Best Prenatal Vitamins

During pregnancy, it’s extremely important to incorporate a healthy diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and grains such as whole wheat. Your healthcare provider may suggest eating smaller meals and snacks more often during the course of the day. You should stay away from alcohol and tobacco as these substances will pass on to your baby through the placenta, causing addictions.  Your babies health is so important, that’s why you have to educate yourself about the best prenatal vitamins.

 

You should always talk with your doctor to determine what you should be taking into your body and what you need to stay away from. If you are on any medications, whether over-the-counter or prescriptions, talk with your doctor. There are many medications that can cause serious damage to your baby including pain killers, medications for inducing sleep, diet supplements and the list goes on.  Important: The basis of the advice on this site is of course of a general nature.  Everyone has their own specific nutritional requirements.  Before you ingest any type of pill/vitamin you should always consult your doctor first.

 

The best over the counter prenatal vitamins for 2016

Even With A Good Diet – Why Take A Prenatal Vitamin?

Even with a great diet, sometimes it’s difficult to take in enough important nutrients. When you are pregnant, your body needs extra nutrients that are not needed otherwise. Taking a vitamin supplement is the best way to get these added benefits. Depending on your eating habits and physical condition should dictate whether a supplement is right for you or not. Should you need a supplement incorporated into your diet, a prenatal vitamin will give you the nutritional benefits a future mom will need.

If you are an athletic women who keeps in shape through workouts, running and taking high levels of protein in your diet, you might not need a prenatal supplement or one that is not as intense. Again, your doctor is the best judge in making those choices. Eating a good, healthy diet is always a good choice, whether pregnant or not. Prenatal supplements or vitamins can balance out your diet if you have some needed supplements but you are not taking enough in.

There are so many options for prenatal vitamins that it can leave your head spinning. Your best bet is to find one that works for you and stay with it. There is no perfect (has everything I need) prenatal vitamin, so don’t worry about it, instead be consistent in taking your vitamin supplement daily. There are certain things you want to look for when choosing a prenatal vitamin such as folic acid, iron and calcium. Let’s take a closer look at these essential ingredients:

Folic Acid:

Folic acid aids works in preventing neural tube defects. These specific defects are abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord. Folic acid significantly reduces the risk of these defects including spina bifida. Doctors recommend that pregnant women or women of child-bearing years, take at least 400 mcg every day. Lack of sufficient folic acid could cause you baby to have malfunctions in brain disorders and poor formation of the spinal cord.

Neural tube defects usually develop in the first 28 days after conception, before a women even knows she is pregnant. Research has shown that almost half of all pregnancies are unplanned, it is highly recommended that women who can become pregnant should take 400 mcg of folic acid daily and definitely before conception and then through the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.

There are some great foods that are rich in folic acids: leafy vegetables, beans, citrus fruits, nuts and fortified foods. Even if you load up on these foods, it’s still strongly suggested you take a supplement for the added folic acid levels.

 

 

Iron:

You are going to need at least 27 mg of iron daily during pregnancy to increase your blood volume. Iron supports your baby’s development and growth. It also prevents anemia which is a loss of healthy red blood cells.

Calcium:

Calcium is a leading benefactor in curtailing the loss of bone density for both mom and baby. Calcium will help your baby develop good bone growth. Good skeletal structure is imperative in your baby’s growth from the very beginning and throughout the rest of their developmental years.

How To Choose A Good Prenatal Vitamin:

Unfortunately, supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that can lead to some supplements not offering the levels of nutrients that some manufacturers claim. Some supplements are also contaminated with other chemicals that aren’t even listed on the labels.

You want to look for United States Pharmacopeia (USP) seal of approval. This is a non-profit scientific organization that sets the standards and analyze pills and supplements to assure accuracies on the bottles’ labels. Again, look for the USP seal of approval to assure you are getting what you want and need. To learn more about the USP, visit their website: http://www.usp.org/.

The USP also studies a vitamin’s ability to dissolve quickly in your stomach so you are getting the full benefit of the vitamin throughout your body.

If you have a prenatal vitamin already, you can run your own test. Take a vitamin and place it in a half a cup of white or apple cider vinegar. Leave it for 30 minutes (stirring every 5 mins). After this time, the pill should have dissolved or separated into little particles. Note: if your pill is a gelatin or hard coated pill, it might take up to 45 mins.  DHA can be a massive talking point when it comes to prenatal vitamins – check this link out for the best prenatal vitamins with DHA.

The other factor you might want to consider is if it’s organic.  Check out our page on the best organic prenatal vitamins to find out more.

What A Prenatal Vitamin Contains:

• Folic acid — 400 to 800 micrograms
• Calcium — 250 milligrams
• Iron — 30 milligrams
• Vitamin C — 50 milligrams
• Zinc — 15 milligrams
• Copper — 2 milligrams
• Vitamin B-6 — 2 milligrams
• Vitamin D — 400 international units
• Iodine- 150 micrograms

Check out our page on prenatal vitamin nutrients to find out more.

When To Start Taking A Prenatal Vitamin:

You should start taking the vitamin three months before trying to become pregnant. The egg starts maturing, approximately 3 months before release. Therefore it is critical that nutrients are present during the very earliest stages.  To find out more about when to start taking prenatal vitamins click here.

Neural tube defects occur within the first 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. If you believe you are pregnant and are not taking a prenatal vitamin, get an over the counter one immediately. Make sure the supplement is 600 micrograms.  I have an entire article devoted on when are prenatal vitamins are most important.

Are All Prenatal Vitamins The Same?

No, prescription vitamins are regulated by the FDA but are not required to have certain nutrients. Also there are different levels of the ingredients from one supplement to another. Some supplements have small amounts of all nutrients while others only offer certain nutrients in higher levels. Best bet is to talk with your OB who might suggest the best supplement for you. Prescription supplements and over-the-counter varieties can be completely different and have different reactions from pregnant women. Pregnant women due suffer from morning sickness and non-prescription supplements can add to that discomfort. If you are using an over-the-counter prenatal vitamin and suffering from nausea, check with your doctor to find something that works well with you.

Another alternative, take your vitamin before you go to bed. You might be able to sleep through the nausea. Do not constantly change your prenatal supplement or add other supplements to make up for something that is either lacking or in low amounts in the vitamin you are taking. You could end up overdosing on something, send all the ingredients into a tail spin and/or cause yourself and your baby irreparable harm. If you are having problems with a prenatal vitamin, see your doctor.

How Long Should I Take This Supplement?

You should take it throughout your entire pregnancy. Talk with your doctor to get advice on whether you should continue to take the vitamin after birth. In many cases, after pregnancy, your body can be at a loss of many nutritions that need to be replenished. Also, while nursing your baby will still take in nutrients from mom through your milk. These prenatal supplements will aid in this process.

Does Your Prenatal Vitamin Make You Nauseous?

As women can go through nausea in early pregnancy, if your supplement is making you nauseous talk to your doctor. He or she might prescribe a different supplement that will work better for you. Again, don’t bounc through different over-the-counter vitamins, speak with your doctor to get the best supplement for you that will keep you from being nauseous.  Are there any other side effects from prenatal vitamins?

Prenatal Vitamins and Your Doctor:

Constantly changing your supplement is not a wise thing to do unless its done by your physician. Also, combining different supplements, such as folic acid, along with a multivitamin can cause concerns because you could easily overdose. Never take more than is directed on the label or by your doctor.

Do prenatal vitamins help with hair growth?

You’ve probably heard many rumors that prenatal vitamins help with hair growth.  After all prenatal vitamins are packed with vitamins that your body needs.  Check out my article on prenatal vitamins and hair growth to see if the rumor is fact or fiction.

The 8 best Prenatal Vitamin tablets

1. Garden of Life

This vitamin has everything you want in a prenatal multivitamin. Folic acid (800 mcg), copper, selenium, manganese and an array of other vitamins and minerals. This supplement has been given good reviews (click here for full review) and seems to contain the essentials needed during pregnancy.

 

2. New Chapter Perfect Prenatal

This vitamin’s vitamin A is entirely from beta carotene instead of a combination of beta carotene and palmitate. Perfect Prenatal does seem to contain every possible vitamin within supplemental categories, but should be taken in moderation. The calcium level is rather low so you might need a calcium supplement as well.   If you need more calcium, check with your doctor or your local pharmacist for a good match.  Full review.

3. Nature Made Prenatal Multi Vitamin

Nature Made Prenatal Multi Vitamins are easy on the stomach and easy to swallow and are effective.  Check out my full review of Nature Made Prenatal Multi Vitamins.

4. Vitafusion Prenatal Gummy Vitamins

A great option for those that are finding it a bit difficult to swallow.  Full review here.

5. Rainbow Light just Once Prenatal One

Rainbow Light just Once Prenatal One offers 200 mg Calcium, 30 mg Iron and an impressive list of other vitamins needed in a prenatal vitamin. It supports the digestive system with enzymes and Lactobacillus cultures. Lactobacillus is any long, slender, rod-shaped, anaerobic bacterium of the genus Lactobacillus, that produces large amounts of lactic acid in the fermentation of carbohydrates, especially in milk. Vitamin A is somewhat low in this supplement. Vitamin A can be found in your diet from green and yellow vegetables, egg yolk, etc.   You may also check with your pharmacist for an additive vitamin A that works well with this supplement.

6. Spring Valley Prenatal Vitamins

These guys are the best when it comes to a budget option.  They have verifiable ingredients and at the end of the day a vitamin is a vitamin.  Of course we all want the best start for our babies but we shouldn’t be “guilt tripped” into expensive products simply because they’re expensive.  If you’re looking for a no-frills type option, try Spring Valley Prenatal Vitamins.  You can read my full review of Spring Valley Prenatal Vitamins here.

7. MegaFood – Baby & Me

This is a really great option because it’s made with great ingredients.  The downside is the cost and the taste.  Check out my MegaFood – Baby & Me review.

8. Easy2 Swallow Multi Prenatal Vitamin

Sometimes when pregnant the last thing you want to do is swallow a pill, especially for those who have trouble swallowing pills.  Easy2 Swallow Multi Prenatal Vitamins might be the answer for you.

Chewable Prenatal Vitamins

Many mothers to be have issues with swallowing pills when pregnant.  It can be much easier for them to chew tablets instead of swallow them.  Belly Bar Chewable Prenatal Vitamins might be a good option for you if that’s the case.  Another option for those who hate pills are the Vitafusion Prenatal Gummy Vitamins review.  Check out my Vitafusion Prenatal Gummy Vitamins review.

Vegan Prenatal Vitamins

Deva Nutrition Vegan Prenatal Vitamins are the leaders in vegan prenatal vitamins.  Check out my review of Deva Nutrition Vegan Prenatal Vitamin.  If you’re looking for another option you should check out the best vegan prenatal vitamins and see if they’re right for you.

 

In Conclusion

Prenatal vitamins are an important part of your dietary intake while you are pregnant and probably for some time afterward. Read labels carefully, talk with your doctor and make an intelligent choice on the best supplement for your activities, dietary intake and overall health. If you care not sure, always, always consult with your doctor to make sure you are getting the very best for both you and your unborn baby.