Vitamins and minerals to help your baby grow

Unsure which vitamins and minerals you need to keep you and your baby healthy during your pregnancy? Our list tells you all you need to know, including how much of each nutrient you need, why you need it, good sources of it and whether you need a supplement.

Calcium

Daily amount: 1,000 milligrams (mg), or 1,300mg if you're under 19

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Grows strong bones and teeth, and healthy nerves, heart and muscles. Also regulates heart rhythm and blood clotting.

Food sources:

• tinned sardines
• full-cream milk
• calcium-enriched soy milk
• Greek yoghurt
• cheddar and parmesan cheese
• spinach, kale and pak choi
• poppy seeds
• dried figs
• rhubarb
• tofu (calcium-set) and tempeh
• almonds

Chromium

Daily amount: 30 micrograms (mcg)

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Regulates blood sugar levels and helps tissue development.

Food sources:

• broccoli
• mashed potato
• turkey breast
• unpeeled apple
• skinless chicken
• wholegrain bread
• peanut butter
• asparagus
• spinach
• wheatgerm
• meat
• wholegrains
• lentils
• spices

Copper

Daily amount: 1.3mg, or 1.2mg if you're under 19

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Helps form heart, bone, nervous system and blood vessels.

Food sources:

• green lentils
• cashews and other nuts
• mango
• shellfish
• offal (but avoid liver)

Fluoride

Daily amount: 3mg

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Forms teeth beginning at 10 weeks, and develops primary incisors, molars and permanent teeth in the second and third trimesters.

Food sources:

• fluoridated water
• kale
• apple

Folic acid (vitamin B9)

Daily amount: 1,000mcg

Do you need a supplement? Yes (400mcg a day)

Benefit to your baby: Forms part of spinal fluid. Helps close the tube housing the central nervous system, make DNA and normalise brain function.

Food sources:

• bran flakes
• Brussels sprouts and broccoli
• grainy bread
• oranges
• kidney beans
• yeast spread (such as Vegemite)

Iodine

Daily amount: 220mcg

Do you need a supplement? Yes (150mcg a day), unless you have a thyroid condition

Benefit to your baby: Regulates metabolism and helps develop the nervous system.

Food sources:

• iodised table salt
• tinned tuna
• prunes
• milk and dairy products
• bread and bread products (except breads claiming to be organic)

Iron

Daily amount: 27mg

Do you need a supplement? No, unless medically prescribed

Benefit to your baby: Makes red blood cells, supplies oxygen to cells for energy and growth, and builds bones and teeth.

Food sources:

• beef, pork and lamb
• chicken, turkey and duck breast
• tofu
• cooked lentils
• chickpeas, baked beans and peas
• quinoa
• spinach
• bran flakes
• curry powder

Magnesium

Daily amount: 400mg if you're under 19, 350mg if you're between 19 and 30 years, or 360mg if you're over 30

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Helps build strong bones and teeth, regulates insulin and blood-sugar levels, and builds and repairs tissue.

Food sources:

• spinach
• pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• black beans
• cashews
• avocado
• tofu
• salmon
• bananas

Manganese

Daily amount: 5mg during pregnancy

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Helps bone and pancreas development, and processing of fats and carbohydrates.

Food sources:

• brown rice
• porridge
• black beans
• tea
• bread
• nuts
• cereals
• peas and runner beans

Phosphorus

Daily amount: 1,000mg, or 1,250mg if you’re under 19

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Builds strong bones and teeth, regulates blood clotting and normal heart rhythm.

Food sources:

• tinned salmon with bones
• pinto and black beans
• milk
• hommus
• red meat
• dairy foods
• fish
• poultry
• bread
• brown rice
• oats

Potassium

Daily amount: 2,800mg

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Helps muscle activity and contractions, energy metabolism and nerve function.

Food sources:

• jacket potato
• grapefruit juice
• raisins and dried apricots
• bananas
• broccoli, parsnips and Brussels sprouts
• legumes
• nuts and seeds
• fish and shellfish
• beef and poultry

Riboflavin (vitamin B2)

Daily amount: 1.4mg

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Promotes growth, good vision and healthy skin. Essential for bone, muscle and nerve development.

Food sources:

• yoghurt
• beef
• mushrooms
• Swiss and cheddar cheese
• egg
• tinned pink salmon
• sunflower seeds
• quinoa
• soy beans
• yeast spread (such as Vegemite)
• rice
• some fortified breakfast cereals

Thiamin (vitamin B1)

Daily amount: 1.4mg

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Converts carbohydrates into energy, and helps heart and nervous system growth. Essential for brain development.

Food sources:

• pork chop
• black beans
• yeast spread (such as Vegemite)
• tahini
• turkey breast
• some fortified breakfast cereals
• peas
• fresh and dried fruit
• eggs
• wholegrain breads and naan
• some fortified breakfast cereals

Vitamin A (betacarotene)

Daily amount: 800mcg, or 700mcg if you're under 19

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Essential for cell growth, eye development, healthy skin and mucous membranes, infection resistance, bone growth, fat metabolism and red blood cell production.

Food sources:

• unpeeled sweet potato
• spinach
• yoghurt
• raw carrot
• cantaloupe (rockmelon)
• red capsicum
• mango

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

Daily amount: 5mg

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Regulates stress hormones, antibody production, growth, and protein and fat metabolism.

Food sources:

• hard-boiled egg
• avocado, tomatoes and broccoli
• milk
• chicken and beef
• potatoes
• porridge
• kidney
• wholegrains and brown rice

Vitamin B6 (pyroxidine)

Daily amount: 1.9mg

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Helps metabolism of protein, fats and carbohydrates, form new red blood cells, and develop the brain and nervous system.

Food sources:

• chickpeas
• chicken breast
• bananas
• potatoes
• bulgur
• tinned tuna
• pork
• bread
• oatmeal, wheatgerm, brown rice
• eggs
• vegetables
• soy beans
• peanuts
• milk
• some fortified breakfast cereals

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Daily amount: 60mg, or 55mg if you're under 19

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Helps growth and strengthens bones and teeth. Essential for tissue repair and collagen production.

Food sources:

• orange juice
• red and yellow capsicum
• kiwifruit
• broccoli
• strawberries

Vitamin D

Daily amount: 5mcg

Do you need a supplement? No, unless you’re dark-skinned or don’t get regular exposure to sunlight

Benefit to your baby: Helps build bones and teeth.

Food sources:

• milk
• oily fish, such as salmon, sardines, herring and tuna
• margarine
• eggs
• red meat

Zinc

Daily amount: 11mg, or 10mg if you're under 19

Do you need a supplement? No

Benefit to your baby: Helps form organs, skeleton, nerves and circulatory system.

Food sources:

• beef
• oysters
• pork chops
• cashews
• chickpeas
• sunflower seeds
• tinned tuna and sardines
• dairy foods
• bread
• wheatgerm

Find out everything you need to know about buying pregnancy vitamins and supplements.