Every mother believes she’s getting enough nutrients for her child.  Despite their best attempts, most parents deficient in vitamin D.  To understand the importance of vitamin D, you have to understand its function.

 

Hormone Production

Hormones are one of the most essential parts of a healthy pregnancy.  Without the proper amounts, ratios, and kinds of hormones – it’s almost impossible to conceive.  Even if you do get pregnant, your child could be damaged by improper hormone levels.

Many women resort to supplemental hormones when they could be making their own.  The best thing you can do to improve your hormonal status is to provide your body with what it needs to manufacture it’s own hormones.

Hormones can only be built with the right nutrients.  Healthy fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins.  Vitamin D is unique in that it’s a pro-hormone.  In addition to providing the substrate for other hormones, it directly influences your cells.

Numerous studies have shown “emerging evidence that maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy is important for the health of the mother and offspring across a range of possible health outcomes.”

The effects of vitamin D deficiency can’t be ignored.  As a 2010 study determined,

“Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy has been linked with a number of maternal problems including infertility, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and an increased rate of caesarean section. For the child, there is an association with small size, impaired growth and skeletal problems in infancy, neonatal hypocalcaemia and seizures, and an increased risk of HIV transmission… type 1 diabetes and effects on immune tolerance.”

Many of the common ailments that accompany pregnancy may be caused by insufficient vitamin D levels.  Calcium won’t be incorporated into the bones of the fetus without vitamin D.  Diabetes is becoming more common in infants, possibly due to vitamin D deficiency.  Vitamin D has also been shown to support the immune system, which is critical for both the baby and the mother.

 

Vitamin D & Fertility

A study in 2010 showed high doses of vitamin D decreased estrogen in women.  For every 10mg/nil of serum vitamin D, progesterone dropped by 10%, and estrogen dropped by 3%.  Estrogen dominance is one of the main causes of infertility.  “The favorable implications for breast cancer come immediately to mind…lower female hormones sometimes help women in all kinds of ways…”, said Dr. Cannel of the Vitamin D Council, “I suspect the women also became more fertile.”

In Turkey, supplemental vitamin D increased fertility rates by 6 percent.  Vitamin D deficiency decreases fertility by 75 percent in rats.  Vitamin D has also been shown to improve the success of in-vitro fertilization.

However, a study in Greece showed that too high of vitamin D levels decreased the rates of pregnancy.  This may seem confusing, but there are several factors to consider.  The women in this study were taking 24,000 IU’s a day, far more than the necessary amount.  As experts have shown, problems arise when you have too much vitamin D and too low of vitamins A and K.  As long as you’re fully nourished, you should be fine.  To be on the safe side, test your vitamin D levels to establish a baseline.  Take 1000 IU’s for every 25 pounds of body weight, and retest.

 

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D For You And Your Baby?

Probably not.

A study in 2008 showed that 93 percent of women with infertility were vitamin D deficient.  Another study in 2008 showed that most women are deficient in vitamin D, infertile or not.

 

What You Can Do For Your Baby

Take vitamin D.  The perfect amount is different for everyone, but chances are you’re not getting enough.  A good starting point is 4,000 IU.  Take enough to reach the necessary blood levels and no more.  Without proper vitamin D levels, it will be harder to become pregnant.  You also put your baby at risk for disease.  By taking Vitamin D, you can boost your fertility and improve your babies’ health before he or she is even born.