Do I need to take prenatal vitamins?

If you have questions about prenatal vitamins, you aren’t alone. Many women are inspired to optimize their health just before or once they become pregnant—they’re motivated to make the healthiest decisions for the good of their babies. And, according to ACOG, that includes a daily dose of prenatal vitamins.

Prenatal vitamins are widely recommended by healthcare professionals, but you might have questions about them. Are prenatal vitamins really necessary? And is everything in them really beneficial for mom and baby? It’s important to know what you put in your body, especially when you’re expecting. So before you add to cart, we’re sharing the facts about prenatal vitamins.

What do prenatal vitamins do?

Because pregnancy is a stage marked by increased nutrient needs, prenatal vitamins help cover any gaps in your diet to ensure you’re getting the extra vitamins and minerals needed to support healthy fetal development. During pregnancy, you need a consistent source of folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin C, which can be difficult to get day in, day out, especially if you’re in your first trimester and only able to stomach plain bagels at the moment. A prenatal can help cover your bases, so it’s good to have one on hand. 

But it’s important to keep in mind that prenatal vitamins are supplements, not replacements for whole food. A balanced diet that includes whole grains, lean protein, plant-based fats and plenty of vegetables and fruit is the best way to get the most important nutrients during pregnancy.

Prenatal vitamins also may not contain the full daily amount of certain nutrients, like calcium. So remember to eat as varied as possible and check with your doctor or midwife to make sure you’re choosing the right supplement.

Do I need to take prenatal vitamins?

Essentially, if you’re pregnant, the answer is yes. Prenatal vitamins can offer extra support to ensure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need to support fetal growth in a convenient format.

Prenatals can also help safeguard against any gaps in your diet—say, if you’re vegetarian and aren’t getting a consistent source of B12. A prenatal can help you meet the increased nutrient needs of pregnancy, so it’s good to have one on hand. 

As for what to look for in your prenatal? An adequate amount of folic acid (600 micrograms), easy-to-absorb iron and methylated B vitamins, along with lower doses of vitamin A than you might find in a regular daily multivitamin, as high doses of vitamin A during pregnancy can cause birth defects.

Alternatively, you can opt for more targeted supplementation: Folic acid, iron and DHA are all important nutrients that can be helpful to supplement during pregnancy, but your best bet is to speak with your provider first. They can guide you toward the best vitamins or supplements for you and your body.

Also good to know: Prenatal supplements are eligible for FSA/HSA/HRA reimbursement because they support fetal development and help prevent fetal birth defects, so save those receipts.

Can I take prenatal vitamins if I’m not pregnant?

While a prenatal vitamin can seem like just another daily multivitamin, if you’re not currently trying to conceive, pregnant or recently postpartum, the nutrient dosages found in some prenatal vitamins may be too high for daily life. (Remember, they’re intended to help your body build a baby.) It’s generally recommended that you start taking a prenatal vitamin at least 3 to 6 months before you begin trying to conceive to build up your nutrient stores—especially of folic acid—but if you’re not planning on trying to get pregnant in that timeframe, a women’s multivitamin would better fit your needs. (We like the Essential for Women from Ritual.)

What are the best prenatal vitamins?

Ultimately, the best prenatal vitamin is the one you feel best about taking and one that includes the recommended doses of the important nutrients you need. There are myriad options when it comes to prenatal vitamins, and what’s “best” for you may not work for someone else.

Some people prefer pills and capsules, while others prefer prenatal gummies because it’s the only way they can stomach taking them. Still others might opt for a powdered version to whip into a smoothie or an edible prenatal bar. Read the labels of any product you’re considering and make sure you’re comfortable with what you see.

Do prenatal vitamins contain harmful ingredients?

Sometimes prenatal vitamins include ingredients that our bodies have a hard time digesting because they aren’t recognizable to our systems. These ingredients can include synthetic ingredients and chemicals, such as artificial coloring and flavoring, fillers, binders and preservatives.

Try to avoid anything that includes a food dye, which you can spot by locating a color and a number (for example, red #40). And the general rule of thumb is: If you don’t recognize it or can’t pronounce it, make sure to look it up. Your provider can guide you further here, as well.

Are all prenatal vitamins safe?

Since vitamins are classified as a supplement, they aren’t regulated by the FDA. The only time the FDA steps in to stop a brand from putting out vitamins is if negative side effects have been reported. Kind of scary right? The good news is, a few third-party organizations have emerged to do the testing the FDA has declined to do, so when shopping around, best to look for a seal of approval from U.S Pharmacopeia, ConsumerLab.com, NSF International or Clean Label Project. Third-party testing doesn’t always guarantee effectiveness, but do set standards for safety.

Are prescription prenatal vitamins better than over-the-counter options?

Many vitamins that are prescribed are also available over the counter, though one of the main differences between prescription prenatal vitamins and OTC options is the amount of folic acid. In prescription prenatals, folic acid may be significantly higher, which your doctor may recommend depending on your previous health and birth history. One of the added benefits of getting prescribed prenatal vitamins is that your insurance may pick up the cost instead of you having to pay out of pocket.

In the end, your provider should be your first stop when choosing the best vitamins and supplements for your pregnancy journey.

Our health & wellness director's 8 favorite prenatal vitamins to recommend

Perelel

1. First Trimester Prenatal Vitamin Pack

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$48

Perelel’s ingenuity lies in the fact that it offers a different vitamin formulation for each trimester and beyond—this is brilliant, because each trimester comes with its own needs. Perelel’s core prenatal is OB-GYN formulated and divided into two doses, with additional separate supplement add-ons for each stage, like ginger and B6 in the first, calcium and magnesium in the second plus a probiotic in the third. They also offer complimentary recycling for pill sachets.

Save 15% with code MOTHERLY15

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Needed

2. Prenatal Multi Powder

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$69.99

For mamas with pill fatigue or morning sickness, Needed’s prenatal vitamin powder can make getting your nutrients much easier to stomach. Needed also offers a capsule formulation and an optional iron add-on, so if supplementing iron isn’t for you, you can opt to omit. The powdered formula also means you’ll get 550 mg of choline (unheard of in a prenatal!)

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Ritual

3. Essential Prenatal

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$39

I like Ritual’s “everything you need; nothing you don’t” philosophy, which is a good mentality for pregnancy and baby gear in general. Their prenatal contains just the essentials with just 12 nutrients packed into a delayed-release capsule to promote good absorption. I love that it contains methylated B vitamins, bioavailable iron and 350 mg of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that’s necessary for fetal brain and eye development.

Read more about it here.

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WeNatal

4. WeNatal Supplements

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$64.95

WeNatal provides 24 nutrients that support a healthy pregnancy, including choline, a nutrient that supports neural tube development in early pregnancy. WeNatal uses a third-party laboratory for testing to ensure that label claims are accurate. They also test raw materials and the potency of the supplement and every single batch is third-party tested and verified.

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Innate Response

5. Baby & Me Prenatal

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$39.96

The Baby & Me prenatal from Innate Response contains food forms of several nutrients and comes in a divided dose. It’s naturopath-formulated and I’ve found it’s easier on the stomach than other prenatal tablets—but still packs major nutritional value.

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Bird & Be

6. The Gentle Prenatal For Eggs

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$30

Bird & Be’s gentle prenatal is easier on nauseated mamas than other supplements, as it contains just the basics—ideal if you have trouble keeping heavier-duty blends down. I especially appreciate that they include extra B6, which has been shown to help reduce morning sickness, and a whopping 300 mg of choline.

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Care/of

7. Prenatal

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$18.99 for 30 days

Care/of’s prenatal blend contains 22 nutrients designed to support both mom and baby during pregnancy, with methylated B vitamins and easily absorbed iron (my preferred form for those nutrients). Thankfully, this high quality doesn’t mean a high price tag: It’s one of the more affordable options on the list, at just $18.99 for a 30-day supply.

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Tend Prenatal

8. Lemon Berry

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$99 for a 28-pack monthly subscription

The Tend Prenatal comprises 27 essential nutrients and an equivalent of 8 servings of fruits and vegetables, all wrapped up in a convenient bar form that’s ideal for on-the-go or to be stashed in your nightstand for when nausea strikes. The best part? You don’t have to take it with food, because it is food. The bars are filled with fiber and plant-based fats, which mean they’re satisfying to boot. 

“You turn to the ingredients list and it begins with organic cashew butter and ends with non-gmo microalgae oil. Most nutrient dense bar. No filler. It’s all about the quality and Tend gets it,” says reviewer MJ M.

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A version of this story was originally published on Oct. 16, 2019. It has been updated.