Trimester Nutrient Requirements

During pregnancy, your nutritional needs increase significantly to support the rapid growth and development of your baby. From the formation of vital organs to the strengthening of bones and immune system, every stage of your baby's development relies on a rich supply of essential nutrients. This is why understanding and incorporating the right nutrients into your diet is vital for a healthy pregnancy.

In this blog, we will explore the key nutrients that are essential during pregnancy and how they benefit you and your baby. Whether you're in the early stages of planning your pregnancy or already nurturing a growing baby bump, this guide will help you make informed choices to support a healthy pregnancy journey.

Trimester 1:

• Vitamin A: Deficiency poses a significant risk to public health, especially for pregnant women and the developing fetus. Vitamin A plays a vital role in the development of fetal facial features and thyroid function.
• Folate: AKA vitamin B9, is crucial in minimising the risk of neural tube defects. It’s highly recommended to supplement with the methylated “active” form of folate, not folic acid. Look into the MTHFR gene mutation
• Choline: This is another essential nutrient that also reduces the risk of neural tube defects in the first trimester. It also plays a significant role in baby’s brain development.
• Iodine: Deficiency affects nearly 1/3 of the population. Iodine is crucial during pregnancy as a fetus depends on its mother for thyroid hormones until about week 16.
• Vitamin C & Zinc: During the 1st trimester, Vitamin C and zinc play an important role in supporting the suppressed immune system, which is common in early pregnancy.
• Magnesium: Requirements increase by 30% during pregnancy and are vital throughout all trimesters.

Trimester 2:

• Iron: In the 2nd trimester, iron becomes a crucial nutrient as blood volume increases by 40-50%. It’s vital for transporting oxygen to all parts of the body and to the developing baby.
• Calcium: At 20 weeks gestation, calcium becomes important as the baby’s skeletal system, muscles, and heart continue to develop.

 The following vitamins and minerals remain important in the 2nd trimester:

• Choline
• Iodine (until week 16)
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
• Protein: Protein is an essential not only for fetal growth, but also for the development of the placenta and maternal tissues like skin, uterine, and breast. Recent research indicates that optimal protein intake during pregnancy is significantly higher than previously estimated.

 For example, the optimal daily protein intake for a 68kg woman would equate to:

• 83g per day in early pregnancy (< 16 weeks gestation)
• 103g per day in late pregnancy (> 30 weeks gestation).

Trimester 3:

• Iron & protein: Increased levels of iron and protein remain crucial to maintain increased blood volume, support the growth and cellular development of the baby, and ensure a healthy placenta.
• Calcium: The baby’s bones become more developed and as a result, denser. Because of this, calcium remains a key nutrient during this stage.
• Vitamin D3 & K2: 2 essential nutrients for bone health are the fat-soluble vitamins D3 and K2. While the importance of D3 is widely recognised, K2 remains relatively overlooked.
• DHA & Choline: The 3rd trimester = significant brain development - choline and DHA are required to help support this time of increased growth and development.

Postpartum (Trimester 4):

• Omega 3: If there is an insufficient intake of DHA, maternal stores are used to enrich breast milk. This is concerning because the body favours DHA to enrich breast milk and the body’s largest source of DHA is the brain. Did you know, a baby’s brain grows 64% in the first 90 days?
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D status of the mother during pregnancy is important in determining the vitamin D status of the newborn at birth. Sufficient maternal supplementation has been shown to improve the concentration of vitamin D in a mother’s blood levels and breast milk. A deficiency has been linked to thyroid dysfunction.
• Calcium: Once breastfeeding, some of the calcium in the mother’s bones will be reabsorbed in order to ensure the baby gets sufficient calcium levels. Adequate calcium intake is required to ensure the integrity of a woman’s bone strength
• Choline: During pregnancy, approximately 90% of women do not meet their choline requirements. Choline needs increase notably during breastfeeding compared to any other period in a woman’s life. Breastfeeding can further deplete choline, given its high transfer rate to breast milk. The concentration of choline in milk is linked to maternal intake. Mothers with choline deficiency tend to produce breast milk lacking the necessary choline levels crucial for a baby’s brain development
• Iron: Iron should be a focus in early postpartum to replenish stores lost from birth and while bleeding is heavy
• Vitamin A: Maternal requirements for vitamin A nearly double for a breastfeeding mother compared to requirements for this nutrient during pregnancy. Maternal intake is important to maintain sufficient levels in breastfed infants and avoid depletion of a mother’s own reserves. If a mother does not meet the increased requirements during lactation, the body compensates by drawing on vitamin A reserves in the liver.
• Zinc: Due to the adaptations postpartum, a mother’s intake does not seem to affect the concentrations of zinc in her breast milk, but depletion could cause potential health issues.
• Iodine: Iodine plays a crucial role in producing thyroid hormones, and the risk of thyroid disorders notably increases in postpartum mothers, affecting almost 25% of women. Levels of iodine in breast milk rely on maternal stores and intake. Babies also rely on iodine for thyroid hormone production, and insufficient thyroid hormone can impact neurological development.