During pregnancy you need folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin C. See the below table for recommended amounts.
Key Vitamins and Minerals During Pregnancy
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.