During the last trimester of your pregnancy, you may deal with physical discomfort, lack of sleep, leg cramps, backaches, shortness of breath and loss of bladder control when you laugh or sneeze. Sex may be awkward and the baby's movements and positions may prove uncomfortable. But despite the discomforts, your baby still needs adequate nutrition, as do you. Vitamin supplements may still be needed under the supervision of your doctor. The need for the fetus's growing bones is so great that without proper levels of calcium, the fetus will take calcium from your bones, especially in the third trimester when the bones are lengthening. This makes adequate levels of calcium a must. The role of vitamin D is to help the body utilize calcium. During pregnancy, vitamin D requirements are 600 IU per day. It can be obtained from exposure to sunshine, supplements or food sources such as salmon, sardines, fortified milk and orange juice. The daily requirement for calcium is 1,000 mg. Food sources include dairy products, tofu, white beans and Chinese cabbage.
Thiamine, or vitamin B1, may be needed in your third trimester under your doctor's supervision. Thiamine is required for the healthy nervous system, muscular system and cardiovascular health of the newborn. Infants breast fed from thiamine deficient moms may develop newborn beri-beri, a condition of the nervous system. The daily recommended allowance for thiamine is 1.4 mg per day. Food sources include fortified cereals, wheat germ, pork, peas and enriched long grain rice. Taking folic acid during pre-conception and the first trimester is important to prevent neural tube defects in your baby. But remaining on folic acid during the third trimester is equally important. This may ensure adequate fetal growth and prevent a low birth weight baby. Babies with low birth weights may have respiratory issues, infections and other health problems. The recommended daily allowance for pregnant moms is 600 mcg per day. Food sources include fortified foods, spinach, asparagus and lentils. In the third trimester, vitamin E, with the help from vitamin C, may prevent pre-eclampsia in pregnant moms.
Pre-eclampsia is characterised by excessive protein in the urine and high blood pressure, possibly leading to premature birth. The recommended daily allowances for vitamin C are 85 mg. Food sources are oranges, grapefruits and sweet red peppers. The RDA for vitamin E is 22.5 IU per day and food sources include vegetable oils, such as olive and canola, and nuts. Unborn Child Causing Pressure on Mother's Bladder Sleep Patterns During the Third Trimester of Pregnancy How Much Should I Be Sleeping in the First Trimester of Pregnancy? Pregnant Women & Anger What Happens at 35 Weeks of Pregnancy? Sleeping Too Much & Lack of Nutrients How Many Hours of Sleep Should You Get? Is Vanilla Extract Harmful to Pregnant Women? Why Sleep Is So Important & How to Get It 1st Trimester Pregnancy Exercises What Foods Can I Eat to Increase My Energy Level in Last Weeks of Pregnancy? What Are the Health Benefits of Vanilla Extract? What Can Stress Do to the Unborn Baby?
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Calcium absorption doubles during pregnancy to help meet the need. In the third trimester, your baby's bones grow and become stronger. Calcium supplements can also have a modest effect on lowering your blood pressure and decreasing the risk of developing a serious complication of pregnancy called pre-eclampsia, according to a July 2006 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews meta-analysis of studies conducted by South African researchers. Vitamin D Vitamin D not only facilitates the absorption of calcium, but also has health benefits of its own during pregnancy. Taking supplemental vitamin D during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy decreased the risk of vitamin D deficiency in newborns, according to a Boston Medical Center study reported in the April 2010 issue of "Pediatrics." Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets in infants, a softening of the bones that can lead to skeletal deformities. Iron Iron-deficiency anemia is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies during pregnancy and one that most often occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy, according to Health Canada.
Your blood volume increases by 50 percent during pregnancy, the Linus Pauling Institute explains. With the increased blood volume comes the need for extra iron, which is carried in red blood cells. If you don't get enough iron in the last trimester, you could become anemic, which can lead to fatigue and decreased resistance to infection. Severe iron-deficiency anemia might cause preterm delivery and/or low birthweight. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid, better known as DHA, help your baby's brain and eyes develop properly during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester, when brain growth increases. It's difficult to get enough DHA in your diet unless you consume fish regularly, which you might hesitate to do if you dislike fish or worry about mercury contamination. A Norwegian study published in the January 2003 issue of "Pediatrics" found that children of mothers who took omega-3 fatty acid supplements starting at week 18 of pregnancy scored higher on mental development tests at age 4 than those who took corn oil.