Can You Drink Ensure During Pregnancy? Is That Safe?

As a pregnant woman, your health is of the utmost importance. Whatever foods and drinks you eat and activities you perform have a strong link to the healthiness of your baby. But pregnancy does not grant you the all-knowing wisdom of the right things to do and eat, especially when you start feeling hunger pangs in early pregnancy.

While you are in front of your refrigerator, you may now wonder if some of the things there are good for you. For instance, in this blog, we’re going to answer the big question: Is Ensure for pregnancy a healthy choice?

We’ll explore the ingredients and potential risks, and ultimately help you decide what’s best for you and your little one. So, if you’ve ever wondered about the nutritional value of Ensure for you and your baby, stick around.

What Is Ensure?

Ensure®^[1] is a brand of drink supplements. They provide essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients for people who may have a hard time meeting their nutritional needs through just food.

Ensure is most often used by people recovering from illness or surgery or who have difficulty eating a balanced diet. During pregnancy, it is commonly taken to support the well-being of both the mother and the developing baby.

Is Ensure Safe to Drink During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a time when a woman’s nutritional needs increase significantly to support the growth and development of the fetus. However, because of morning sickness, food aversions, or dietary restrictions, some women may not be able to get enough nutrients.

In such cases, they might take Ensure to ensure they are getting the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients like folic acid, iron, calcium, and protein, they need. All of these are crucial for fetal development and maternal health. Folic acid, for example, prevents neural tube defects in the baby, while iron helps prevent anemia in the mother^[2].

Moreover, Ensure can benefit pregnant women who experience appetite changes or difficulty eating balanced meals because of nausea or other pregnancy symptoms. The brand claims that its easy-to-digest formula and variety of flavors can make it more palatable for those experiencing food aversions or digestive discomfort.

But since every pregnancy is unique, and individual nutritional requirements can vary, pregnant women should consult with their healthcare provider before taking Ensure or any other nutritional supplement.

Beneficial Use of Ensure During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, it’s essential for expecting mothers to maintain adequate nutrition to support both their own health and the healthy development of the fetus. So, if you have decided to add Ensure to your dietary supplement regimen^[3], then you should know of the benefits the shake offers. 

Here are some potential benefits of Ensure during pregnancy:

Nutrient Supplementation

The dietary needs of pregnant women shift significantly right from the onset. To account for the growing fetus, they are advised to increase their calorie intake^[4] by roughly 340 kcal per day during the second trimester and 450 calories during the third trimester. These additional calories must come from well-balanced meals rich in vitamins and minerals.

Weight gain is also a natural aspect of pregnancy, varying based on your pre-pregnancy BMI. It accounts for the growth of the baby^[5], placenta, amniotic fluid, breasts, and physical changes the body undergoes to accommodate pregnancy. 

Ensure provides vitamins, minerals, protein, and calories, all of which help pregnant women get the nutrients they need. In particular, calcium, iron, iodine, choline, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid serve a vital role in supporting maternal and fetal health.

The nutritional data for Ensure^[6] is as follows;

• Calories: 220
• Total Fat: 6 grams
• Saturated Fat: 1 gram
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 grams
• Monounsaturated Fat: 3 grams
• Cholesterol: <5 milligrams
• Sodium: 210 milligrams
• Total Carbohydrate: 33 grams
• Dietary Fiber: 1 gram
• Protein: 9 grams

Weight Management

Some pregnant women may struggle with weight gain during pregnancy, either due to nausea and vomiting or other factors. As the pregnancy goes on, a woman’s calorie needs rise, with the biggest rise normally happening in the third trimester.

Most pregnant women require around 1800 calories in their first trimester, about 2140 calories in their second trimester, and approximately 2250 or slightly more in the third trimester. Although the increase in requirements is relatively modest, some women may find it challenging to consume enough calories.

Ensure can help make sure you get all the nutrients you need. It’s an easy way to get calories, protein, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients. Additionally, Ensure offers a controlled and easily digestible form of nutrition that can support weight management efforts while ensuring adequate nutrient intake for both the mother and the developing baby.

However, please understand that Ensure is only a helpful tool for managing weight and meeting nutritional needs during pregnancy. It should not replace a balanced diet composed of whole foods.

Pregnant women should strive to consume a variety of nutrient-rich foods whenever possible and use supplements like Ensure as a complement. Consulting with a healthcare provider is essential to make sure that the use of Ensure is appropriate and safe during pregnancy.

Convenience

The convenience factor of Ensure cannot be overstated, especially for pregnant women who may have busy lives or are always on the go. Because Ensure is small, they can take it with them anywhere, making sure they have access to important nutrients wherever they need them, at work, on the road, or doing other things.

Another great thing about Ensure is that you don’t have to prepare or cook the meals, which makes it a hassle-free choice for busy pregnant women. You can take it quickly and easily, and it gives you a healthy boost even on busy days.

Combat Morning Sickness

Morning sickness is common for many pregnant women, especially during the first trimester. It has often led women to try various concoctions to prevent it, including Elderberry syrup. You might ask, is Elderberry Syrup safe during pregnancy? Research does not fully show its effect on pregnant women.

However, the producers of Ensure also assure pregnant women that their formula helps to combat morning sickness. Even though it may not directly alleviate morning sickness, Ensure can make meeting nutritional intake more manageable. It is made to be easy to stomach and so, can be especially helpful for pregnant women who are feeling sick and throwing up.

Also, morning sickness can sometimes make you lose your hunger or dislike certain foods, which can make it hard to eat a healthy diet. Ensure provides a convenient way to obtain essential nutrients, even when traditional meals are unappealing. It also helps the mother stay hydrated with the fluid content and contributes to overall hydration levels, which can help alleviate some symptoms of nausea.

Additional Protein

The development of the baby and the mother’s health during pregnancy relies on protein. Ensure provides a source of high-quality protein, which can be beneficial for women who struggle to consume enough protein through their regular diet.

One bottle of Ensure contains 9 grams of protein. During pregnancy, a woman’s protein needs increase to support the growth of the placenta and fetus, as well as changes in her own body. Ensure contains a substantial amount of protein, making it easier for pregnant women to meet their increased protein requirements, especially if they struggle to consume enough protein through their regular diet.

Conclusion

There is no drawback to drinking Ensure while pregnant. It can offer several benefits, including convenient nutrition supplementation, support for weight management, and additional protein intake. However, it’s important not to over-rely on this shake. Always consult with a healthcare provider before adding Ensure or any other nutritional supplement to your diet during pregnancy.