Let’s Talk About Prenatal Vitamins + Week 14 Baby Update

Little baby girl is the size of a lemon this week! So cute I just had to kiss it.

The baby is on the move this week! I have felt a few little flutters; I think she may be an olympic gymnast lol! I have been reading that some women don’t feel fetal movements until month 4 or 5, but I felt my first movement shortly after week 12. I was also watching a documentary and it said that for reasons unknown, studies have shown that female babies move earlier in the womb than male babies. 🙂 That was one of my many signs that I was having a girl.

My good friend, Cyndy, gave me The Kind Mama book. Written by Alicia Silverstone, this book is a healthy mama’s bible! It basically covers everything that you need to know about fertility, pregnancy, and your baby. I have always been a fan of Alicia, but now I’m a groupie; love her!

Not only did Alicia write an incredible book on pregnancy, but she also created the best prenatal vitamin on the market. During her pregnancy, she could not find a prenatal vitamin that met her health standards, so she created her own that met her superior standards of health for she and her baby!

As you know, I was not aware that I was pregnant until 12 weeks into the pregnancy. That being said, I have not been taking any prenatal vitamins or any supplements other than my usual B12 & Vitamin D.

Luckily, I eat a pretty well rounded plant based diet, and with careful attention I do believe it is possible to get all the nutrients from our food that we need for our baby, but since micronutrient deficiency is detrimental to your health, and many of us are far from perfect, picking the right prenatal multivitamin or knowing how to prepare the correct foods (and/or both) is crucial.

Conventional doctors push pregnant women to take Folic Acid; WRONG. The synthetic folic acid found in supplements is chemically different from food folate, which is abundant in green vegetables, beans and other plant foods. Synthetic folic acid may disrupt the normal, healthy actions of folate. We need to be consuming folate-rich foods, not the synthetic folic acid!

When we get our folate from food it comes naturally packaged in balance with hundreds of other cancer protective micronutrients. Consuming folate-rich foods, not folic acid, during pregnancy may also offer protection against cardiac birth defects, childhood respiratory illnesses, and childhood cancers.

So ladies, whether you’re pregnant or not, if you’re taking a multi-vitamin, check your label! Look for Folate, not folic acid. (Read more about picking the right multi-vitamin here)

I just started using Alicia’s brand, My Kind Organics Prenatal Vitamin. It is the best and healthiest, whole food, organic, and vegan prenatal vitamin on the market. All the vitamins are from whole food sourced, and no vitamin isolates. I would highly recommend this to you.

Last words on folate; did you get a chance to see my Caesar Salad from earlier this week? It is delicious, addicting, and a folate-rich meal perfect for anyone! (It is also rich in iodine, another essential mineral needed during pregnancy)

Love you guys! I have some great healthy-beauty posts and recipes coming up next! Can’t wait to share next week! 🙂