| Nutrient (Daily Recommended Amount) | Why You and Your Fetus Need It | Best Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium (1,300 milligrams for ages 14 to 18; 1,000 milligrams for ages 19 to 50) | Builds strong bones and teeth | Milk, cheese, yogurt, sardines, dark green leafy vegetables |
| Iron (27 milligrams) | Helps red blood cells deliver oxygen to your fetus | Lean red meat, poultry, fish, dried beans and peas, iron-fortified cereals, prune juice |
| Iodine (220 micrograms) | Essential for healthy brain development | Iodized table salt, dairy products, seafood, meat, some breads, eggs |
| Choline (450 milligrams) | Important for development of your fetus’s brain and spinal cord | Milk, beef liver, eggs, peanuts, soy products |
| Vitamin A (750 micrograms for ages 14 to 18; 770 micrograms for ages 19 to 50) | Forms healthy skin and eyesight. Helps with bone growth | Carrots, green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes |
| Vitamin C (80 milligrams for ages 14 to 18; 85 milligrams for ages 19 to 50) | Promotes healthy gums, teeth, and bones | Citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries |
| Vitamin D (600 international units) | Builds your fetus’s bones and teeth. Helps promote healthy eyesight and skin | Sunlight, fortified milk, fatty fish such as salmon and sardines |
| Vitamin B6 (1.9 milligrams) | Helps form red blood cells. Helps body use protein, fat, and carbohydrates | Beef, liver, pork, ham, whole-grain cereals, bananas |
| Vitamin B12 (2.6 micrograms) | Maintains nervous system. Helps form red blood cells | Meat, fish, poultry, milk (vegetarians should take a supplement) |
| Folic acid (600 micrograms) | Helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spine. Supports the general growth and development of the fetus and placenta | Fortified cereal, enriched bread and pasta, peanuts, dark green leafy vegetables, orange juice, beans. Also, take a daily prenatal vitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid. |