Eating healthy, whole food sources is the best way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need for the proper development of your fetus. However, no matter how attentive you are to what you eat, you may come up short on one thing or another when you are expecting. This is why a good prenatal vitamin is so important for your during pregnancy.
The recommended daily requirements for the intake of certain nutrients like calcium, folate, iron, zinc, copper and vitamins C, D, A and E, increase during pregnancy.
Taking a prenatal vitamin daily can help fill in any potential gaps making sure you are providing adequate nutrients for the baby’s healthy development. Besides helping your baby’s progressive growth, taking a prenatal vitamin daily will help prevent anemia and neural tube defects.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, recommends taking 400 micrograms of folate daily for at least a month before and during pregnancy as this helps prevent serious brain and spinal cord defects.
A high quality prenatal vitamin is the more preferred choice than a standard adult multivitamins because they contain more folate, iron, and Vitamin B12. If you are not consistently eating fish, it is a good idea to consider a separate DHA supplement to ensure you’re getting appropriate omega 3
Folate in particular plays a role in preventing neural tube defects, which cause serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord.
Iron supports the baby’s growth and development and helps prevent anemia, a condition caused by a low number of healthy red blood cells in the blood.
Juna is a fitness and nutrition app created to help guide you through your pregnancy and motherhood journey. Everything we do is designed to empower and support you through one of the most rewarding, and challenging, times of your life. You can try it free.
Your doctor may prescribe a specific prenatal vitamin for you or leave the decision to you.
There are many brands of prenatal vitamins to select from, but a good prenatal vitamin should have: Folate, DHA, Iodine, calcium, vitamins D, C, A, and E, iron, copper, zinc
What are the best prenatal vitamins for a healthy pregnancy?
From various ratings and reviews from different customers, here are the top six prenatal vitamins Juna Recommends.
1. Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multivitamin
Product Description: Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multivitamin is enriched with Folic acid. This pill has been scientifically proven as a rich supplement containing the superfood that will aid your child’s development. This all–encompassing prenatal vitamin delivers the vital nutrient required for healthy baby development with the needed amount of folate, calcium, choline and iron.
This prenatal vitamin is friendly on your stomach. It contains organic superfoods for example, spirulina, kale, beet, broccoli, carrot and blueberry. It also contains plant-sourced enzymes and shelf-stable probiotics.
This supplement contains no artificial preservatives or additives, colors, flavors or added sugar. Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multivitamin aids you and baby’s nutritional requirements from pregnancy through nursing.
Amazon rating – 4.5 stars.
Price – $18
2. Garden of Life Vitamin Code RAW Prenatal
Product description: Vitamin Code RAW Prenatal is a rich comprehensive super food, multi-nutrient supplement, specifically made to meet the unique demands of expecting moms during pregnancy and lactation periods. It will provide the necessary nourishment for both the mother and her developing baby.
This product been called RAW signifies the absence of high heat, synthetic binders, fillers, artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors or additives normally used in the manufacture of tablets. Whole food or superfood simple means RAW Food-made nutrients that are blended in a base of 23 fruits and vegetables together with food substance.
The ultimate goal of this prenatal vitamin is to provide all essential and enriching nutrients, which might be lacking in the mother. Just the same way the mother wants the best for her baby so does this product.
Amazon rating – 4.5 stars
Price – $38
3. New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Multivitamins
Product Description: Pregnant or expecting mothers are always seeking out for the best prenatal vitamins. There are many prenatal vitamins out there. The big task now is how do you select the best amongst the many out there?
That’s pretty easy, New Chapters Perfect Prenatal vitamins answers it all.
They are formulated with organic whole-food ingredients and fermented to release each nutrient for your body to absorb, as in the case food. Pregnant and expecting mothers love that Methyl folate, the most bioactive form of Folate, a B vitamin are constituents of New chapter prenatal vitamins as these are vital for your baby’s brain &spinal cord development.
Amazon rating – 4.5 stars
Price –$44
4. Nature Made Prenatal Multi + DHA
Product Description: Taking supplement before pregnancy during pregnancy and after pregnancy is indeed of great importance.
Nature made prenatal multivitamin contains major nutrients such as DHA, Folic Acid, and Iron. These are essential nutrients in your prenatal supplement.
DHA plays an important role in fetal brain and eye development, because DHA is directly transferred from the mother to her unborn child during these developmental stages.
Folic acid on the other hand aid spinal cord and brain development.
Amazon rating – 4.5 stars
Price – $50
5. One A Day Women’s Prenatal Vitamin
Product Description: One A Day Women’s Prenatal Multivitamins are comprehensive prenatal vitamin that offer a wide range of vital nutrients in a daily multivitamin intake and liquid gel formulated for women before, during and after pregnancy.
This two-pill formula contains Folic Acid, Omega-3 DHA, Calcium, Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E, Iron, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Biotin, Iodine, Magnesium, Copper, Pantothenic Acid, and Zinc.
DHA is an Omega-3 fatty acid that can help maintain healthy fetal brain and eye development during pregnancy.
Amazon rating – 4.5 stars
Price – $23
6. MegaFood Baby & Me Herb Free Prenatal Vitamin
Product Description: This product comprises of organic, plant-based supplement necessary for proper child development.
This prenatal vitamin is programmed to be easily digested and absorbed when taken.
You need not worry about food when taking it as it can be taken on an empty stomach.
Amazon rating – 4.5 stars
Price – $36
The perfect time to start taking prenatal vitamins
Have you started taking prenatal vitamins yet? It is recommended that you start taking a prenatal vitamin when you are trying to conceive, which will help you build up a reserve. If you aren’t taking one yet, it’s time to get started!
What time of day should I take my prenatal vitamins?
There is no preferred time. You could time it in morning or at bedtime but always avoid overdosing. If your prenatal is making you nauseas, make sure you’re taking it with food. If you’re still experiencing this side effect, it’s definitely worth trying another one.