Supplements During Pregnancy

Assalamualaikum w.b.t.

I would like to share a few supplements that i took during my 1st pregnancy in 2017 and Alhamdullillah our baby, Yusuf free from jaundice and he is a healthy baby. 

First of all, what is Newborn Jaundice?  

Mostly, newborn babies will develop jaundice, a condition where the baby's skin and white eyes turns yellowish in colour within a few days after birth. For premature babies (baby that born before 37 weeks), jaundice may start early and last longer than full-term babies (baby that born after 38 weeks). Jaundice mainly occurs because of the excess "bilirubin" in the body and it can be removed from the bloodstream by the liver. In the case of newborns, the liver isn't mature enough to get rid of high level bilirubin in the bloodstream. There are few ways to prevent jaundice and also the causes of jaundice to newborns. 

You can read more about jaundice in the articles here: 

The Basics of Newborn Jaundice , Infant Jaundice, and Understanding Newborn Jaundice  

However, i believes newborn jaundice maybe can be prevented if the pregnant mother eats healthy foods and take good supplements. Here are some supplements that i consumed during my pregnancy and i think (maybe) it does help me a lot in many ways.  

(Disclaimer: I bought all the products using my own money and this is not a sponsored review. Every human body is different and this is just personal experience using these products.)

Pomegranate Concentrate Gulsan 

Extra Food HPAI

Pure Honey

Besides, i also took medicines given by Klinik Kesihatan. I started consumes these medicines since 8 weeks pregnant (first prenatal appointment) until i gave birth.  

Iron Tablet Benefits of Iron Tablet:  To make extra blood (haemoglobin/hb) for mother and baby during pregnancy.       Helps move oxygen from mother's lungs to the rest of body and to the baby.        Prevent lack of red blood cells that will lead to tiredness (called as 'iron      deficiency anaemia). Side effects of having anaemia is baby tend to be born too small or too early (premature).  During 7 months pregnant, my hb level dropped from 11+ to 10.6 (kalau bawah 11, nurse akan tulis warna merah dlm buku pink tu, dan suruh mkn iron tablets tu 4 biji sehari, selalunya mkn 2 biji je.) Then, i need to consult the doctor and she said "it is normal when baby is getting bigger, he will take more iron from the mother, so the mother needs to consume more iron or more eat foods that high in iron". After that, apart of consumed iron tablets, i also ate foods that high in iron like chicken liver, spinach, and broccoli (almost every day) to increase hb level and Alhamdulillah my hb level increased to 12 on the day i gave birth.  Basically there are two types of iron in food:   Heme Iron - it is found in animal sources and also type of iron that our body absorbs best. Non Heme Iron - it is found in plant sources. List of foods that contains high iron (usually there are some people that cannot tolerate with iron tablet, so they can eat natural foods that high in iron) such as:  Shellfish such as clams, oysters, and mussels Liver such as chicken and beef liver Legumes such as beans, lentils, peas, and soybeans Red meat Anchovies Broccoli Spinach You can read more here : 11 Healthy Foods That Are High In Iron, Iron-Rich Foods, Iron In Your Pregnancy Diet, and Are You Getting Enough Iron?

Folic Acid  Folic acid is a man-made form of a B vitamin (B-9) called folate. Folate plays an important role in the development of baby's brain and spinal cord. We can eat more foods that contain folate like dark green vegetables and citrus foods. However, even a healthy diet does not have enough folic acid for pregnancy, so taking folic acid tablets is VERY IMPORTANT!   Benefits of Folic Acid: Helps in the neural development of the foetus Helps baby's healthy growth and development Enhance the production of red blood cells in the body You can read more here : Folic Acid And Pregnancy, Benefits of Taking Folic Acid Before Pregnancy, and 5 Reasons Why You Should Folic Acid In Pregnancy B Complex Vitamin

It is important for the pregnant mother to include all the B vitamins (known as B Complex Vitamin) in her diet as it will support our body in converting food (carbohydrates) into energy (glucose). Plus, these vitamins help our body to get adequate nutrition and support baby's growth and development.

There are eight B vitamins in B Complex and each one plays a very important role for healthy pregnancy. 

Benefits of B Complex Vitamin:

B-1 (Thiamine) - plays big part in baby's brain development

B-2 (Riboflavin) - keeps mother's eyes and skin healthy and glowing

B-3 (Niacin) - improves digestion and can ease morning sickness and nausea

B-5 (Pantothenic Acid) - helps create pregnancy hormones and ease leg cramps

B-6 (Pyrodoxine) - plays a big part in baby's brain and nervous system development

B-7 (Biotin) - pregnancy can cause biotin deficiency, so increase your intake

B-9 (Folic Acid) - can reduce baby's risk of developing birth defects

B-12 (Cobalamin) - helps maintain mother and baby's spine and central nervous system

There are also natural foods high in B complex vitamin that you can eat. 

You can read more here: How Important Are B Vitamins In Pregnancy? and Vitamin B Complex During Pregnancy: Why Are They Important

Above all, pregnant mother should take of herself, have enough rest, avoid doing heavy works, and eat healthy foods (forced yourself to eat even you don't want to, because baby in your womb get all the nutritious from food that you eat. Put your baby as main priority). 

That's all for this entry. I hope you can get benefits from it and if you do have any inquiries, you can search and read more articles about it, and also can consult your doctor for more confirmation. Thank you for reading. 💖