Lifestyle
The Best Prenatal Multivitamins
There is never a more important time to stay healthy than when you are pregnant, and a lot of mothers know this very well. At this juncture, your life is not just about yourself, but also for your baby. Proper nutrition is not just important, but it’s an essential point of consideration when you are pregnant.
Whether you have the nutrients your body needs or not, your baby will still need to get nutrients from your body. Therefore it’s advisable that you keep your body properly nourished. Sadly, quite some new mothers usually do not get all the nutrients needed, and therefore it’s important to have nothing but the best prenatal multivitamins.
The Importance of Prenatal Multivitamins
There are some super foods like dates, liver, and avocados that are important in getting you all the nutrients that you need. However, with the industrial food system and the depletion in quality food, sometimes it’s not possible to get all the nutrients that you need from your food alone. Therefore it’s important to consider getting pregnancy supplements. These will help you have and maintain a healthy pregnancy. However, not all the prenatal vitamins are the same. Some are better than the others.
For many years, prenatal vitamins have been in use, especially in the line of iron and folate deficiencies. A lot of studies have been carried out in this field to help reduce the problems that women have during pregnancy and challenges with fetal development.
Sadly, in some cases, prenatal vitamin prescriptions can usually make the women experience stomach pain, constipation, indigestion, heartburns, and this can be a problem for someone who does not know how to choose the best prenatal vitamins. The biggest problem here lies in the composition of the prenatal vitamins. Some of these supplements or their blends have very high levels of folic acid and iron, and this proves to be a challenge in the long run.
The good thing with technological and medical advancements that have taken place over the years is that there are healthier options that are available in the market right now which help in countering these problems. Choosing the best prenatal multivitamin will help you have a successful and healthy pregnancy.
Do You Need A Prenatal Multivitamin?
As a mother, you need to consume enough nutrients to meet your baby’s and your needs. There are some minerals and vitamins that you will both need which are important for your bodies.
These include the following:
- Vitamin A for brain, eye, and respiratory development
- Vitamin B1 to support the baby’s brain development and the nervous system
- Vitamin B2 to support the development of healthy skin and eyes
- Vitamin B3 to enhance the digestive system and to ease nausea
- Vitamin B5 to support the creation of hormones and to ease leg cramps
- Vitamin B6 might help with morning sickness and the formation of red blood cells.
- Zinc assists in maintaining a balance in the body fluids, and at the same time supports your muscle functions, nervous system and maintains your copper level in check
- Magnesium helps in keeping your blood pressure at manageable levels, and will also help your child have a healthy weight at birth.
- Iodine will help in the formation of proper thyroid function, fetal growth, hearing, and metabolism.
There’s nothing like a quality substitute for nutrition during pregnancy. This’s why it is advisable that you get the proper supplements to help you reduce the prospect of health risks for yourself and your unborn child.
Crucial Nutrients
There are certain ingredients that must be present in the best prenatal multivitamins that you are using. You should discuss this with your doctor so that they can recommend something that will not just be useful for you and your baby, but something that will not leave you with an allergic reaction.
The following are some of the core nutrients that you will need in your prenatal supplements:
Vitamin B6 – It’s not one of the most important nutrients in prenatal supplements, but its role in helping you overcome morning sickness is notable. It also helps you have an easier pregnancy.
DHA – This is a unique Omega-3 fatty acid, commonly found in fish. It is a healthy fat, and it helps in supporting proper brain development for your baby. It’s recommended especially since some women struggle to have the right quantity of fatty acids for pregnancy in their diet.
Iron – When your body lacks sufficient red blood cells to transport oxygen through the body, you are at risk of anemia. During pregnancy, this can be quite a problem, and can easily result in complications for you, low birth weight and premature birth. Given that 15-20% of pregnancies involve iron deficiency anemia, this is an important supplement to have
Calcium – Calcium is an important ingredient at generally all stages of your life. It supports proper bone growth for you and your baby. It will also go far in preventing the risk of osteoporosis in the mother.
Choosing the Right Prenatal Supplement
For someone who’s pregnant, it is usually a good idea to speak to your doctor about any decision you want to make. Your dietary decisions will not just affect you but also your child. Because of this reason, you need to ensure that you discuss any special dietary considerations with your doctor so that they can advise you accordingly.
In case your doctor recommends something general or a specific vitamin, it’s wise to stick to their advice. Now, there are a lot of prenatal vitamins available on the market, and it would not come as a surprise that you might be spoilt for choice.
Your doctor, on the other hand, has a good understanding of not just your body, your child’s development, and the products in the market, but also your medical history. This makes it easier for them to make a good assessment of the vitamins that would be great for you and your child.
To make the work easier for you, the following are reviews of 5 of the best prenatal multivitamins in the market now.
Top 5 Prenatal Multivitamins For 2017
MegaFood Baby & Me
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There are 2 varieties of this prenatal blend; Baby & Me, and Baby & Me 2 that do not have the herbal blend. There are some reasons why this would be an ideal vitamin for most mothers, especially if your doctor advises you to use it.
It has a good cross section of nutrients. You will need to get just the right amount of Vitamin D that your body needs. It’s also stacked with sufficient quantities of the good B vitamins and Vitamin K.
The iron, iodine, and zinc content are also worth appreciating. They are minerals that are very important during pregnancy. While this supplement is awesome, it’s worth noting that it does not have sufficient quantities of Vitamin A. However, in case you have cod liver oil in your diet, you should be okay.
Pros:
Does not have ginger
Has raspberry leaf tea which is a healthy addition to the diet
Their production standards are amazing
No pesticides in the product line, no herbicides or GMO
The prenatal supplements are made from fresh farm products
Cons:
Has a very low content of Vitamin A
Low on magnesium and calcium
New Chapter Perfect Prenatal
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This is a good product that has been favored by a lot of women in the past. It’s important to mention that one of the features that stand out about it is the non-GMO factor. The challenges that women have with child development when it comes to GMO food are immense, and given that some of these risks persist through the life of the baby, it’s worth avoiding any product that has GMO components.
You will find it easier to use these supplements, given that they can be taken even on an empty stomach. When pregnant, one of the most important nutrients is folate, so this is a major negative for this supplement.
Pros:
Has a good content of iron and vitamins K and D
Has a sprout blend
Ingredients also include probiotics
Cons:
Insufficient content of iodine, zinc, calcium, folate, and magnesium
Has soy in the ingredients, a high allergen food
A Procter & Gamble product
Large pills, difficult to swallow
Does not have DHA
Does not have all the vitamins and minerals needed
You have to supplement with other products
Rainbow Light Prenatal
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This is one of the top prenatal vitamin products and for a good reason too. With Rainbow Light, you have twice the iron content you will get in most of the normal prenatal supplements you will come across in the market. Other than that, it also has sufficient components of copper, zinc, iodine, and Vitamin C.
You will also benefit from the presence of probiotics which are easy on the stomach. The fact that you can easily take just 1 of these a day makes it easier for people who are busy or someone who for some reason cannot keep up with more than 1 a day.
Pros:
The ingredients used in the production of this prenatal are plant-based
No artificial flavors or colors
No preservatives or yeast
No eggs and nuts
No wheat or gluten
Has no dairy products or sugar ingredients
The presence of probiotics help with digestion concerns
It has the DHA soft gels
You will benefit from a good composition of the important nutrient values
Cons:
Lacks easily absorbable Vitamin D3
Lacks folate
Has folic acid, a problem for those who have the MTHFR mutation gene
It’s not cost effective
Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal by Garden of Life
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This is one of the products that stand out in the market now and for a good reason. It is primarily a food-based prenatal. It’s a health supplement and will go a long way in helping you have a healthy pregnancy.
Pros:
It does not have GMO ingredients
There are no fillers in the ingredients
To help with nutrient retention, it’s processed at low heat
Have sufficient quantities of iodine, all the B vitamins, iron and Vitamin C
Cons:
Insufficient quantities of Vitamin K
Has a low content of copper
Low on zinc and other trace minerals
Not recommended for those with grain and seed allergies
You must take 3 capsules a day
Optimal Prenatal by Seeking Health
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This prenatal was created by an expert in the MTHFR gene research, Dr. Ben Lynch. It has the necessary ingredients like folinic acid and methylfolate which are necessary for pregnant mothers whose bodies are unable to process folate or folic acid properly.
Pros:
It includes ingredients like adenosyl cobalamin and methyl cobalamin
Good for pregnant mothers with MTHFR defects
Has vitamin B12 in absorbable forms
Has a high content of most essential minerals and vitamins
Includes useful herbs and foods
Cons:
Has ginger, which has dire side effects
Lacks iron
Difficult to absorb nutrients in the body
It’s not a food-based supplement
Our Recommendation
Indeed, these are 5 of the most common prenatal supplements that you will come across in the market. However, this is not the entire list. There are so many others that you will come across and their features might not be the same as these, nor their pros and cons.
Since each has different needs, the choice of the best prenatal multivitamin will depend on what works for you, especially after consulting your doctor. However, it’s worth mentioning that the best prenatal supplement to consider is Rainbow Light. With this supplement, you have all the important nutrients you need to support your pregnancy, including DHA which is often left out in a lot of products.
When you look at the gentle probiotics that support your digestive system included in this supplement, you will be in a better position to benefit more from it. Together with a carefully planned out diet, you and your baby will have a healthy pregnancy, and you can only look forward to the day you give birth.
