What are Prenatal Vitamins?

During your pregnancy, it’s essential that you eat a healthy diet throughout the term. However, it’s likely that you aren’t getting all the vitamins you require, due to food or dietary restrictions. Whether this is true or not, it’s always a good idea to look into taking prenatal vitamins, as they’ll be able to cover any nutritional holes in your diet. While prenatal vitamins contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, the most important ones include folic acid, calcium, iodine and iron.

The Essential Nutrients

Taking folic acid on a regular basis will help in the prevention of neural tube birth defects, a condition that can affect both the brain and spinal cord. This birth defect can develop in the first 28 days prior to conception, a time period when most women don’t even know that they’re pregnant. To ensure a healthy pregnancy, planned or not, women should take 400 mg of folic acid before conception until around the 12th week of your pregnancy. There are many foods that contain folic acid, including leafy green vegetables, nuts, beans, citrus fruits and more.

Calcium is important for pregnant women to consume because it increases bone density. As the fetus grows, it needs calcium as well for proper bone growth. Additional calcium ensures that both the mother and child have strong and healthy bones. Added iron in your diet will help blood in you and your baby carry more oxygen. Iodine, the last of the essential nutrients, is critical during pregnancy. This nutrient helps in the functionality of a healthy thyroid. A lack of iodine can not only stunt the physical development of the baby, but it can also cause severe mental disability and deafness. In worse case scenarios, it can lead to a miscarriage or stillbirth.

When taking prenatal vitamins, it’s necessary that you consume ones that carry the full nutritional amount that you need. As mentioned before, you’ll need to take 400 mg of folic acid a day. In terms of the other nutrients above, make sure any prenatal vitamins you take include at least 200 to 300 mg of calcium, 17 mg of iron and 150 micrograms of iodine.

Side Effects?

Are there any side effects to taking prenatal vitamins you should be aware of? Well, some vitamins have been known to cause nausea, particularly in women who already experience nausea during pregnancy. While this can be normal, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about it. They may prescribe a different prenatal vitamin that better suits your body.

At 12 Baskets Nutrition and Health, we’ve been providing our customers with health and wellness services for over 20 years. Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, we’re a trusted health food store that specializes in all things natural, including food, supplements and vitamins, beauty products and more. We’re your trusted Canadian health store, with a staff that’s happy to help the community enrich their quality of life. Be sure to visit any one of our health store locations throughout the Lower Mainlands, or browse through our website at www.12baskets.com.

Suddenly being responsible for a small human being can be terrifying. There are many opinions about what should and shouldn’t be done when caring for a newborn baby. To narrow it down, here are several ways to care for your child in the first few weeks of their life.

Follow-up Appointments
Your newborn needs to have a follow-up appointment when they’re three to five days old, as well as seven to fourteen days old. This can be arranged while you’re in the maternity unit with the help of your nurse or as you’re leaving. Choosing a doctor is simple as you can choose between your family doctor, a new one entirely or a pediatrician.

Bathing
Your baby should be fully bathed once or twice a week, regardless of whether or not their umbilical cord is attached. The ideal temperature for maximum comfort is 75°F. To prepare, make sure you have clean baby clothes, towels, soap and a diaper nearby. Fill the sink or bathing tub with enough water to cover your baby so they don’t get cold before gently easing them in.

Choose the most comfortable position for both you and your baby as you wash their face and eyes with only water. Once that’s done, you can add mild baby soap and wash the rest of their body. Use a soft nailbrush to wash their hair. When you're finished, be sure to dry the umbilical cord, skin and hair thoroughly.

Dry Skin
Newborns don’t usually need lotion for any dry areas that may appear, but for extremely dry or split skin, apply olive oil or natural botanical oils such as Weleda’s Baby Comforting Calendula Flower Oil. If you prefer using lotion, choose something without perfumes or dyes. Bathing can dry out a baby’s skin, so don’t do it often and use a minimal amount of soap.

Fingernails
While very fine, a baby’s fingernails can be sharp and cut their faces. The safest method is to use a nail file to shorten nails, or you can try baby nail clippers. Using adult clipper can potentially cut the tip of their fingers or toes. Sleeping is the best time to do this and only needs to be done once a week.

Diapering
First, clean the newborn’s bottom with a warm washcloth. For girls, always clean front to back, and gently between the folds. White discharge is normal and temporary if you spot any. For boys, make sure to clean all the folds and creases. Don’t pull back the foreskin for cleaning if your child isn’t circumcised, as this will happen naturally during puberty.

When applying the diaper, try to keep it below the umbilical cord so it can dry out more quickly. Any pinkish or red staining on the diaper is normal for the first three to four days, indicating that they need to be fed as often as possible.

Clothing
Dress your baby for whatever temperature is in the room. If it’s around 70°F, a shirt, gown and blanket will do. As they get older, it’s safe to turn the temperature down to 62°F at the most. You’ll be able to tell if your child is too warm, as their skin will be hot to the touch and sweat will appear. Extreme heat can cause a heat rash. If their body is warm but their feet and hands are cool, they’ve reached the ideal temperature.

Going Outside
As they’re still quite vulnerable to illnesses, keep your newborn away from large crowds and avoid anyone who’s sick at all costs.

At 12 Baskets Nutrition & Health Co., we are a trusted Canadian retailer for natural health supplements and products. With stores across the Lower Mainland, British Columbia, our staff is dedicated to enriching the quality of life for each of our customers. Our 20+ year success is grounded in our passion for all things natural, spreading its healing effects throughout the community.

Visit our website www.12baskets.com for a full list of products.

For some of us, spring and summer mean avoiding nature at all costs while we dust our houses with hazmat suits on. We want to enjoy going outside, but sneezing every few seconds and having itchy eyes prevent us from truly experiencing a good time outdoors. If you are tired of relying on over the counter pills to combat your seasonal allergies, try these five natural allergy relief remedies.

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