When Should I Start Taking A Prenatal Vitamin?
If you aren’t already taking a daily prenatal vitamin, start taking one as soon as you find out you’re expecting. Your doctor might also recommend you continue to take prenatal vitamins after delivery, especially if you decide to breastfeed. How we chose the best prenatal vitamins Whether you’re looking for something that’ll stay put when morning sickness hits or you just want something that tastes good, here are 13 great options to consider.
We chose these because they contain the essentials that you need while pregnant, and they’re highly rated in online reviews. Pricing guide Most of these vitamins are packaged to contain 30 servings — about a month’s worth.
What Are Prenatal Vitamins?
Prenatal vitamins are supplements made for pregnant women to give their bodies the vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy pregnancy.
Your doctor may suggest that you take them when you begin to plan for pregnancy, as well as while you’re pregnant. Eating a healthy diet is always a wise idea — especially during pregnancy.
What To Look For In Prenatal Vitamins
Best Prenatal Vitamins 2022
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) notes taking a prenatal vitamin and eating nutritious foods should provide a person with all the vitamins and minerals they need during pregnancy.
A prenatal vitamin is important for pregnant people, as the growing fetus requires certain nutrients that can be hard to get through diet alone. “Fetal development is rapid and requires a lot of metabolism—it’s dependent on the proper amount of amino acids and nutrients,” says James Grifo, M.D., the program director at NYU Langone Fertility Center in New York City and chief executive physician at Inception Fertility. Acog recommends pregnant people consume certain amounts of calcium to help build strong bones and teeth, iron to help red blood cells deliver oxygen to the fetus, iodine and choline to aid in brain development, and folic acid to help prevent birth defects.
Getting the recommended amount of certain nutrients—especially folic acid—can be hard to do, even if you eat a healthy diet. For example, ACOG recommends pregnant people consume 600 micrograms of folic acid daily during pregnancy to help prevent brain and spinal birth defects.