The Importance of Multivitamin Intake During Pregnancy

A woman’s life changes completely once she finds out she is pregnant. When she chooses to keep the child, it becomes important to learn how to properly take care of it. This often includes changing her diet into a healthyer and more varied one and being very particular about vitamin intake. Many medical practitioners recommend taking supplements to enhance the diet during pregnancy. It is highly important that these supplements be taken as the woman is now providing nutrition for two people – herself and her unborn child. Some of the more important vitamins are listed below:

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Iron: Pregnancies often deplete a woman’s iron levels. Studies have linked low iron levels in early pregnancy with premature birth and low birth weight. Average iron intake is around 22 mg/day but some women may need as much as 27 mg/day.

Folate: Most medical data prove the necessity for folate for healthy fetal growth and development. Some studies even suggest that sufficient folate intake can prevent certain birth defects in the baby, such as spina bifida.

Zinc: This protein regulates gene expression and affects the cell growth that occurs during pregnancy.

Iodine: Iodine is critical in the production of the thyroid hormone, which has been linked to correct body temperature, reproduction, blood cell production, and nerve and muscle function, among others.

It must be noted that certain women need specific vitamins to address particular needs in their body. The goal is to ensure that the woman has the sufficient levels of vitamins and minerals to supplement the growth of her child. Women are advised to seek the help of their local pregnancy center or their general practitioner in watching over their nutrition and well-being during pregnancy.

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Third Box Pregnancy Clinics is a trusted center that offers practical advice and support to women in unintended pregnancies. Learn more about their services by viewing this LinkedIn page.

Making a decision: Men, counseling, and unintended pregnancies

Unplanned pregnancies entail uncertainties for not just the women but also the men involved. 

Hearing the words “I’m pregnant” can be quite a shock to a man, even stressful in some instances. This is no surprise since a pregnancy represents a big change for his and his partner’s lives; facing this situation should be done with the right mindset. 

Fortunately, there is counseling support available for men. Third Box Pregnancy Clinics, for example, offer pregnancy counseling for men in their facilities in Oakland, San Francisco, and Redwood City. During these sessions, men can find a safe environment to process their thoughts and feelings, ask their questions about the pregnancy—their different options, their relationship with their partners, medical issues, and even insurance options—and get the answers they need without a hint of judgment.

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A survey conducted among men, shown in the infographic above, reveals that over two-thirds of the respondents said that they are willing to go to counseling if their partners are facing unplanned pregnancy. This goes to show that most men do want to be involved in the decision-making process when it comes to these situations. 

But to make a good decision, it is important to have accurate information. Stereotypes and misinformation surround many parenting issues—abortion, child support, teenage pregnancy, divorce—that understanding them can become difficult. With the help of counseling, men and their partners can be informed of what each decision can lead to. With the proper information, the couple can settle on what will be best for their unique situation. 

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Do you need help regarding an unplanned pregnancy? Visit this website to know how Third Box Pregnancy Clinics can help you and your partner.

Young Women in Unintended Pregnancies: The Need for an Emotional Support System

Strong emotional support is significant in helping a woman cope with an unplanned pregnancy and its repercussions. Unplanned pregnancies are especially sensitive for teens, who are still learning life’s complexities and are prone to extreme fear about having a child at a very young age. On the other hand, unintended pregnancies for more mature women could mean personal, health, or financial difficulties. At this stage of a woman’s life, she needs someone or a group of people with whom to talk to and discuss the best decision relative to her needs

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The frequency of unplanned pregnancies has been on decline since the 1990s, thanks largely to improved awareness of and advancements in contraception. However, current figures are still very high. It is estimated that at least three million women get pregnant unintentionally every year. Many of them do not know how to respond properly to such situations.

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When it comes to pregnancies, relationships matter most. Parental care would be very helpful, and so would be friends’ advice and support from the either the father of the child or the woman’s partner. While many factors lead to unintended pregnancy—such as family values, parental supervision, peer pressure, unemployment, and even sensitive cases like rape—the situation is manageable if the woman receives morale boosters and comfort that she is not alone in overcoming such “battle.”

Third Box Pregnancy Clinics are facilities that offer free medical and counselling services to women in unintended pregnancies. To arrange a consultation, click here.

Finding emotional support throughout an unplanned pregnancy

The discovery of an unintended pregnancy does not have to be stressful. Most women in unintended pregnancies err in thinking that they are alone and that no one will understand what they are going through. The shame assigned imputed by some cultures on pregnancy outside marriage often adds to the already existing stress levels, both physically, mentally and emotionally.

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Learning You Are Pregnant

Third Box Pregnancy Clinics makes its counseling services available for both women and men, as a couple or individually to process their thoughts and feelings, to get answers to their questions and decide what is best for them, based on their beliefs and values.

Third Box Pregnancy Clinics, with locations in Oakland, San Francisco, and Redwood City, underscore the importance of giving women in such circumstances guidance and assistance in answering all their questions about their pregnancy.

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Unintended Pregnancy Counseling

Finding emotional support is crucial during pregnancy because a woman’s emotional state will affect her decisions for the child she is carrying. She faces options such as abortion, adoption, or keeping the child. Choosing any of the three requires thorough research, heavy introspection, and most importantly, a support group. It is necessary that the woman feels that she is cared for and loved and that regardless of her decision, she will neither be pigeonholed nor blamed. Emotional, religious, moral, and social obligations must not take centerstage during her assessments. Meanwhile, practical actions must be put in place for the good of the mother and the child.

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There will be cases where the woman’s family and partner may not be able to provide the emotional support needed for the pregnancy. For these conditions, the woman should find herself an emotional support group in terms of friends, or even clinics, which will help her shed the shame she may be forced to feel and will discuss her options with her without judgment.

Third Box Pregnancy Clinics are trusted facilities where women in unintended pregnancies can find support and space. Find out more about the clinics’ services by visiting this LinkedIn page.