When it comes to pregnancy, there’s an immeasurable amount of emphasis on the importance of making positive dietary and lifestyle changes, before and during pregnancy. A good diet, plenty of rest, minimal stress levels and a healthy environment all contribute to a healthy baby. Optimum iodine levels are necessary to sustain a healthy pregnancy. Iodine deficiency can actually also make it harder to get pregnant in the first place. For example, even moderate iodine deficiency is linked to an almost 46 per cent reduced chance of becoming pregnant in each cycle, and it increases the risk of miscarriage as well.
In the postpartum period, as the body is still recovering with sleep deprivation and lactation, the nutritional stores are depleted. While many things can’t be controlled during this time, mothers can keep in mind the key nutrients the body requires following birth to support a healthy recovery. Not only will this improve the health of her health but also of the baby, especially if breastfed.
One of the vital nutrients is Iodine; it is an essential mineral that is crucial for optimal thyroid, brain and metabolic health. Everything from breathing and heart rate to body weight and muscle strength depend on iodine to function better. When iodine levels are too low, sleep disorders and attention deficit may be experienced. Also, depression along with joint or muscle pain is a possibility. Women may also experience more frequent, heavier periods, too.
The mineral Iodine is mainly important for the neurodevelopment of the baby and for avoiding thyroid dysfunction in the mother, which is very common following pregnancy or to avoid hypothyroidism-an underactive thyroid. Thyroid hormones are very essential for proper functioning of every system in our body. It is therefore very important that mothers continue to have a consistent and reliable source of iodine throughout the postpartum period to meet theirs and the babies’ nutritional demands.
Essentially, Iodine should be in all good prenatal multivitamins. However, the requirement for iodine increases from 250mcg in pregnancy to 270mcg whilst breastfeeding. To compensate for the increased need for iodine, mothers need an additional 20mcg per day. This is to support both foetal and maternal thyroid function.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the recommended daily intake of iodine is:
· During preconception: 150 mcg
· During pregnancy: 220 mcg
· During breastfeeding: 290 mcg