Last Updated on December 30, 2020
When you’re starting a new chapter in your life, that is being pregnant, your baby is getting all her key nutrients from you.
If you supplement your diet with the best prenatal vitamins for pregnancy, you’ll protect against birth defects. They can even help prevent neural tube defects and anemia.
You’ll also help ease yourself stay healthy.
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If you don’t have time to read the complete article, here are our top picks.
One A Day is a well-known and trusted manufacturer of multivitamins. I wouldn’t be surprised if your OB/GYN recommended them to you.
Their two-pill formula covers all the basics like folic acid, iron, and calcium. These essentials are in the tablet.
Moreover, these prenatal vitamins ideally offer DHA. DHA are omega-3 fatty acids that improve your baby’s brain development or the fetal brain, and nervous system. Omega-3’s are contained in the liquid gel pill. It will also help ease yourself.
If you’ve ever taken fish oil supplements, you might be concerned about burps and flavor. Happily, users report that there is the very little fishy flavor from the supplement. Just take it with food as the manufacturer recommends and can also prevent neural tube defects.
The One A Day Prenatal 1 soft-gels pack everything into one pill a day.
These prenatal vitamins contain acid, calcium, Vitamin E, iron, and omega-3 fatty acid or DHA. There are also other essentials like zinc, magnesium, iodine, biotin, niacin, and more.
The gelatin capsules are free of gluten and don’t have artificial sweeteners or corn syrup. We feel these are the best prenatal vitamins out there.
When you’re nauseated, it’s hard to swallow tablets and capsules, especially on an empty stomach. You might try prenatal gummies instead.
These gummy vitamins do not contain iron.
These prenatal vitamins are rich in folic acid, calcium, iodine, biotin, niacin, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E.
Be aware that they use maltitol syrup, monk fruit extract, mannitol, and added sugar to flavor them. There are also food-safe artificial dyes. We feel these are the best prenatal vitamins out there.
Stick to the basics with a prenatal vitamin that has everything you need without flashy extras.
These prenatal vitamins from Nature Made have no artificial color, flavoring, preservatives, gluten, or yeast. The vitamin is USP-verified to ensure the ingredients match the label. These are especially important during pregnancy.
Oddly, though, the bottle has 250 tablets – not quite enough for an entire pregnancy. We feel these are the best prenatal vitamins out there.
Nature Made also sells gummy vitamins that have all the essential nutrients you need except iron. You’ll need to eat two of them to get the full dose. And each bottle has a one-month supply.
There is a special benefit to these gummy prenatal vitamins. They’re rich in choline.
This component is essential for the baby’s brain and spinal cord development. It’s also the key to making acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter involved in muscle control and memory. We feel these are the best prenatal vitamins out there.
These gummy vitamins also have omega-3 fatty acids and DHA.
Are you having trouble maintaining a healthy diet while you’re pregnant? Then these prenatal vitamins may help take up the slack.
GNC’s soft gels provide 1000 micrograms of folic acid plus 600 mg of calcium. They also have 400 IU of vitamin D3, 500 mg of DHA, and contain iron, too.
These smarty-pants prenatal vitamins are easy to swallow as they are soft gelatin capsules.
NOW is a respected manufacturer of supplements that are based in North America. They are a family-owned business that’s been around since 1968. They follow GMP, perform in-house testing, and contract with third-party laboratories to assess their products for purity and quality.
These prenatal gel vitamins require you to take three soft gels per day to achieve the full dose. They’re packed with vitamins plus fish oil. These are especially important during pregnancy
You can check the label for the full ingredients list, but here’s a summary of some highlights.
There are 800 micrograms of high-quality folic acid, 400 mg of calcium, 400 IU of vitamin D3, 27 mg of iron, a hundred 50 µg of iodine, and 10 mg of choline.
Each soft gel is made from natural ingredients including lemon oil to reduce the fishy burp phenomenon.
Solgar’s tablets contain 100% of the RDA (recommended daily amount) of most of the vitamins the pregnant women or nursing women need every day.
For example, it has 800 micrograms of folic acid, 400 IU of vitamin D, 1300 mg of calcium, and 27 mg of iron. But to obtain the full dose, you need to take four tablets each day.
On the other hand, the tablets are vegetarian, gluten-free, and KOF-K Kosher-certified. They have no artificial preservatives or sweeteners.
If you shop a lot on Amazon, you’re probably aware that Solimo is their brand of health and beauty products that they distribute. The advantage is that these products end up with lots of reviews, which may help you get a feel for what people think about them.
Overall, the gummies seem to be well-received. They come in strawberry, lemon, and orange flavors sweetened with sucrose and colored with natural dyes. There is no soy, egg, wheat, dairy, or gluten.
Two gummies provide 50 mg DHA, 10 mg EPA, choline, and nine minerals and vitamins. This includes 800 micrograms of folic acid.
Nature’s Way is an American company known for its whole food supplements. They include the Orchard Fruits and Garden Veggies blend in this prenatal multivitamin.
Each serving consists of one soft gel that has a tasty strawberry flavor. There are 15 vitamins and minerals in total, plus 200 mg of DHA.
The soft gels are made from gelatin, glycerin, and other natural ingredients. There is no sugar, yeast, wheat, soy, preservatives, or artificial flavors.
Thorne Research designed a prenatal vitamin to avoid causing nausea.
It’s easy for your body to absorb and avoids unnecessary additives and allergens. It doesn’t have fish, shellfish, gluten, soy, yeast, dairy, eggs, tree nuts, or peanuts.
These prenatal vitamins are made in the USA in a certified facility. They pass four rounds of testing to guarantee purity and quality and are the perfect prenatal vitamins for pregnant women.
The iron in the vitamins is iron bisglycinate to avoid causing constipation.
You can check the label for full details, but here’s a hint at the rest of the ingredients. For every three capsules, you’ll get folate (folic acid), iodine, Vitamins A, C, D, and E, and several other essential elements.
Each dose of TheraNatal consists of one soft gel and two tablets. This is a product made in the USA and certified by both NSF and IFOS.
The label lists essentials like 1000 micrograms of folate, 27 mg of iron, 140 mg of calcium, 50 mg of zinc, tuna 50 mg of choline, and 300 mg of DHA.
Vitafusion prenatal vitamins offer tasty gummies vitamins without iron added. They have as much folic acid as two cups of spinach, but they taste like pears and honey.
In fact, they contain honey and pear juice right alongside fish oil to provide DHA.
While you won’t get the full selection of vitamins and minerals that you would with some brands, you’ll at least get vitamins C and D.
Sometimes swallowing pills is a real pain. In that case, try this prenatal vitamin powder. Mix it with water or milk and drink your multivitamin instead.
It also provides 20 grams of protein per serving. That’s helpful when you’re having trouble eating proper meals.
Fortunately, the formula in this prenatal vitamin is free of caffeine, soy, gluten, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives.
It also tastes better than the average powder. The Tahitian vanilla flavor is smooth and less likely to cause nausea. It’s also boosted with Vitamin B6 to reduce queasiness.
You can start taking prenatal vitamins before you get pregnant when you’re trying to conceive.
Otherwise, begin taking prenatal vitamins as soon as you know that you’re pregnant.
The first few weeks of your pregnancy are crucial for your baby’s development.
Talk to your doctor first, if your doctor agrees, you can continue taking the vitamins like vitamin b12, b6 while you’re nursing. Always, choose a vitamin that is gluten-free, non-GMO, and contains no animal products
Yes, it’s essential to choose a prenatal vitamin with the right amount of essential nutrients.
For example, it’s recommended that you consume at least 600 micrograms of folic acid (AKA folate) every day.
Folic acid is part of the family of B vitamins. It’s vital for your baby to have healthy brain development and spine as well.
Since it’s difficult to get enough acid from food alone, doctors usually recommend that you supplement your diet with a prenatal vitamin. So it is recommended that you talk to your doctor first.
Next, iron is necessary for red blood cells to transport oxygen to developing tissues and organs. If the vitamin you choose doesn’t contain the full recommended daily amount of a nutrient, be sure to eat foods that are high in that vitamin or mineral
You’ll need to eat about twice the iron that you need when you’re not pregnant. The suggested dose is 27 mg.
After that, you’ll require extra calcium, at least 1000 mg per day. This is to prevent you from losing bone density.
Also, Vitamin D helps your body, the baby’s eyesight develops, and her skin and bones grow. The recommended amount is 600 IU per day.
Finally, iodine is indispensable for your baby’s hearing, physical growth, and brain development.
It’s smart to discuss prenatal vitamins with your doctor or OB/GYN. They may prefer that you use a prescription vitamin instead of an over-the-counter product.
If you’d like to take a prenatal vitamin that doesn’t require a prescription, there are ways you can protect yourself against fraudulent products.
Select vitamins that are tested for purity and quality and manufactured in the USA. Look for companies that advertise that they follow GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards. It is also important to check they are gluten-free, non-GMO, and contain no animal products, and would be great if you could get your hands on a certified organic product.
Then go the extra mile by choosing brands that are tested by third-party laboratories. They determine whether the ingredients match what’s on the label. And they check for undesirable additions like heavy metals to ensure the products’ purity.
To illustrate, USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia) is one such provider. They acquire samples in stores and test them one to six times per year.
Another is NSF International. They test samples that have been purchased in stores or provided by the manufacturer once a year.
Then there’s ConsumerLab.com that examines products once a year that they buy in stores.
Even UL (Underwriter Laboratories) now tests dietary supplements, too.
If you’re not a pregnant woman and don’t plan to be, you probably aren’t reading this article.
On the off chance that you’re considering a prenatal vitamin to help you grow out your hair or nails, don’t do it. Some of the will build up and become toxic in your body.
It’s not worth making yourself sick or worse. Also, swallowing a pill can make it even worse if you are struggling with morning sickness.
If you are pregnant, you might be tempted to take extra supplements besides prenatal vitamins.
Perhaps you want to stop feeling nauseated or tired. Maybe you’re hoping to sleep better at night.
Always talk about extra supplements with your doctor because there are several problems you need to consider.
To begin with, supplements are unregulated. The manufacturers don’t have to follow the same rules that the pharmaceutical industry does. If you are taking a prenatal vitamin when you’re struggling with morning sickness can make your empty stomach turn even more.
Doses may not match what’s on the bottle, and there could be contaminants like arsenic.
Just as bad, supplements are not tested for safety on pregnant women or nursing women so we don’t know what side effects they may have.
Plus, you probably already know that too much caffeine is a no-no while you’re pregnant. Many supplements contain ingredients that are natural sources of caffeine like yerba maté, cocoa, tea, coffee beans, bitter orange, and guarana.
It’s best to skip the supplements while you’re pregnant.
With that said, let’s look at the top prenatal over-the-counter vitamins for pregnancy.
Take care of both your and your baby’s health by taking one of the best prenatal vitamins for pregnancy as this is going to be a new chapter in your life.
They provide the boost you both need as your baby develops in the womb.
They may also help you provide healthy nutrition during pregnancy.
If you have a favorite prenatal vitamin, leave me a comment below. Tell me what you liked about it.
Resources:
1. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/pregnancy/pre-pregnancy-health/what-are-prenatal-vitamins
2. https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Nutrition-During-Pregnancy?IsMobileSet=false
3. https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/prenatal-vitamins#1 by Kecia Gaither,
4. https://www.consumerreports.org/vitamins-supplements/what-usp-verified-and-other-supplement-seals-mean/ by Laurie Tarkan,
5. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/prenatal-vitamins/faq-20057922 by Katherine Zeratsky,
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1804304/ by Amy Schweitzer,
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choline
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