds : like sea lettuce and spirulina
• Legumes : red and white beans, chickpeas, split peas and lentils
• Oleaginous fruits (almond, hazelnut, walnut, pistachio), sesame, including in paste form and dried apricots and dried figs
• Grain products and müesli, especially with millet and oat flakes
• Condiments and spices : some are full of iron such as thyme, cumin, curry and ginger
• Dark chocolate (70-80% cocoa)

In addition, to properly absorb iron from food, vitamin C is essential. Be sure to consume fresh vegetables and / or fruits at each meal and in particular, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, oranges, grapefruit and other citrus fruits, possibly in the form of fruit juice, preferably freshly squeezed.

In addition, caffeine and theine decrease the absorption of iron. These drinks should therefore be consumed at a distance from meals and in a moderate fashion. We advise not to exceed 3 cups per day.

Iodine plays an absolutely essential role in the development of the baby’s brain and in the functioning of the mother’s thyroid gland.

The need for iodine increases during pregnancy while the lack of iodine in pregnant women is often pointed out by nutritionists and gynecologists.

Screen for iodine deficiency

A lack of iodine is diagnosed by a simple urine test. In all cases, iodine supplementation is recommended for all pregnant women.

Foods that contain the most:

• seafood : fresh, frozen or canned fish, shellfish and crustaceans
• milk
• eggs
• dairy products

Tip: choose one iodized salt is an easy way to supplement your intake and cover your needs during pregnancy.