Sum it up
A prenatal vitamin contains a variety of minerals and vitamins that are essential for the growth and development of a baby. Not all prenatal vitamins are created equally. And quality matters.
What is the Best Prenatal Vitamin
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Pregnancy is a vital time to make sure you are getting adequate nutrition. A Prenatal is not a replacement to the nutrition you should be getting from your food but it is a great way to fill in the gaps.
What is a prenatal vitamin?
A prenatal vitamin contains a variety of minerals and vitamins that are essential for the growth and development of a baby. What makes a prenatal different from a multivitamin is that pregnant women need higher doses of certain nutrients. This is because there are different daily requirements for a pregnant woman in order to sustain a healthy pregnancy and grow a healthy baby.
Is it necessary to take a prenatal?
Yes, a prenatal is very important to take when you are pregnant. Typically, most women are not getting all of the nutrients they need on a daily basis and are usually depleted of many nutrients. Being depleted is very common especially among women who already have children because the previous pregnancies took a lot of the nutrients and they likely haven’t replenished. Breastfeeding also requires and takes a lot of nutrients from women and can cause a woman to be depleted. Another reason a prenatal is important is because many women experience nausea while pregnant and are struggling to eat. It is also common to experience food aversions during pregnancy which makes it hard to eat and get the nutrients you need from food.
Taking a prenatal will definitely help a pregnant woman struggling to eat get the nutrients she needs to help grow her baby. Jump to which prenatals are the best.
What are the benefits of prenatals?
There are so many incredible benefits to taking a prenatal vitamin. Some of those benefits include reducing various complications that can occur during pregnancy like preeclampsia. It can also lower the risk of preterm labor and low birth weight for the baby. A prenatal also helps decrease birth defects and abnormalities like a cleft palate, heart birth defects and spina bifida. The list of benefits from taking a prenatal vitamin during pregnancy could go on and on.
When should prenatal vitamins be started?
The most ideal time to start taking a prenatal vitamin is before you are pregnant. Taking a prenatal vitamin is one of many great ways to prepare your body for pregnancy. This is because it allows you to get the vitamins and minerals stored up (or replenished) before you are even pregnant. This will help set your body up to not only get pregnant but to also sustain a pregnancy.
Another reason it is a great idea to take a prenatal before you conceive is because of the nutrient folate. This is a very important vitamin for the growth of your baby. Specifically, for the first couple weeks of pregnancy folate supports early neural tube development. During those first couple weeks of pregnancy the spine and brain start to develop. Oftentimes women don’t know they are pregnant until after this happens so that’s one reason it’s considered important to take a prenatal before getting pregnant.
If you are already pregnant then it is important to start taking one right away if you aren’t already.
What happens if you don’t take prenatals while pregnant?
If you choose not to take a prenatal vitamin while you are pregnant then there is a possibility you will be missing some key nutrients for not only baby, but also for you. If you are low in some nutrients then it is possible for your baby to have birth defects. It can also impact your pregnancy experience. Your nutrient status can play a role in whether or not you experience things like morning sickness.
You would need to be very disciplined in your diet if you don’t take a prenatal. It’s always important to eat a healthy balanced diet when you are pregnant but without these vital vitamins then you would really need to be on top of it.
What to look for in a good quality prenatal
Not all prenatal vitamins are created equally. And quality matters. Here are four key things to look for in a good prenatal vitamin:
- Activated B vitamins.
- Folate. Look for one that contains folate not folic acid. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate and about half of the population has a genetic mutation that makes it more difficult to absorb folic acid over folate.
- Methylated forms of B vitamins. Look for methylfolate or methylcobalamin. These forms of B vitamins are more likely to be absorbed and utilized in the body. However, there are some women who don’t tolerate methylated B vitamins well. In that case look for one without it (recommendation below).
- Choline. Over 90% of women are not meeting their recommended amount of choline. Similar to folate, choline helps prevent neural tube defects as it plays a role in brain and spinal cord development.
- Reliable source of vitamin A. You would want to see retinol(retinyl palmitate) instead of beta carotene. In high doses retinol supplementation is not recommended during pregnancy but many women are lacking in their vitamin A consumption and prenatal vitamins don’t contain excessive amounts.
- Ideally the prenatal vitamin is 3rd party tested for heavy metals.
Which prenatal vitamin do you recommend?
There are so many options on the market today. There are three that I think are great options and you should look into. You can discuss these with your provider to figure out a good match for you.
- Seeking Health Optimal Prenatal. This one comes in a capsule or in powder form. If you don’t tolerate methylated B vitamins then Seeking Health Optimal Prenatal MF could be an option for you. (This referral link will get you $5 off your order)
- FullWell Prenatal Multivitamin. This one is available in only capsule form.
- Needed Prenatal. This one also comes in capsule or powder form.
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Are store bought prenatals as good as prescription?
Not all prenatal vitamins are created equally. The big thing you want to be checking for in a prenatal is the quality of the nutrients. It’s best to avoid synthetic forms of vitamins. One of the benefits of a prescription prenatal vitamin is that your insurance company may cover some or all of the cost. If cost isn’t an issue then it’s really up to you to decide what you’d prefer.
Are prenatals better in the morning or night?
There isn’t a difference in absorption whether you take your prenatal vitamin in the morning or at night. If your prenatals specify a time on the packaging then it’s best to follow the instructions. Otherwise whatever time of day you can remember to consistently take your prenatal is the best time.
To decrease the chance of getting nauseous, take your prenatal with a meal or snack. Don’t take it on an empty stomach.
Other things to consider
But what about iron? It’s a good idea to take iron separately from your prenatal because calcium (which should be in your prenatal) interferes with the absorption of iron. With that in mind, iron is an important nutrient for pregnancy and you should still consider an iron supplement or aim to get enough iron through your diet. This is something you can discuss with your provider.
Omega 3s are not always found in prenatals because of oxidation. But they are important during pregnancy. This is another thing you can supplement with or make sure you are getting some through your diet.
Final thoughts
The important thing is to take a prenatal vitamin. Any prenatal is better than no prenatal. It’s great to consider the things mentioned above like folate over folic acid so you’re absorbing all of these important nutrients. If you aren’t pregnant yet but are planning on it remember that taking a prenatal before you get pregnant has many benefits. It doesn’t matter what time of day you take your prenatal, just remember to take it. The benefits to you and your baby are worth it.
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I think a prenatal vitamin is an important component of a healthy pregnancy. A diet rich in healthy fats, protein and complex carbs (plus greens) is another crucial component.
I always found that taking my prenatal with a meal helped lower the nausea I felt sometimes.
Thank you so much for this comprehensive guide Sam!
Yes! A healthy diet is first and foremost, prenatal vitamin is secondary. Thank you for the kind comment Alina 🙂
Thank you for not just explaining what’s in a good prenatal but also recommending some. Super helpful
I’m glad you found this article helpful!
Very thorough and helpful post!
Such a helpful post! My friend and I actually were just discussing what the best prenatal to take is, so read this post at the perfect time. Thanks for sharing!