Whether working on your education, forging your career, or growing your family, covering your nutritional bases can improve energy and focus, and help you cope with life’s stressors. But finding efficient ways to get this nourishment is also crucial! Wouldn’t you like to find a multivitamin designed to match your needs before, after, and even if you’re not trying to conceive? A good multivitamin can be an excellent addition to any woman’s health routine!

A comprehensive multivitamin and mineral supplement can provide a simple daily solution to bridge nutritional gaps and help maintain overall health. And, if you’re hoping to breastfeed one day, a multivitamin is especially important to prepare your body to produce nutrient-rich milk.

What to Look for in a Multivitamin
Standing in your local health store, facing rows of multivitamins, it’s common to feel overwhelmed. Here’s a clear checklist to help you decipher the label:

1. Essential Ingredients: A well-rounded multivitamin should encompass a range of vital nutrients, including:
   • B vitamins
   • Adequate calcium
   • Magnesium
   • Iron
   • Vitamin C
   • Vitamin D3
   • Vitamin E
   • Vitamin K2
2. The Importance of Folate: Pay special attention to folate. Your cells rely on B vitamins not only for your own health but also for the growth and development of your baby, reducing the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs).
3. Aquamin™ – A Natural Powerhouse: Consider multivitamins that contain Aquamin™, a whole food, red algae rich in calcium, magnesium, and a complement of 72 other minerals. It efficiently bolsters bones and overall health.
4. Iron for Vital Oxygen: During pregnancy, iron is pivotal for increasing blood volume, ensuring a sufficient oxygen supply to your baby. Look for iron bisglycinate, an easily absorbable form of chelated iron that doesn’t cause constipation, a common issue with iron supplementation. Inadequate iron intake can lead to your body struggling to support your growing baby, potentially resulting in issues like low birth weight, premature birth, and postpartum depression.
5. B Vitamins for Energy: While all B vitamins are essential for energy, seeking “methylated” B vitamins is key. These variants offer higher absorption, ensuring your body responds effectively to increased energy demands.

Searching for a Synergistic Combination
The most synergistic multivitamin formulas have all the right nutrients and minerals in absorbable forms and optimal amounts, so you reap all their rewards. This is important before, during, and after pregnancy. Typically, the focus has been a few months before and during pregnancy; however, the postpartum period requires equal (or even more) support, given the lack of sleep, changes in lifestyles, demands of lactation, and more.

This is likely to be the most physically challenging journey your body will go through, so it makes sense to boost your nutritional support to prepare ahead and help with a smooth recovery period.

Enhancing the Impact of Your Supplements
You can’t expect to simply take a supplement and be done. It’s always a good idea to pair your pre and post natal supplementation with a healthy and active lifestyle.

1. Eat a nourishing diet as often as possible. This means filling your plate with adequate protein, leafy greens, sea vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats to get nutrition from its original source (food!).
2. Ask for support when you need it. No woman is an island, and before and after you have a baby (or anytime in your life), focus on building your village. Having familial and friend support is an act of self-care and will come in handy at times of increased struggle or change.
3. Forget sleeping when the baby sleeps (wishful thinking!) and focus on other times to ensure you’re getting adequate rest and recovery. That might mean asking friends and family to reserve their visits for after your first week or two with your newborn, asking a partner or friend to take something off your to-do list, or simply finding moments of rest even if it isn’t sleep.
4. Pair your daily supplements with a habit you never forget. We know you’re not missing that cup of tea in the morning! So place your supplements next to your kettle and take them while you wait for the water to boil.

Meet Health First Pre and Post Natal Multi Supreme

A well-rounded formula, Pre and Post Natal Multi Supreme is gentle on your stomach, highly bioavailable, and includes key vitamins and minerals to support your reproductive years.

It’s formulated with methylated B vitamins, plant-based Aquamin™ calcium and magnesium, and Ferrochel^® iron bisglycinate, so you know you’re properly supporting early fetal development while helping maintain your healthy glucose metabolism and immune function.

Always pair your supplement routine with a healthy, well-rounded diet, and a routine in which you can remember to take your 2-3 capsules daily!

References:
1. Armistead, Brooke, et al. “Placental Regulation of Energy Homeostasis during Human Pregnancy.” Endocrinology, vol. 161, no. 7, 16 May 2020, https://doi.org/10.1210/endocr/bqaa076.
2. Citu, Ioana Mihaela, et al. “Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc Supplementation during Pregnancy: The Additive Value of Micronutrients on Maternal Immune Response after SARS-CoV-2 Infection.” Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 7, 30 Mar. 2022, p. 1445, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14071445. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.
3. Mayo Clinic. “Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia during Pregnancy.” Mayo Clinic, 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/anemia-during-pregnancy/art-20114455.
4. “Planned Parenthood.” org, 2020, www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/pregnancy/pre-pregnancy-health/what-are-prenatal-vitamins.

About the Author: Health First Network

Health First Network is Canada’s leading membership group for independent health & wellness retailers and the exclusive supplier of the premium Health First supplement brand. There are over 140 independently owned and operated retail Members across the country. Click here to learn more about Health First.