Best Pregnancy & Postpartum Supplements for the Expecting Mother

He second I found out I was expecting, I started googling everything! What to buy, do, read; on and on! One subject that was extremely important to me was supplementation during pregnancy; what’s safe and what’s not?
Supplements have always been part of my training program and I was curious to find out not only what I needed for 9 months and postpartum, but what was best for my baby.

So I made a list of all the supplements I researched, ran in by my doctor, and I can say that my pregnancy was greatly influenced for the better by supplementation!

So to save you all the google time, I’ve put together a list of The Best Pregnancy and Postpartum Supplementation:

Folate or folic acid.
This is a highly debatable but heavily researched supplement used for pregnant women. I personally used a synthetic folic acid for a month before knowing that I needed folate!

The folate supplement that I used. Found at Whole Foods. There is a substantial difference between folic acid (the synthetic form) and folate (the natural form) Folate is an extremely effective supplement at preventing neural tube defects in babies. Just make sure to check your multi, it may already contain synthetic folic acid.

Photo by Mike Larremore

Prenatal multivitamin This is a no brainer; but the bigger question is what quality should I use? Prenatal vitamins are used to supplement a pregnant woman’s diet deficiencies while pregnant; like your first trimester when the only thing you can get down is some crackers!


The suggest using a brand that doesn’t contain synthetics and if you’re eating red meat.

in your diet, skip the iron contribution found in many prenatals. On a side note, I had a hard time keeping my meals down during the nausea phase of my first trimester, so I spread my multivitamin throughout the day; one in the morning and one at night. Also, the prenatal chews are easier for most women to take.

Omega 3s
Omega 3s and healthy fats are important to any woman; pregnant or not. But getting clean, healthy fats is especially important during pregnancy to balance your Omega ratios, fats for your baby’s brain development, and help with recovery in postpartum.

I used Citrus Omega by Axis Labs, before and after my pregnancy because its 100% purified Nordic fish and contains 0 mercury.

Probiotic
One thing no one tells you about your body during pregnancy is how important a probiotic is to your digestion and helping with protein absorption.
Using a probiotic will not only make your tummy happier, but can help your baby ward off ear infections and illness when he’s born. Since baby’s gut bacteria continues to culture through nursing breast milk, it’s super important to keep this in your supplementation once your baby is born.

Coconut oil
A natural immune system booster and the cleanest alternative for cooking oil. Coconut oil can help brain development for your little one and support breast milk in postpartum.

   

Branch Chain Amino Acids I’ve been using BCAA’s since I started my career and I was so happy to be able to continue them during my pregnancy and postpartum!
Branch Chain Amino Acids are great in aiding in muscle recovery and hydration! During my first trimester, when I was severely dehydrated from nausea, I took Axis Labs NGAGE Aminos and it saved me! I was so glad I could take a product other than sugary, Gatorade to help keep me hydrated. In my personal opinion, it helped me tremendously my first couple days postpartum to heal so quickly!
By the way fit moms, I’m not a doctor. I’m not even a veteran mom! But I have been in the nutrition industry for multiple years and take what I put into my body VERY serious.

So with that being said, this post is about what I personally took before and after my pregnancy and please consult your doctor before beginning any type of supplement program.

Alike training during pregnancy, supplementation and nutrition shouldn’t be forgotten just because you’re pregnant. Your child is an even greater motivation to be healthy and happy!

 

Article contributed by: Alysha White, Axis Labs Sponsored Athlete and Master Trainer @justafitchick