Disclaimer: The information Truly Mama provides is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your own medical care provider before purchasing or taking any prenatal vitamin.
Whether you’re newly pregnant or trying to conceive, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that you begin taking a daily prenatal vitamin.
This is to ensure that your body has the proper amount of nourishment that it needs to perform the incredibly impressive feat of growing a human being. That’s not to say that you won’t have a healthy baby without a prenatal vitamin or that taking a prenatal vitamin ensures that everything will go 100% always, of course, but a vitamin can help make sure you’re at least giving your body (and baby!) the best start possible.
Here’s some additional information about prenatal vitamins, along with Truly Mama’s picks for the best prenatal vitamins on the market.
In this article:
- Why are prenatal vitamins important anyways?
- When to take prenatal vitamins?
- What to look for in a prenatal vitamin
- Best prenatal vitamin with Choline : Beli women’s prenatal
- Best prenatal vitamins for men : Beli men’s prenatal vitamin
- Best personalized vitamin : Care/of Personalized Vitamins
- Best vitamins founded by an OB/GYN : Perelel Pre and Postnatal Vitamins
- Best overall prenatal vitamin : Prenatal Vitamin by One-A-Day
- Best organic prenatal vitamin : Garden of Life Organic Prenatal Multivitamin
- Best gummy prenatal : Smarty Pants Daily Organic Gummy Prenatal Multivitamin
- Best prenatal fish oil : Nordic Naturals’ Prenatal DHA
- Best vegan prenatal vitamin s: Pink Stork Vegan Prenatal Vitamins + DHA
- Best prenatal vitamin subscription : Ritual’s Essential Prenatal subscription
- Best aid for cycle regulation : Upspring Fertility Capsules
- FAQs about prenatal vitamins
Why Are Prenatal Vitamins Important?
First up, let’s chat a little about why prenatal vitamins can be helpful. Although it’s always best to eat your vitamins through healthy food when you can, the right prenatal vitamin can help fill in any nutritional gaps you might have. This might be especially important if you’re facing morning sickness, which can make even keeping down a piece of toast feel like a major accomplishment.
(Side note: if you have questions about the right prenatal for your pregnancy, reach out to your healthcare provider. They can help you negative your unique dietary needs or restrictions and brainstorm ways to get around nausea sometimes caused by taking prenatal vitamins.)
And taking a prenatal—even before you start trying to conceive—can help ensure that you are ready to support a growing baby once you do get pregnant. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that all people who are planning to get pregnant begin taking a prenatal vitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid at least one month before pregnancy.
Most prenatals can be bought over-the-counter, but many care providers will write you a prescription at your first prenatal checkup. You should check with your own doctor for recommendations on prenatal vitamins, especially if you have any specific medical needs, but if you’re finding yourself browsing the pharmacy or scrolling through the brands online, we can help you sort through the options.
When Should You Take Prenatal Vitamins?
If you’re thinking about having a baby, the time to start taking a prenatal vitamin is now. Taking a prenatal vitamin while you’re still trying to conceive (TTC) can help prepare your body for the work of early pregnancy. Since you’ll be pregnant for at least a couple weeks before you get a positive pregnancy test, it’s best not to wait until you know you’re pregnant.
The neural tube, which will eventually become the brain and the spinal cord, is developing during those earliest weeks and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends taking folic acid or a vitamin containing it before conception as a preventative measure against birth defects.
You should continue taking your prenatals throughout your pregnancy, but you may be surprised to hear that you also shouldn’t stop taking after your baby is born. Breastfeeding requires a lot of nutrients from the mom and it’s a good idea to continue to support your body during this phase of life if you choose to nurse.
Additionally, a high-quality prenatal multivitamin that will support your body as it heals from childbirth and keeps up with the demands of new motherhood.
“The World Health Organization recommends taking a vitamin with at least 400 mcg of folic acid before getting pregnancy to help prevent against birth defects.”
What to Look For in Prenatal Vitamins
There are two key ingredients that every prenatal vitamin should contain: iron and folic acid:
- Iron. Iron helps lower the risk of a condition called puerperal sepsis, an infection that can occur after a mother’s water breaks during labor up until six weeks postpartum. Supplementing with iron can also reduce the risk of the baby being born early or at a low birth weight as well. The WHO recommends between 30 and 60 milligrams of iron daily throughout pregnancy
- Folic acid. Folic acid has also been deemed essential to healthy fetal development and both the ACOG and the WHO recommends a minimum of 400 micrograms of this supplement daily. Following this guideline could help minimize the risk of birth defects, especially neural tube defects.
And while folic acid and iron are the must-haves in a prenatal vitamin, there are other nutrients that are important to a healthy pregnancy. Specifically, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that expecting moms encourage healthy teeth and bone development in the fetus with calcium and vitamin D. Dairy products, broccoli, fortified breads, cereals, and juices, and almonds are all great sources of calcium. You can also get more Vitamin D by drinking fortified milk and eating salmon, mackerel, and egg yolks.
Choline is also important for brain development and may be hard to find in a prenatal vitamin. The good news is it is pretty easy to add to your diet by eating peanuts, beef and chicken, or drinking milk. Last is omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to be good for the developing brain. Salmon and shellfish are good sources of this nutrient, but a good fish oil supplement can be taken to fill in the gaps.
Now, let’s talk Truly Mama’s picks for the best prenatal vitamins for pregnancy to consider and discuss with your own pregnancy healthcare provider.
Best Prenatal Vitamin with Choline
Beli Prenatal Vitamins for Women
With everything that women need to boost their chances of a healthy pregnancy, Beli's prenatal vitamins offer unique science-backed blends to support you before, during, and after pregnancy. Their women's blend promotes optimal levels of choline (important for baby development) along with methylfolate, high quality iron and TRAACSTM minerals, all in a low-nausea blend to facilitate a growing pregnancy.
Best Prenatal Vitamin for Men
Beli Prenatal Vitamins for Men
One of the only prenatal vitamins for men on the market, Beli's prenatal for men is designed to help improve the health and quality of men's sperm in order to help couples achieve a healthier pregnancy, faster. It contains key nutrients such as CoQ10 + Vitamin C + Zinc + Vitamin D + N-acetyl-L-Cysteine to help sperm mobility and Vitamin B12 + Zinc + Shilajit + L-Taurine to increase sperm count.
Best Personalized Prenatal
Care/of Personalized Vitamins
If you want a tailored, personalized prenatal vitamin, look no further than care/of. Care/of starts with a quiz you take online to determine your exact needs during your pregnancy, whether you're pregnant with multiples, leading an active lifestyle, or have other health needs. Then, it creates a custom blend to meet your needs, while also hitting the basics that any pregnant person needs, including 360 mcg of Methylfolate, 250 mg of Choline, and 18 mg of Iron. Suggested use: take daily with a meal.
Best Prenatal Vitamins From an OB/GYN
Perelel Pre and Postnatal Vitamins
If you want a prenatal vitamin that you can really trust, how about a vitamin company founded by an OB/GYN? That seems like it would do the trick, right? We love how Perelel offers custom packs for each stage of the parenting journey: pre-conception, each trimester, and during postpartum as well. Their daily vitamin packs were formulated by both obstetricians and maternal-fetal medicine doctors and each ingredient is backed by research to support your pregnancy. Can't get much better than that.
Best Overall Prenatal Vitamin
Prenatal Vitamin by One-A-Day
The Prenatal Vitamin by One-A-Day has earned bragging rights as the #1 prenatal vitamin recommended by OB-GYNs, and it’s pretty obvious why--it offers 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamins D, E, B12, iron, and more. This prenatal also contains 235 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids, which encourages healthy fetal brain development. And, with 222% of the daily recommended value of folate, moms who are trying to conceive or newly pregnant can rest easy knowing their baby’s development is well supported. A single pill is full of the stuff your body needs during pregnancy and it’s free of the ingredients you’d rather avoid. For instance, they are gluten free, and contain no artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup.
Best Organic Prenatal
Garden of Life Organic Prenatal Multivitamin Supplement with Folate
Like the One-a-Day Prenatal, this vitamin contains 100% of the recommended daily values for many essential nutrients, including A, C, D, E, and folate. This vitamin has the added benefit of containing ginger and lemon peel, which the creators say could help reduce nausea caused by morning sickness. Their prenatal vitamin is a whole food supplement, which means it doesn’t contain vitamins in their synthetic form. Instead, the nutrients in this pill are all derived from food. One thing worth pointing out is that not all of the vitamins in this supplement hit the mark for 100% of your recommended intake, including iron and zinc. This means you may need to talk to your doctor about additional supplementation or create a plan for being certain you’re getting what you need from the foods you’re eating.
Best Gummy Prenatal Vitamin
Smarty Pants Daily Organic Gummy Prenatal Multivitamin
If taking your prenatal pill just isn’t working for you, a gummy prenatal might be an alternative worth trying. We really like the prenatal from Smarty Pants. You’ll find 600 micrograms of folate along with vitamins A, b12, C, D, and more. This vitamin is certified organic, vegetarian, non-GMO, and free from major allergens. If you’re having digestive issues, this vitamin might prove helpful since it also contains probiotics that the maker boasts will aid digestion. A minimum serving = 4 gummies and it's recommended that pregnant women take 6 gummies per day. These gummy vitamins don’t include iron, so you’ll need to talk to your doctor about another option for getting enough iron in your diet.
Best Prenatal Fish Oil
Nordic Naturals’ Prenatal DHA
If fish isn’t your thing or you’re having a hard time eating the two servings a week recommended by the ACOG, you can turn to a fish oil supplement to make sure you’re consuming enough omega-3 fatty acids. Nordic Naturals’ Prenatal DHA contains 830 milligrams of omega-3 sourced from wild-caught fish and 10 micrograms of vitamin D3. This brand boasts of encouraging brain development during pregnancy and breastfeeding while supporting maternal bone health, mood, and immune function while pregnant. Best of all, this fish oil supplement isn’t flavored and the creators promise you won’t experience fishy burps. Expect to spend a little more on this choice than you would on other fish oil supplements.
Best Vegan Prenatal Vitamin
Pink Stork Vegan Prenatal Vitamins + DHA
It is definitely possible to make sure you and your developing baby are getting the nutrients you need during pregnancy if you’re vegan. Expecting parents often get certain essential nutrients, like calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and choline from dairy products, meat, and eggs but they’re also available in a plant-based diet. A really great vegan prenatal vitamin, like Pink Stork Vegan Prenatal Vitamins + DHA, is one way to make sure you’re covering all the bases. Pink Stork is a women-owned business that worked closely with a doctor to create a vitamin that contains the daily values that are recommended by the FDA during pregnancy.
Best Prenatal Subscription
Ritual’s Essential Prenatal Subscription
Busy moms don’t need one more thing to think about. The beauty of a subscription service is that the prenatal vitamins you should be taking show up at your door each month. Ritual’s Essential Prenatal contains 12 different vitamins and minerals, including 1000 micrograms of folate and 18 grams of iron. This supplement also contains Omega-3 fatty acids in the form of DHA derived from algae, making this vitamin totally vegan. According to their website, these vitamins provide the essential nutrients you need to support both your own wellbeing and that of your growing baby. We love the convenience of this option, along with the brand’s transparency. Now all you need to do is remember to take them each morning!
Best Vitamin for Irregular Cycles
Upspring Fertility Capsules
If you have irregular cycles and are looking for something to help you conceive, talk to your doctor about these fertility capsules. While these aren't prenatal vitamins (and should be stopped when you do conceive), this blend is formulated to help regulate your cycle in order to help you get pregnant. The active ingredient in these capsules is black cohosh, which has been used historically for menstrual conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for prenatal vitamins to work?
It isn’t clear exactly how long it takes prenatal vitamins to work, but it is recommended by the ACOG and WHO that women who may get pregnant start their prenatal before trying to conceive. In addition to a healthy diet, the nutrients in prenatal vitamins can help prepare your body for pregnancy and support healthy fetal development.
It is OK to take prenatal vitamins at bedtime?
The best time to take a prenatal vitamin is when it will be easy to remember. If you’re finding it hard to stomach your prenatal first thing in the morning, you may have more luck waiting and having it with a snack before bed. If you’re vomiting after taking your prenatal, talk with your care provider. They may have suggestions for changing your routine to make taking a supplement easier on your stomach.
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