Vitamin D3 when planning pregnancy: norm, deficiency

Vitamin D, when planning pregnancy, promotes conception. It has been found that about 70% of women who cannot get pregnant are deficient in calciferol. A deficiency of a substance occurs when there is a lack of sun, and it is not always possible to get the right amount from products. The problem is especially relevant for people living in cold regions.

Why vitamin D when planning pregnancy

Vitamin D comes in several forms:

• ergocalciferol (D2): the body receives the substance with food;
• cholecalciferol (D3): synthesized by the sun.

Penetrating into the liver, the substances undergo hydroxylation, while being converted into calcitriol, which affects the production of sex hormones.

Vitamin D has a significant effect on fertility, which is important when planning a child. It contains the female organs responsible for conception and childbirth: ovaries, uterus, placenta, hypothalamus, pituitary gland. The lack of a component is associated with impaired ovarian function and the impossibility of conception.

Vitamin D performs the following functions for women planning pregnancy:

1. Normalizes the monthly cycle.
2. Promotes the timely appearance and maturation of follicles.
3. It helps the body to become tolerant to a foreign body, an embryo, which is perceived by the body in this way at the initial stages.
4. It has a beneficial effect on the body of women planning pregnancy and being treated for infertility.
5. Significantly increases the percentage of bearing healthy offspring.

The purpose of taking the drug when planning conception is to protect against unfavorable outcomes in the process of fertilization and gestation. IVF testing of women has proven that taking vitamin D improves the implantation function of the endometrium.

A couple planning a pregnancy should understand that the quality of sperm is no less important in the fertilization process, therefore vitamin D can be prescribed to both the partner and the expectant mother. The amount of the drug needed for a man, as well as for a woman, is determined by a reproductive physician. The future father, taking calciferol, increases the activity and the number of healthy sperm.

The norm of vitamin D when planning pregnancy

A girl planning a pregnancy should receive no more than 600 IU of vitamin D - as the international standard says, 4000 IU is considered the maximum allowable amount. In this case, the rate may differ in each specific case. The specialist takes into account the reason for the shortage, this may be caused by a short-term condition or chronic pathology that interferes with the absorption of a sufficient amount of the substance.

Impact of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy planning

As mentioned, a lack of vitamin D interferes with conception. Most women diagnosed with infertility have a deficiency. If fertilization does occur, then the attachment of the egg to the uterus will be difficult due to a decrease in the hormone that affects the endometrium.

Lack of vitamin D is also expressed by the following symptoms:

• cramps of the upper and lower extremities;
• insomnia;
• nervousness;
• muscle weakness;
• diarrhea;
• lack of appetite.

If a woman planning a pregnancy still manages to conceive a child with a vitamin D deficiency, she will have a high risk of disorders in her own body or in her newborn. The gestation process can be complicated:

• gestosis and its severe course, late toxicosis;
• gestational diabetes;
• untimely delivery.

Outwardly, due to a lack of vitamin D, a woman will begin to undergo changes: nails will become brittle, hair will lose its attractiveness and will fall out, teeth will begin to crumble, their enamel will become thin, varicose veins and osteoporosis will appear. The baby may have problems with the teeth and the musculoskeletal system.

Indications for taking vitamin D when planning pregnancy

The indications for the use of vitamin D when planning conception are the symptoms of its deficiency, described above. People with the following conditions and diseases should be especially careful to monitor the amount of the substance:

• diabetes;
• low carbohydrate diet;
• vegetarianism;
• night shift work;
• regular lack of sleep;
• activities associated with the need to constantly be in the room.

The production of vitamin D by the body is difficult for girls who regularly protect their skin from the sun with anti-tan cosmetics and wear clothes that prevent the ingress of rays.

How to drink vitamin D3 for those planning a pregnancy

A woman planning a pregnancy must adhere to certain rules for the use of vitamin D in order to get the maximum benefit from it. At the beginning of the first 2-3 months, 150-200 mcg are taken per day, the maximum amount is 300 mcg, if an urgent need arises. Further, the dosage will be prophylactic, the amount of solution will be equal to 75-150 μg.

You can find out whether this substance is produced in the body under the influence of sunlight in the following way: if you stand with your back to the sun, and your own shadow is longer than growth, the production of vitamin D in the body does not occur. The time from 11 to 14 o'clock in the afternoon is the period when most people work or do household chores, respectively, for residents of the country, getting it from sunbathing is practically irrelevant, therefore, the prescribed drug is drunk even in summer in sunny weather.

Contraindications and side effect

There are contraindications to vitamin D. There is no need to take it to people in whose body it is in excess. Calciferol is also not drunk in the presence of:

• urolithiasis and other renal pathologies;
• individual intolerance and allergies;
• hereditary fructose intolerance, lactose deficiency, impaired glucose-galactose absorption function.

An excess of vitamin D, which can be obtained by taking calciferol and foods containing it, does not appear abruptly. In the process of a slow flow, calcium metabolism is disturbed, it accumulates in the blood and urine. There are many side effects, they can be manifested by the following symptoms:

• allergic reaction;
• hypercalcemia;
• polyuria;
• decreased appetite;
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
• headache;
• myalgia;
• arthralgia;
• increased blood pressure;
• arrhythmia;
• malfunctioning of the kidneys;
• exacerbation of tuberculosis.

An overdose of vitamin D has a negative effect on the digestive organs, heart and blood vessels, the musculoskeletal system, and the nervous system.In such a situation, the fetus may develop mental retardation.

The opinion of doctors

According to doctors, a lack of vitamin D in planning is as dangerous as an excess. The absence of the sun greatly affects the synthesis of the component, but it is available in a slightly different form from the food that many people eat daily.

Substance contains the following products:

• milk;
• bread;
• beef liver;
• eggs;
• cereals;
• orange juice;
• yoghurts;
• mackerel, tuna, sardine.

To find out the presence of vitamin D in a certain product, for example, in yogurt, you need to look at the composition. Based on this, it is necessary to take the drug only after detecting a deficiency in the body as a result of medical tests, and not relying on symptoms.

The peculiarity of vitamin D is that its absorption occurs only after contact with bile, the production of which is impaired in people with digestive system problems, and those who are on a diet excluding fatty foods. For them, the drug is sold in aqueous form, which is easier to digest. In our country, the agent can be purchased under the trade name AquaDetrim, 1 drop of the medication contains 500 IU, these data are provided for ease of dosing.

Conclusion

Vitamin D is very necessary when planning pregnancy, even in summer. For its synthesis, a certain length of the sun's rays is required; in Russia, they reach the earth's surface at a designated time, namely from 11 to 14 o'clock in the afternoon.