For a mother's health, and the health of her baby, she is advised to take so-called ‘prenatal vitamins’ during pregnancy. These are specially formulated multivitamins that make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the mother's diet.
Not all prenatal vitamins are the same as some people might tell you. When choosing a prenatal vitamin there are a few things that you should consider before buying, such as ingredients, quality of ingredients, percentage of ingredients, and the ability of ingredients to absorb into your body.
There are certain ingredients that should be found in a prenatal vitamin to help you and your baby during pregnancy. Not all prenatal vitamins contain these importantingredients and for what reason I do not know. All of these ingredients are helpful during pregnancy and can help you and your baby remain healthy during and after pregnancy.
Coq10
Probiotics
Folate or Folic Acid
Vitamin B6
Calcium
DHA
Iron
Ginger
Vitamin A, C, B, D, and E
Choline and Inositol have also shown important health benefits to mothers and babies and I would recommend them also, but they may be hard to find. All of these vitamins and minerals will help you and your baby through different stages of your pregnancy. For the mother these necessary vitamins and minerals will help your body remain within balance during this demanding time and for your baby these vitamins and minerals can help reduce abnormalities, and increase your child’s learning ability in life.
DHA – DHA plays a crucial role in the growth and development of the central nervous system as well as visual functioning in infants.
Folic Acid – Folic acid helps prevent serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. Folic acid may also decrease the risk of other birth defects, preterm delivery and low birth weight. Folic acid of one of the most important pregnancy vitamins. Prenatalgyn contains 800mcg of folic acid.
Calcium – Promotes strong bones and teeth for both mother and baby. Calcium also helps your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems function normally.
Iron – Supports the development of blood and muscle cells for both mother and baby. Iron helps prevent anemia, and may also decrease the risk of pre-term labor and low birth weight.
Ginger – Ginger is effective for relieving the severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
Choline – Choline has been shown to reduce the rate of neural tube defects. It also reduces the risk for premature birth, preeclampsia, and very low birth
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) – CoQ10 is found in every cell of your body. Your cells use it to produce energy needed for cell growth and maintenance. CoQ10 is used to help heart function, cardiac strength, energy and stamina. It is also a Powerful Antioxidant
Reduces risk of developing pre-eclampsia by 10%, according to a study published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics 200mg per serving (amount included in study)
Probiotics – Probiotics have been found to provide a healthy gastrointestinal system, prevents heartburn, constipation, cramping, diahrrhea, nausea, and recently has been linked to help reduce childhood obesity and weight gain of the mother. Immune system of your infant will also benefit from this probiotic blend.
Vitamin B6 - Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, helps your body metabolize protein, fats, and carbohydrates. It also helps form new red blood cells, antibodies, and neurotransmitters, and is vital to your baby’s developing brain and nervous system.
As for the percentage of each of these ingredients I would recommend looking for 400mcg of folate (preferably 800-1000). For DHA 50mg-200mg is a must. I would also recommend 25-50mg of Vitamin B6 and at least 50% of the United States Recommended Daily Allowance (USRDA) of calcium, which is 1500mg, so look for a supplement containing 750mg of calcium or more. For information on how each of these ingredients keep you and your baby healthy during pregnancy go to the Ingredient page.
The next thing you need to look for when choosing a prenatal vitamin is how well the supplement breaks down in your stomach, this is called dissolution. Prenatal vitamins in the form of capsules, soft gels, and liquids break down easier in your stomach when compared to tablets. Many types of tablets breakdown too slow in your stomach which in turn causes problems with absorption. If the nutrients are not absorbed into your system correctly you may not be getting all of the vitamins and minerals that you need.
When a doctor diagnoses a pregnancy, one of the first things she will do is prescribe a prenatal vitamin. While most vitamins and minerals are best received through good nutrition, it is not always possible to get everything a growing baby needs from food alone. However, some women dislike taking prenatal vitamins for various reasons. Whether considering taking a prenatal vitamin or discontinuing use, it is important to fully understand the benefits of prenatal vitamins for both you and your baby.
When a woman is pregnant her body uses calcium to help her growing baby. If she does not consume sufficient amounts of calcium her body will begin taking calcium from her bones to compensate. While this biological mechanism is always beneficial to a fetus, it can leave a mother with weakened bones. The calcium, vitamin D and vitamin A in prenatal vitamins all help to keep the mother's bones and teeth strong by providing the minerals needed for baby's bone and brain growth.
Vitamin E, niacin and riboflavin all help to promote healthier skin, hair and nails. The result is shinier hair, stronger nails, clearing of the skin's complexion and faster growth of hair and nails. Harvard School of Public Health has released information stating that the vitamin C found in prenatal vitamins aids in the creation of collagen, which may help prevent wrinkles long-term.
Prenatal vitamins contain the two most important B vitamins, B6 and B12. Not only do these two vitamins help your baby's skin and mind develop, they also help your heart. B6 and B12 help lower the amount of homocysteine in the bloodstream. This has been shown to limit the chance of developing heart disease. Additionally, these B vitamins are great for the blood itself. They help prevent anemia, which can become a deadly problem for a growing fetus.
A report released by Colorado State University warns that pregnancy hormones suppress a pregnant woman's immune system. This leaves her vulnerable to infection, which can have dire consequences for a fetus. Luckily, however, prenatal vitamins can boost a woman's immune system. Both zinc and vitamin C help a body to fight off any infections a pregnant woman may encounter.
A neural tube is the precursor to a baby's brain and spinal cord. One of the greatest benefits of prenatal vitamins is neural tube defect prevention. The Food and Drug Administration reports that every year, 2,500 babies are born with neural tube defects. This can result in paralysis and mental retardation in the child. However, it is estimated that this number could be cut in half by the proper use of folic acid found in prenatal vitamins. An embryo is most susceptible to neural tube defects within the first four weeks after conception. Since most women are unaware of their pregnancy in these first 28 days, every woman of childbearing age should consume at least 400 mcg of folate or folic acid a day.
200 mg of CoQ10 per day lowers your risk of developing pre-eclampsia by 10%
Probiotics reduce the risk of childhood eczema by 58% and the frequency of gestational diabetes by 20%
Folic Acid reduces your risks of neural tube defects by 70% and Pre-eclampsia by 60%
Choline affects children's lifelong learning and memory.
DHA significantly improves visual, cognitive, and motor development in babies
Vitamin D significantly reduces your risk of developing pre-eclampsia
Ginger Root and Vitamin B6 alleviate severe nausea and vomiting
Never take more than the recommended dose of a multivitamin. Avoid taking any other multivitamin product within 2 hours before or after you take your prenatal vitamins. Taking similar vitamin products together at the same time can result in a vitamin overdose or serious side effects.
Many multivitamin products also contain minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Minerals (especially taken in large doses) can cause side effects such as tooth staining, increased urination, stomach bleeding, uneven heart rate, confusion, and muscle weakness or limp feeling. Read the label of any multivitamin product you take to make sure you are aware of what it contains.
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of vitamins A, D, E, or K can cause serious or life-threatening side effects and can also harm your unborn baby. Certain minerals contained in a prenatal multivitamin may also cause serious overdose symptoms or harm to the baby if you take too much.
Overdose symptoms may include stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, hair loss, peeling skin, tingly feeling in or around your mouth, changes in menstrual periods, weight loss, severe headache, muscle or joint pain, severe back pain, blood in your urine, pale skin, and easy bruising or bleeding.
Do not take this medication with milk, other dairy products, calcium supplements, or antacids that contain calcium. Calcium may make it harder for your body to absorb certain ingredients of the multivitamin.
Many vitamins can cause serious or life-threatening side effects if taken in large doses. Do not take more of this medication than directed on the label or prescribed by your doctor.
Before taking prenatal vitamins, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions.
You may need to continue taking prenatal vitamins if you breast-feed your baby. Ask your doctor about taking this medication while breast-feeding.
Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Never take more than the recommended dose of prenatal vitamins.
Many multivitamin products also contain minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Minerals (especially taken in large doses) can cause side effects such as tooth staining, increased urination, stomach bleeding, uneven heart rate, confusion, and muscle weakness or limp feeling. Read the label of any multivitamin product you take to make sure you are aware of what it contains.
Take your prenatal vitamin with a full glass of water.
Swallow the regular tablet or capsule whole. Do not break, chew, crush, or open it.
The chewable tablet must be chewed or allowed to dissolve in your mouth before swallowing. You may also allow the chewable tablet to dissolve in drinking water, fruit juice, or infant formula (but not milk or other dairy products). Drink this mixture right away.
Use prenatal vitamins regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep prenatal vitamins in their original container. Storing vitamins in a glass container can ruin the medication.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of vitamins A, D, E, or K can cause serious or life-threatening side effects and can also harm your unborn baby. Certain minerals contained in a prenatal multivitamin may also cause serious overdose symptoms or harm to the baby if you take too much.
Overdose symptoms may include stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, hair loss, peeling skin, tingly feeling in or around your mouth, changes in menstrual periods, weight loss, severe headache, muscle or joint pain, severe back pain, blood in your urine, pale skin, and easy bruising or bleeding.
Avoid taking any other multivitamin product within 2 hours before or after you take your prenatal vitamins. Taking similar vitamin products together at the same time can result in a vitamin overdose or serious side effects.
Avoid the regular use of salt substitutes in your diet if your multivitamin contains potassium. If you are on a low-salt diet, ask your doctor before taking a vitamin or mineral supplement.
Do not take this medication with milk, other dairy products, calcium supplements, or antacids that contain calcium. Calcium may make it harder for your body to absorb certain ingredients of the prenatal vitamin.
Although most people do not experience any problems with prenatal vitamins, side effects are possible. Side effects of prenatal vitamins may include headaches, fatigue, and nausea. In most cases, the side effects are minor and can easily be treated. However, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately if you develop more serious side effects, such as severe nausea or vomiting, unusual bruising or bleeding, or signs of an allergic reaction.
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with prenatal vitamins. However, not all women who take prenatal vitamins will experience side effects. In fact, most women tolerate them quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.
Because prenatal vitamins do not require FDA approval, they are usually not studied as thoroughly as other types of medications.
As a result, detailed information about the possible side effects of prenatal vitamins is not available. However, based on the side effects of the individual components of prenatal vitamins, the following side effects are possible:
Headaches
Intestinal cramps
Constipation or diarrhea
Indigestion or heartburn
Muscle aches and pains
Nausea and vomiting
Fatigue
Gas or belching
Metallic taste
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Insomnia
Yellow-orange discoloration of the urine
Loss of appetite.
As you can see, many of the possible prenatal vitamin side effects are also some of the aches, pains, and annoyances that are common during pregnancy. Therefore, it can be difficult to tell whether the prenatal vitamins (or the pregnancy itself) are causing a particular side effect.
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83 of 87 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars FEEL the difference!!!, January 31, 2008
By
M. Brown
I specifically searched for this item online just so I could rave about it! I used these prenatals with my second pregnancy and wish I'd had them for my first. I continued to take them for the year I spent nursing my baby. They made me feel so good that I have started taking them again in place of a multi (I'm not currently pregnant). After trying many expensive brands of multivitamins (including the $$$ packets that are supposed to be better than a "one-a-day" pill), I still maintain I was better off with this one remarkable vitamin. After 4 days of consistently taking this, I am NOTICABLY more awake, energized, and focused. Instead of taking a vitamin because I am "supposed to," I take it because it actually makes me FEEL BETTER. I don't have to blindly hope that it's doing something!
I am appalled by the people who whine about the bad taste and smell. They are supposed to be SWALLOWED, after all. Nobody says you have to suck on them. Vitamins and minerals that are natural, potent, and effective SHOULD have a sort of funky smell. Think of what they are made from! A "pretty" vitamin with no smell or taste is going to made of mostly synthetic ingredients that aren't going to be absorbed by your body anyway. I mean jeez, most people take vitamins in the first place because they are too lazy to eat right, so they try to get the required nutrients in a convenient little pill. They are vitamins and minerals you and your baby NEED, in a PILL, that you SWALLOW, ONCE A DAY. Now you want it to taste good on the way down and not have an odor? Do you want a vitamin that works, or one that is super attractive -- because this one works. Hold your nose and take it with something sweet if you have to.
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Love these!, January 17, 2008
By
J. Bane
This is my first time taking a prenatal vitamin, so I have nothing to compare my experience to...but I have to say that I love these vitamins! I spent a lot of time reading reviews for different brands/types of prenatal vitamins, before deciding on these. I love the fact that they're all natural, & made from actual food/plants rather than synthetics. And I love the fact that they haven't added any unnecessary dyes, or artificial ingredients, etc.
From my research, this prenatal vitamin seems to have just about all of the nutrients that you'll need to have: before, during, and after pregnancy, (while breast feeding). Except that you'll have to get extra Calcium from another source, and if you really want to play it safe you can always increase your iron intake...but these are minor details. I think that the price is great...even if they are a little more expensive than some of the other prenatal vitamins, they are worth it for the quality, & can you really put a price on having a healthy baby? :)
I have been taking these vitamins for a month now, and I haven't suffered from ANY side-effects, at all. Nor have I noticed an after-taste, or any other kind of adverse side effect. They haven't given me heartburn. And they don't cause me to feel sick, or nauseous...which I was worried about, since a lot of women complain that prenatal vitamins *in general* make them feel nauseous. But I haven't had any problems, what-so-ever. And these vitamins contain natural ingredients that will actually help with your morning sickness...so that's a bonus! :)
They are a little on the large side, but with all of the healthy nutrients packed into them, I don't really see that as being a bad thing! Plus, as far as I can tell...most prenatal vitamins are large, unless you're taking multiple smaller doses each day. If that's what you're looking for...... But I haven't had any trouble swallowing these. Some people have mentioned that they have an easier time taking them with Orange Juice, but I haven't had a problem taking them, with whatever I happen to be drinking at the time. And I've taken them with & without food, so that hasn't been an issue either...they don't make me feel sick, either way.
They also don't prevent me from sleeping, & the bottom line is that I would highly recommend these, since they have made the whole experience a positive one for me!
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29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Large but GREAT, April 24, 2007
By
LLM (Arizona, USA)
I do "[DISLIKE]" large vitamins, so I started a fight when my pediatrician/husband bought them for me... Now, I'm online trying to purchase more.
CONS: It's true, they're on the big side. But strangely, I don't have any problems swallowing them (I did with other ones). Also, they leave an aftertaste--as another reviewer said. But it goes away easily (juice, cracker, etc), and I usually take them with meals to improve absorption.
PROS: They're easily digestible (I didn't have any of the sickness or heartburn suggested), it's once a day, and above all, it's all NATURAL--which is important for me.
THE POINT: I didn't find any natural vitamins that were as easy to take.
If you want any regular pre-natal vit, I'd go for the prescription ones: You take them once daily. They are small, tasteless, safe and very-very affordable.
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12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Vitamins!, August 1, 2010
By
Charles & Victoria (USA)
I really wish that I had these vitamins when I was pregnant. But I didn't. Only vitamins I could find way after pregnancy wile I lived in Soviet Union - is Centrum. For 15 years I've been taking Centrum and obviously it was not suficient enough for my health, because my nails was keep breaking down and my hair was getting thinner and thinner.After I immigrated to US with a lot of health problems someone at work advised me to start taking prenatal vitamins.This person made me laugh, because I thought that Prenatal vitamins only for pregnancy.This is best laugh I ever had.I tried many different brands and I can tell that worst of them is Walmart brand (same effect like from Centrum)
and the best so far is this one...
I start having energy, feel good & strong,my immune system is great-I am getting sick maybe once a year only,I am having pretty manicure and my beautiful hair stays on my head not on my brush.My husband start taking these vitamins as well and in his 67 he noticed huge positive improvements in his health.
Seems like this is very true: Beauty - is being healthy.
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