Do I Need a Magnesium Supplement While Pregnant?
If you're pregnant or postpartum and dealing with restless legs, trouble sleeping, or feeling more anxious than usual, there's a good chance you need magnesium. And yet, it's one of the most overlooked nutrients for moms.
I hear from women all the time who are struggling with these exact symptoms, and when I ask if they've considered magnesium, the answer is almost always no. Their doctors haven't mentioned it. They've never even thought about it.
So let's talk about why a magnesium supplement while pregnant might be exactly what you need to feel better, and of course, how to use it safely.
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Pregnant and Postpartum Moms Are Already Deficient in Magnesium
Over 78% of women in the US are already deficient in magnesium before they even get pregnant.
We're not starting from a great place here.
Magnesium is used in over 500 different enzyme reactions in your body. It plays a role in blood sugar regulation, stress response, sleep, and muscle relaxation. And when you're pregnant, baby takes what it needs first. So if you were already low on magnesium, you're going to get even more depleted.
If you've had a blood test that says your magnesium levels are "normal," I need you to know that only 1% of magnesium is stored in the blood. So that test isn't giving you the most accurate picture of what's actually happening in your body.
Magnesium is what I like to call your relaxation mineral. It supports your nervous system and helps calm everything down. It's also one of the co-factors needed for your body to actually use vitamin D properly.
This is why magnesium is one of my favorite supplements as a functional practitioner. If you're dealing with emotional swings, anxiety, feeling wired, or severe sleep deprivation, magnesium might be the missing piece.
What Magnesium Does for You During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Think about what your body is going through postpartum. You're sleep deprived. Your nervous system is on high alert. You're recovering from birth. Your hormones are all over the place.
Here’s how magnesium supports you during pregnancy and postpartum:
Calms your nervous system and reduces anxiety. It literally helps your body shift out of fight-or-flight mode and into rest-and-digest.
Improves sleep quality. When you're already not getting much sleep, you need the sleep you do get to actually be restorative.
Supports muscle relaxation. Magnesium can help those leg cramps and restless legs.
Helps with blood sugar regulation. When you're pregnant, you're naturally more insulin resistant anyway. Magnesium helps improve insulin sensitivity, prevent energy crashes, and reduce stress on your blood sugar.
Reduces inflammation. Pregnancy and postpartum are already inflammatory processes. Supporting your body with magnesium can help keep that in check.
Why You Can't Just Rely on Food for Magnesium
I get asked all the time: "Can't I just get magnesium from my food?"
Unfortunately, it's just not that simple anymore. Magnesium comes from the soil, and crops only contain what the soil provides. Even healthy, organic foods contain significantly less magnesium than they used to. You can eat perfectly and still come up short.
On top of that, what if you have an absorption issue? Let's say you don't have adequate stomach acid, optimal digestion, or proper bile flow. That means your body isn’t even pulling enough nutrients from your food in the first place.
So if you're relying only on food for magnesium, you're striking out in two ways: one, there's not enough of it in the soil, and two, your digestion might not be on point to pull everything it needs.
Plus, you would have to eat buckets and buckets of leafy greens to get the amount of magnesium your body needs during pregnancy and postpartum. And I just don't know anyone doing that.
Your magnesium needs go up when you're pregnant and postpartum. If your intake isn't going up to match that, where is your body pulling it from? You. Which is why moms get really, really depleted.
Choosing the Right Magnesium Supplement While Pregnant
Not all magnesium supplements are created equal. In fact, the type of magnesium matters just as much as whether or not you're taking it.
A lot of people think about magnesium citrate because they've heard that if you're constipated, you need magnesium. But most women are so deficient in magnesium that you need a lot more than you think. And if you dose magnesium citrate up high enough to get the levels you actually need, you're just going to be pooping your brains out.
Not my first choice. Not my recommendation.
If you're looking for magnesium to support your blood sugar, calm your nervous system, help with muscle support and energy, and balance your hormones, you want to look at magnesium glycinate or magnesium malate. Those are the two forms that are going to be much more helpful for you.
Is It Safe to Take a Magnesium Supplement While Pregnant?
This is the big question I get all the time. And the answer is: magnesium is probably already in your prenatal. Not in a very high amount, but it's likely there.
Magnesium is an essential mineral required for both mom and baby. Safety really comes down to form and dosage.
I brought in separate supplementation for magnesium during my pregnancy. I also stayed on top of doing my Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis to see how I could best support my body. I did topical magnesium too—that's another good way you can get it in.
Always talk to your doctor if you're ever concerned about anything. Safety is very individualized and comes down to the specific form and dosage you're using.
How to Choose a Quality Magnesium Supplement
When it comes to supplementation in general, don't buy your supplements on Amazon. Don't do it. I talk about this a lot, but they're not temperature controlled. It's too easy to get counterfeit products. So you're spending all this money without even getting what you're paying for.
Here's what I look for when choosing a magnesium supplement:
No fillers. I want to know exactly what's in the supplement I'm taking.
Heavy metal testing. Magnesium comes from the soil, and when we're taking it in a concentrated supplement form, it has a tendency to be higher in arsenic. If I'm going to consume magnesium in supplement form, I want to know there's heavy metal testing on it. I want to know the arsenic level in what I'm taking.
A lot of the very popular brands not only give you citrate (making you poop your brains out), but you're also potentially getting arsenic. Nobody wants that.
My Favorite Magnesium Supplement Brands
I like getting magnesium from multiple sources: topical, internal, and from food. Here are the brands I recommend:
Seeking Health
Metabolic Maintenance
Claire Labs
Jigsaw
You can get these from the brand directly, your local health food store, or through a professional dispensary.
You can shop my favorite magnesium brands through my Fullscript dispensary. This is a professional-grade dispensary where you can create a free account to browse all my recommended brands and products, plus get a discount on your supplements.
Shop my favorite magnesium brands at Fullscript.
Getting the Most Out of Your Magnesium Supplement
Remember, you need vitamin B6 to help your body utilize magnesium. Beef liver is a great source of vitamin B6. If you're pregnant, just be conscious of how much you're getting for your vitamin A levels, but it's still a solid choice.
You also want to focus on potassium-rich foods to help support magnesium absorption. Think avocados, coconut water, and nettle tea.
And consider bringing in boron as well. It's another co-factor that helps your body use magnesium effectively.
If You Want More Personalized Support
If you're pregnant or postpartum and want to do more testing (like a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) or if you want to focus on optimizing your digestion and supporting yourself in the best way possible, I recommend the Hormone Reset Membership.
It's a great way to ask these questions, support these foundations, and get the testing you need. You'll be part of a private community where you can ask questions and hop on calls with me.
Choose Your Magnesium Supplement at Fullscript
Taking a magnesium supplement while pregnant doesn't have to be complicated or scary. When you choose the right form, the right dosage, and the right brand, it can be one of the simplest things you do to support yourself during this season. Your body is doing a lot right now. Give it what it needs to thrive.
