September 18, 2012

what to look for in a prenatal vitamin, benefits and recommendations

Looking for a prenatal vitamin that fits all your needs can be tough seeing there are hundreds of choices out there and each pregnancy is different so each requires different vitamins. I remember a friend having to find prenatal vitamins with folate and she spent ages trying to find suitable vitamins. I also went through a lot of options until I found the one that worked best for my body. I put together some tips that helped me when I went out shopping for a prenatal vitamin and wanted to pass along the tips because it can be overwhelming! Note this is not a medical opinion, these are just some tips on research that I did from dependable sources. Here are some of the questions I asked myself…

How much of each vitamin should I have?
What benefit does each vitamin provide?
Do I need DHA?
Which ones will not affect my digestive system?

How much of each Vitamin should I be taking?

(note this information came from WebMD)

Vitamin	Amount
Folic Acid	400 micrograms (mcg)
Vitamin D	400 IU
Calcium	200 to 300 milligrams (mg)
Vitamin C	70 mg
Thiamine	3 mg
Riboflavin	2 mg
Niacin	20 mg
Vitamin B12	6 mcg
Vitamin E	10 mg
Zinc	15 mg
Iron	17 mg

What benefit does each vitamin provide?

I think it’s important to know what each vitamin in your pill does for you so you are not just putting a whole bunch of stuff in your body. Here is the list I made:

(note this information came from WebMD and Mayo Clinic)

Vitamin	Benefit
Folic Acid	Reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects or cleft palate in the infant
Vitamin D	Helps maintain the right levels of calcium and phosphorous
Calcium	Builds strong bones, teeth and a healthy heart rate for your baby
Vitamin C	Prepares you and your baby for tissue repair, bone growth, fighting infections and healthy skin
Thiamine	Promotes brain development, supports the functioning of your heart and nervous system and provides energy from carbohydrates
Riboflavin	Boosts immune system functions and promotes healthy hair and skin
Niacin	Protects against cardiovascular disease, supports cognitive function, the nervous system and the digestive tract
Vitamin B12	Keeps your nerves and red blood cells healthy
Vitamin E	Helps prevents complications in late pregnancy due to high blood pressure
Zinc	Promotes healthy development of the baby for cell growth and for the immune system of the baby and pregnant women
Iron	Maintains a healthy immune system and plays an important role in making hemoglobin

Do I need DHA?

There is not a right or wrong answer to this, it’s a personal preference. I did not take DHA with my pregnancy but made sure I was eating foods that contained it. There are research studies that show benefits, especially when combined with folate. These are the best prenatal vitamins with folate and DHA if you want to try it out for yourself, but there are also research studies that show only minimal benefits of additional DHA with your prenatal vitamins. I would suggest asking your doctor to hear their opinion.

Which ones will not affect my digestive system?

From my experience liquid prenatal vitamins are the easiest to take down but have the worst flavoring so it may go down, but it may not STAY down! Tablets have a bad absorption rate which means they can hurt your already bloated tummy even more. Capsules are easier to swallow and digest much quicker. Try to look for prenatal vitamins that require taking more than one a day at different times of the day so your body doesn’t go in overload.