Is vitamin C serum safe during pregnancy? In as much as it is important for a healthy immune system, and during pregnancy it helps you and your baby make collagen for your tendons, bones, and skin. But there’s more, so tag along!
To get enough vitamin C during pregnancy, eat citrus fruits and other fruits and vegetables that are rich in this important nutrient. Because it’s fairly easy to get enough vitamin C from your diet and your prenatal vitamin, you probably don’t need to take a vitamin C supplement.
Pregnancy is a magical time; it truly shows what the human body is capable of. But nine months of supporting a growing baby can take its toll on your body as a mom-to-be.
Evaluating your diet and ensuring you are getting the right dose of vitamins is one of the best ways to keep both you and your baby happy and healthy before, during, and after birth.
While good nutrition is super important during pregnancy, supplements can offer additional support where there might be gaps in your diet. Kin’s Prenatal Vitamins are formulated with clinically-backed ingredients to meet your nutritional needs during crucial developmental stages.
How much Vitamin C do Pregnant Women Need?
Pregnant women need more vitamin C than women who aren’t pregnant, and breastfeeding women need even more.
- Pregnant women ages 18 and younger: 80 milligrams (mg) per day
- Pregnant women ages 19 and older: 85 mg per day
- Breastfeeding women ages 18 and younger: 115 mg per day
- Breastfeeding women ages 19 and older: 120 mg per day
- Nonpregnant women ages 18 and younger: 65 mg per day
- Nonpregnant women ages 19 and older: 75 mg per day
Both you and your baby need vitamin C daily because your bodies use it to make collagen, a structural protein that’s a component of cartilage, tendons, bones, and skin.
Vitamin C is also important for a healthy immune system, as it also helps your body absorb iron, especially from vegetarian sources. Signs of a vitamin C deficiency are fatigue, gum inflammation, slow-healing cuts, bruises, and dry skin.
Why is Vitamin C Important During Pregnancy?
Vitamin C is important for both pregnant people and their babies. In fact, this vitamin is somewhat of a miracle worker.
It supports a healthy immune system, boosts your antioxidant levels, aids the natural production of collagen, and even assists with tissue repair and wound healing.
But then, since your body can’t store vitamin C, it’s important to gain a good supply each day to ensure a healthy pregnancy. The World Health Organization agrees that keeping your vitamin C levels in check during your antenatal phase is super important too.
Studies show that vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron, which in turn boosts energy by transporting oxygen throughout the body. Vitamin C has also been shown to support a baby’s bone and tooth development, making it an incredibly important prenatal vitamin to consider.
While vitamin C supplementation isn’t required during pregnancy, it may help reduce the risk of pregnancy-related complications like pre-eclampsia and maternal anaemia
What are the Best Foods with Vitamin C during Pregnancy?
Citrus fruits probably jump to mind, as they’re especially high in vitamin C, but leafy greens and many other fruits and vegetables are also excellent sources. Perfecr table has:
- 6 ounces orange juice: 93 mg
- 6 ounces grapefruit juice: 70 mg
- one medium kiwi: 64 mg
- 1/2 cup raw, sweet green bell pepper: 60 mg
- 1/2 cup broccoli, cooked: 51 mg
- 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced: 49 mg
- 1/2 medium grapefruit: 39 mg
- one medium baked potato: 17 mg
- one raw, medium tomato: 17 mg
- 1 cup spinach, cooked: 9 mg
So, choose fresh foods as your source of vitamin C because heat can destroy this vitamin. Also, keep in mind that some cereals and juices are fortified with vitamin C.
It is more than safe to say that this absorbic acid also helps maximize the amount of iron you get from the other foods you eat. (You need a lot more iron during pregnancy, and it can be hard to get enough.)
That’s why it’s a good idea to try to include a vitamin C-rich food with every meal, and especially true when eating vegetarian sources of iron, like beans, the vitamin C can help you absorb up to six times more iron.
Last Words
Like serums, vitamin C creams are safe to use during pregnancy. You should keep an eye out for formulas that are suited to sensitive skin and always use an SPF.
When introducing new products to your skincare routine, remember to patch test to make sure it’s suitable for your skin type. It’s also worth gradually working a new vitamin C serum or cream into your week and waiting up to a month to add any other new products.
This gives skin the chance to adjust and will also help you determine the efficacy of a product in isolation. Vitamin C plays an important role in overall immune health.
As well as supporting your baby’s skin, hair, and bone development, it’s an essential vitamin for good pregnancy outcomes. Whether you need to take vitamin C supplements during pregnancy will come down to each individual.
While all the advice given during pregnancy can sometimes be overwhelming, it’s important to remember that a well-balanced diet and good lifestyle choices are the best ways to meet the needs of your baby’s development and your own health.
