Why You Need a Prenatal Vitamin & How to Choose One

Did you know you don’t need to be pregnant or trying to conceive before taking a prenatal vitamin?

It may come as a surprise, but it’s recommended that any woman of child bearing age start taking a prenatal vitamin that contains at least 400 mcg of folic acid. Prenatal vitamins contain nutrients that are very important for fetal growth and development, and for the prevention of birth defects.

If you are curious about prenatal vitamins, trying to conceive, or not sure where to start when it comes to looking for one, I hope that this weeks blog post will be helpful!

First things first.

If you haven’t been taking a prenatal vitamin, don’t panic!

As mentioned above, folic acid is a critical nutrient for a healthy pregnancy, but like many other nutrients, it can also be found in foods both naturally and as an additive. Taking a prenatal vitamin containing folic acid is recommended as a means to guarantee that we are always getting enough, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t also consume it through your diet.

If you take a look at the nutrition label of most cereals, breads and flours, you’ll notice that folic acid is added. This became common practice as a means to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects. Folic acid can also be found naturally in foods like leafy green vegetables (e.g. spinach, kale, spring greens), broccoli, brussels sprouts, peas, chickpeas, and beans.

Of course there are other important nutrients for a healthy pregnancy, and I will touch on those a little further on!

Importance of prenatal vitamins

Prenatal vitamins are sort of like a security blanket.

Of course we can get many nutrients from a healthy and varied diet alone, but unfortunately most humans don’t tend to eat this way consistently. Supplements help to fill any gaps so that we are always getting the nutrients we need in the right amounts.

Aside from eating a healthy and varied diet, there are other factors that can affect whether or not we are meeting our nutrient requirements through food alone. This includes things like digestive disorders, how and where our food is grown, freshness of ingredients, and even cooking method.

Due to all of these factors, when it comes to guaranteeing a healthy baby it’s best to ensure that all of our bases are covered by taking a daily supplement.

Essential nutrients to look for

1. Folate

• Important for healthy fetal development and prevention of neural tube defects. It is recommended to consume at least 600 mcg, and no more than 800-1000 mcg in a day during pregnancy

• Folic acid vs. Folate: You may have seen the terms “folate” as well as “folic acid” used interchangeably. Folic acid actually refers to the synthetic form of folate, which is often used as an additive in foods and supplements. Folate is the term used to describe the form occurring naturally in foods

• In order to be active in the body, folic acid needs to converted into methylfolate (or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate). This process requires the help of an enzyme 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). The problem with this is that some individuals actually have genetic variations of MTHFR, which can affect how much folic acid is converted in it’s active form. When this happens, folic acid can build up which is not ideal. Higher quality supplements usually contain methylfolate, since this is the active form

2. Vitamin B12

• Helps to keep blood and nerve cells healthy. Low levels of B12 have been linked with a higher risk of miscarriage, poor fetal growth, and neural tube defects. The recommended daily intake during pregnancy is 2.6 mcg/day

• Similar to folate, B12 is typically available in two forms, cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin. Methylcobalamin is typically preferred because it is the active form that doesn’t require an enzyme for conversion

3. Choline

• Important for fetal growth and development, placental function, and prevention of neural tube defects. The recommended intake is 450 mg/day

• This nutrient is harder to find in prenatal vitamins. Some have it, but many do not. In those that do have it, I have found that it is in very low amounts so you may need to take this as a separate supplement depending on how much you are consuming in your diet

4. Iron

• You may have heard that during pregnancy our blood volume doubles. Higher amounts of iron are needed in order to support the placenta and fetus.

• The recommended daily intake during pregnancy is 27 mg/day

5. Vitamin A

• Important for the development of organs, vision, and body systems such as the immune system

• The recommended daily intake during pregnancy is 77 mcg/ day

6. Vitamin C:

• Protects cells and helps to keep them healthy

• The recommended daily intake during pregnancy is 86 mg/day

7. Vitamin B6

• An important nutrient for the development of the brain and nervous system.

• The recommended daily intake is during pregnancy is 1.9 mg/day

8. Zinc

• An essential nutrient that has been shown to slightly reduce the risk of preterm births.

• The recommended daily intake is during pregnancy is 11mg/day

9. Magnesium

• An important nutrient for almost every system in the body. Adequate intake of magnesium has been linked with reduced risk of preeclampsia, stillbirth, low birth weight, and fetal growth restriction

• The recommended daily intake is during pregnancy is 350 mg/day for those aged 19-30, and 360 mg/day for those 31-50

• Another great benefit of getting enough magnesium during pregnancy is that it can help with sleep and muscle cramps. If you have ever jumped out of bed in agony you know how bad this can be!

Other important nutrients:

1. Vitamin D

• Helps to ensure healthy fetal growth, reduces the risk for preeclampsia, pre-term birth and gestational diabetes

• The recommended daily intake during pregnancy is 400 IU (10 mcg/day)

• Look for supplements that contain vitamin D3 + K2. D3 is the active form if vitamin D, and K2 helps activate both vitamin D and calcium

  2. Calcium

• Important for the development of fetal bones and teeth. The body cannot make calcium so it is important to get it from food and/or supplements

• The recommended daily intake during pregnancy is 1000 mg/day. Tip: Don’t take calcium at the same time of iron. Calcium inhibits the absorption of iron

  3. Omega 3

• Important for healthy development of fetal brain and vision. If you do not consistently consume 1-3 servings per week of fatty fish, you would likely benefit from a supplement

• The recommended daily intake is during pregnancy is 200 mg/day

So, which prenatal is best?

With all of this in mind here are my top criteria for selecting the best prenatal vitamin:

1. Contains all (or most) of the necessary nutrients

2. Fits within your budget

3. Suitable for your dietary preferences and medical history

4. A dosage and format that you can reliably stick to taking every day. Some prenatal vitamins require that you take multiple pills per day. It might be a good idea to check the label of your selected vitamin to ensure that it fits well with your lifestyle

Still unsure?

If you have read this blog post and are still unsure about how to choose the best prenatal for you, I recommend speaking with your doctor or a registered dietitian. A health care practitioner can review your dietary preferences, past medical history, and help navigate the plethora of options on the market!