When you’re pregnant, you want to do everything possible to give your baby a healthy start in life. But with all the different vitamins on the market, knowing how to choose prenatal vitamins that work best for you can be a little intimidating. In this article, we’ll give you some things to consider when choosing prenatal vitamins, so that you can have a healthy pregnancy and make the best decision for you and your baby.
The advice included in this article is meant for informational purposes only. Please consult your care provider before making any decisions regarding your pregnancy.
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Why Are Prenatal Vitamins Important?
Prenatal vitamins are important for many reasons. They help to ensure that the developing baby gets the nutrients they need in order to grow and develop properly. They also help to prevent birth defects and improve the health of the mother.
Many moms suffer from nutritional deficiency during pregnancy, which can be prevented by taking a good pre natal vitamin.
Some of the specific nutrients that are important for pregnant women include:
- folic acid
- iron
- calcium
- choline
- vitamin D
- magnesium
Folic acid helps to prevent birth defects of the brain and spine. Iron is important for the development of the baby’s blood cells and calcium helps to develop strong bones and teeth.
Check out our full pregnancy essentials list for the most important items to get while pregnant.
Prenatal Vitamins vs. Multivitamins
There are many different types of prenatal vitamins on the market today. So, how do you know which one is right for you and your baby? The most important thing to is to choose a prenatal vitamin over a multivitamin.
Prenatal vitamins are specially formulated to meet the increased nutritional needs of pregnant women. They typically contain higher levels of folate, iron, and calcium than multivitamins. They also include additional nutrients like choline, copper and selenium needed for growing healthy babies.
Multivitamins, on the other hand, are designed to meet the nutritional needs of the general population. While they may contain some of the same nutrients as prenatal vitamins, they are usually present in lower amounts.
So, if you’re pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, a prenatal vitamin is the best choice.
Read more about how to avoid the most common diet mistakes during pregnancy
What Factors Should You Consider When Choosing Prenatal Vitamins?
Prenatal vitamins are important during the first trimester, when the baby’s neural tube is developing. So it’s best to start early.
There are many prenatal vitamins on the market, so how do you know which one to choose? Here are some factors to consider when choosing a prenatal vitamin:
What other health conditions do you have?
If you have diabetes or another chronic condition, your prenatal vitamin needs may be different. Be sure to talk to your care provider about what’s right for you.
How often do you take it?
One thing many pregnant moms don’t consider when choosing a prenatal is how many pills will need to be taken a day.
Many popular prenatal vitamins require taking multiple pills a day. There are some one pill a day options, which are great if you have trouble taking multiple pills or remembering to take your prenatal.
If taking pills is an issue, you can try a pregnancy protein powder like this one which you can drink.
Do you have any allergies?
Some prenatal vitamins contain ingredients that can trigger allergies, so it’s important to check the label before you buy.
What are the ingredients?
Most importantly when choosing a prenatal vitamin, read the label and look closely at the ingredients.
Opt for one that contains mostly whole food ingredients, is certified organic, and free from synthetic additives and preservatives. You should also look for a vitamin that has been third-party tested for purity and potency.
Also look for prenatal vitamins that contain the lesser known essential nutrients like choline, vitamin D, selenium and copper. These nutrients are key for baby’s development and often left out, or are in low doses, in low quality prenatal formulas.
You can learn more about the importance of pregnancy nutrition for your health and baby’s in this online course.
Which type of folate?
Folic acid is actually a cheaper, synthetic form of natural folate, or vitamin B9. While taking folic acid reportedly can help prevent birth defects and premature birth, up to 50% of people may not be able to process folic acid into it’s usable from.
Unless you’ve been tested for the MTHFR defect, it’s a good idea to choose a prenatal with a natural form of folate. Read more on this topic from nutritionist Lily Nichols.
What’s your budget?
Prenatal vitamins can range in price from a few dollars to over $100. It’s important to find a vitamin that fits your budget and meets your needs.
Best Organic Prenatal Vitamins
The best way to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need while pregnant is to eat a well-rounded diet of whole, unprocessed foods. Check out our list of the best foods to eat while pregnant for some ideas.
However, taking a quality prenatal vitamin can help fill any gaps in your nutrition and ensure that your baby gets the nutrients he or she needs for healthy development.
There is no absolutely perfect prenatal vitamin on the market currently. Each prenatal vitamin has it’s pro’s and con’s. Read on below to see a comparison.
Here are our top picks for the best organic prenatal vitamins:
Full Well Prenatal Multivitamin
8 pills Daily
Seeking Health Prenatal Essentials
2 pills Daily
Thorne Research – Basic Prenatal
3 pills Daily
MegaFood Baby & Me 2 Prenatal Multi
2 pills Daily
Actif Organic Prenatal Vitamin
1 pill Daily
As you can see there are benefits and drawbacks to even the top rated prenatal vitamins.
Alternatives To Prenatal Vitamin Pills
Prenatal pills are an important source of nutrients for pregnant women and their developing babies. However, if you have issues swallowing pills, or they irritate your stomach, there are a few alternatives you can try that may be more comfortable for you.
Prenatal vitamins not only come in pill form, but they also come in chewables, gummies and powder form as well. This gives pregnant mothers options when it comes to choosing the right prenatal vitamins for themselves and their developing babies.
Seeking Health Optimal Prenatal Chewable
2 pills Daily
Prenatal gummies are a popular alternative to pills for many pregnant women. Prenatal gummies come in many different flavors, which makes them more enjoyable to take. They are also smaller and easier to chew, which can make them easier to swallow for some pregnant women.
SmartyPants Prenatal Gummy Vitamin
4 pills Daily
Prenatal powders are another popular alternative to pills. Prenatal powders can be mixed with water or juice and are often flavorless, which some pregnant women prefer.
Our favorite prenatal protein powder tastes like a vanilla shake and makes taking your vitamins easy and tasty.
Bump Dust Prenatal Powder
There are a lot of prenatal vitamins on the market, and it can be tough to know which one is right for you.
However, by considering your own individual needs and doing some research, you can find the perfect prenatal vitamin for you and your baby.
We hope that our tips have helped you narrow down your search and that you found the information useful.
Do you have any other tips for choosing prenatal vitamins? Which prenatal are you taking? Share them with us in the comments below!
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