My journey to motherhood has not been the easiest road and having suffered losses along the way, I was determined to get my body in perfect harmony in order to carry a healthy baby to full term!
If youāve been reading the blog lately, youāll see the vast amounts of supplements I have been taking both before and throughout this pregnancy. These are supplements which were recommended to me through professionals and vast research regarding conception.
My full pregnancy supplement protocol only contains the best, active ingredients from Life Extension Europe. This brilliant brand contains high quality nutritional supplements, backed by science. Every single vitamin and mineral I have been taking is absolutely essential for a healthy pregnancy, as they each play an important role in the formation of foetus abs the developmental process during and after.
1: Prenatal Advantage
Prenatal Advantage is an overall prenatal supplement which I would highly recommend to mothers to be. The quality supplement contains the most bio available forms of nutrients that you can possibly receive.
This formula provides the latest recommended dosages of vitamins and minerals (vitamin A, B, C, D3, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, folate, iron, iodine, zinc, selenium, copper, potassium) as well as extra nutrients like choline, lutein, zeaxanthin and DHA omega-3- which can benefit mum and babies special nutritional needs.
If you would prefer to opt for a single supplement to support the prenatal stage this comes highly recommended, backed by science and contains bio active ingredients which would be difficult to source with other supplement brands.
Prenatal Advantage can be found here: www.lifeextensioneurope.com/prenatal-advantage
2: Vitamin D3
Another essential unavoidable supplement you should be taking each day is Vitamin D. Studies report that insufficient intake of Vitamin D is associated with a higher risk of health problems which can be detrimental to the development of a foetus.
Vitamin D supplementation is recommended throughout the darker months from September to mid March, but pregnant women should always be recommended to take a single Vitamin D3 supplement in pregnancy because it helps your babyās bones, teeth, kidneys, heart and nervous system to develop.
Vitamin D3 tends to be full of fillers, synthetic materials and low quality. Life Extension Europe has created a D3 supplement which is quickly and easily absorbed into the blood stream, housed in soft gel capsules.
The active ingredients in Life Extension Europe Vitamin D3 can:
ā¢ Support bone density
ā¢ Contribute to the immune system and bone health
ā¢ Support cell differentiation and blood pressure regulation
A Vitamin D3 supplement will ensure your baby has enough Vitamin D for the first few months of life & likewise breastfeeding mums should also take a Vitamin D supplement. As breast milk is not actually a complete food, having healthy amounts of vitamins and minerals as you breast feed can reduce developmental issues.
Vitamin D3 can be found here: https://www.lifeextensioneurope.com/vitamin-d3-250-softgels-eu
3: Folate
Optimised Folate is the optimal format of folic acid. This is a supplement which comes up a lot when speaking about pregnancy, due folic avid being an extremely important vitamin in the B-complex category. Folate is absolutely essential for the formulation of red blood cells as well as overall cell growth, functions and of course your baby.
When it comes to pregnancy, folate is the most highly recommended supplement. There is an array of reasons for this but probably the most important is spinal development. If a mother to be has low levels of folic acid or is deficient in any way, this can result in extreme developmental issues and consequences for the baby unfortunately. An optimized version of folate is the perfect supplement to prevent foetal issues.
People may be misled due to folic acid being present in food. Unfortunately most foods do not guarantee a stable source of folate, natural folates are quite unstable compounds, so that losses in vitamin activity can be expected during food processing. In vegetables, up to 40 per cent of folates can be destroyed by cooking and in grains/cereals, up to 70 per cent of folates can be destroyed by milling and baking.
A folate supplement is very important for a healthy pregnancy and Life Extension have created optimised folate with this in mind.
Optimised Folate can be found here: https://www.lifeextensioneurope.com/optimized-folate
4: Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral which plays an important role in nerve and muscle function and helps to maintain normal blood pressure. It also helps your baby build strong teeth and bones. Plus, research suggests that getting adequate amounts of magnesium during pregnancy can help prevent preterm labour and other pregnancy complications.
Life Extension Europeās Magnesium L-Theronate is a bioavailability form asĀ magnesium supplements don’t easily cross the blood-brain barrier, their benefits are limited. But, Magnesium L-Threonate is easily absorbed and able to enter the brain. It also demonstrates effectiveness as an antidepressant, anti-stress and anti-anxiety supplement
Magnesium is also a funny one in that it should be naturally present in your diet but due to excessive food processing, preservatives, importing etc. Food sources contain very minimal, low quality amounts.
There are an array of benefits for expecting women including:
- Prevention of leg cramps
- Easing of lower back, hip, and round ligament pains
- Calming nausea and morning sickness
- Deeper, more restful sleep
- Helps manage head and neck tension
- Prevents Seizures
- Can prevent early labour and premature birth
- Prevents injury to the brain development of an early term baby
As you can see magnesium is another essential in the art of conception. Pregnancy levels should be kept at around 400mg per day.
Magnesium L-Theronate can be found here:
https://www.lifeextensioneurope.com/neuro-mag-magnesium-l-threonate-90-vegetarian-capsules
5: EPA/DHA
Life Extension Mega EPA/DHA Omega-3
support the body by supplementing essential omega 3 fatty acids to improve brain, retina and cardiovascular health. Healthy levels of Omega-3 reduces triglycerides in the blood vessels – triglycerides in the blood can cause the arterial walls to harden which is one of the major causes of heart failure. Triglyceride levels can also be increased due to peaks in cortisol levels, which is why Omega-3’s are such an important supplement for reducing stress levels and inflammation. When trying to conceive, your body is under a tremendous amount of stress, so itās very important to manage this stress effectively to prevent unbearable loss.
Adequate amounts of Omega-3 must be present in the body to carry a healthy pregnancy. This essential nutrient will play a huge part in the formation and development of your babies brain and eyesight. Omega-3 is also important in the prevention of premature birth and even perinatal and post partum depression for new mums. Taking fish oils will improve your babies future, especially when it comes to eyesight, brain function and attention span.
Pregnant women should be taking 200mg of fish oils minimum per day, a much higher quantity is advised for a healthy body and baby!
Life Extension Mega EPA/DHA Omega-3 can be found here:
https://www.lifeextensioneurope.com/omega-3-EPA-DHA
6: Vitamin C
Liposome Vitamin C (absorbic acid) is an essential nutrient needed by the body to form the blood vessels, cartilage, collagen and muscle mass.
Vitamin C is absolutely vital for immune health and protecting the cells from viruses and free radicals, protecting tissues from oxidative stress which can inhibit a healthy pregnancy.
Liposomes help to protect the Vitamin C as it is travelling through the blood stream. Liposomes are bioavailable which is the best form of Vitamin C you can get. This means the Vitamin C is completely utilised by the body.
Vitamin C is going to be important in both building the skin cells and immunity of your baby while also ensuring that yours bounces back afterwards!
Pregnant women should be aiming for 85 mg of vitamin C per day, with the upper limit being 2,000 mg
Liposomal Vitamin C can be found here:
https://www.lifeextensioneurope.com/liposomal-vitamin-c
7: Probiotics
Finally probiotics, gut health is going to be a big factor here as technically, that is your babies house!
The Life Extension Florassist balance probiotics are dual encapsulated for overall health.
Generally we consider probiotics to be all about the gut but their benefits do extend much further than that.
Improved gut health during pregnancy has been found to help prevent eczema in newborns by 45%, prevent mood disorder and lower pre-eclampsia and the risk of a premature birth.
Probiotics are necessary to strengthen the immune system, improve digestion, hormone health and have even been linked to better breath, healthier hair, skin and nails.
Due to the balancing of the microbiome, probiotics can actually prevent morning sickness and nausea, which makes for a much easier pregnancy, with much less strain on the body.
Probiotics are going to have a very positive affect on your babies microbiome, as well as your own. Your babies ability to absorb nutrients and fight of viruses will depend greatly on your own health, much of which begins in the gut.
Florassist Balance can be found here:
https://www.lifeextensioneurope.com/florassist-balance
All supplements mentioned are from Life Extension Europe. You can their vast range of supplements below:
https://www.lifeextensioneurope.com
Shipping is FREE on orders over ā¬69!Ā Also, by signing up to the Life Extension Europe newsletter you will receive a ā¬10 discount on your first purchase!Ā
*** This post is sponsored by Life Extension Europe ***
