Prenatal Vitamins

Wonder if you need to take prenatal vitamins? Which are the best ones in the market? And, more importantly, why do you need all these pills?

The best method to receive the vitamins and minerals you need is through a balanced diet. Nonetheless, it’s possible to lack important nutrients when pregnant. Prenatal vitamins can help fill up any gaps if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

But why are prenatal vitamins so important?

During pregnancy, you mostly require more folic acid (B9 vitamin) iron and Vitamin B12 than usual. probably you already knew that, but you are still wondering why. This is why:

- Folic acid supplementation prevents neural tube defects: the neural tube is the origin of our nervous system as we can learn in the “development stages” article. In order to fully develop, it required high doses of folic acid and sometimes our diet is not enough. Through the years a lot of studies have shown that supplementation with B9 is the best solution to avoid these significant brain and spinal cord abnormalities in fetuses. You should start taking additional folic acid ideally at least three months before you get pregnant, if that’s not possible, start as soon as possible.

- Iron supports the development of the placenta and fetus. Iron is a key element in the oxygen transportation through the blood. Moreover, iron protects against anemia, a disorder marked by a deficiency of healthy red blood cells. Since during pregnancy the mother’s blood is the one in charge of sustaining the baby, it is important that this blood is as effective as possible.

- Vitamin B12 during pregnancy is essential for your baby’s developing brain and spinal cord. It also helps make healthy red blood cells and DNA. Besides, vitamin B12 also helps in the metabolism of B9 so it is a good option to take them both during pregnancy.

Which foods have these vitamins?

It is true that supplementation in these three cases (Vit B9, Vit B12 and iron) is always recommended but it is a must to increase some rich food into your diet.

Food rich in B9: all types of beans, cabbage, spinach and chard as well as nuts are the richest food in vit B9. Besides these, some fruit is very enriched in vit B9 in the maturation process: avocado, mango, blackberries, oranges or pineapple.
Food rich in iron: legumes are the best source of iron together with nuts. Moreover, there are tons of other delicious sources of iron such as eggs, liver, red meat (especially beef), oysters and blood.
Food rich in vit B12: Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and other dairy products contain vitamin B12. Clams and beef liver are some of the best sources of vitamin B12. Some breakfast cereals, nutritional yeasts, and other food products are fortified with added vitamin B12 and could also be good if your doctor detects that you have a deficiency.

When should I start taking these supplements?

Prenatal vitamins should be started prior to pregnancy. In fact, taking a prenatal vitamin on a daily basis is typically a good idea for women of reproductive age. During the first month of pregnancy, the baby’s neural tube develops, maybe even before you are aware that you are pregnant. This neural tube eventually forms the baby’s brain and spinal cord.

Do they have any side effects?

They shouldn’t if you are taking them in the correct dosage, the one your doctors have advised you to. However, sometimes the iron in prenatal vitamins contributes to constipation. To prevent constipation:

- Drink plenty of fluids
- Include more fiber in your diet
- Include physical activity in your daily routine, as long as you have your health care provider’s permission
- Ask your health care provider about using a stool softener

Is Natalben Supra a good choice?

Natalben Supra is a food supplement that helps cover the nutritional requirements of women throughout pregnancy. Besides covering the basics, Vit9, VIt12 and iron, it also includes other supplements such as iodine and DHA.

It is a very good option if your healthcare provider has suggested you to supplement your diet to help with your pregnancy, if not, a more basic supplement with the three molecules stated before should be enough.

And how do I know which are the best brands or best products to take these supplements from?

Nearly every pharmacy carries prenatal vitamins that are accessible over-the-counter. Your doctor may advise a certain brand or give you the option to choose, you should always listen to its advice.

Look for a prenatal vitamin that contains calcium and vitamin D in addition to folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. They aid in fostering the growth of the baby’s teeth and bones.

Also, based on the situation, your doctor could advise consuming more of a certain vitamin. For instance, if your child was born with a neural tube abnormality, your doctor may advise taking a different supplement before and throughout any future pregnancies that have a larger amount of folic acid.

However, generally speaking, stay away from taking extra prenatal vitamins or multivitamins with dosages over what you require each day. Certain vitamins may be dangerous to your infant in high dosages. For instance, too much vitamin A during pregnancy may be harmful to the unborn child.

Taking into account that the ones that have been scientifically proven to be beneficial during pregnancy are folic acid, vit B12 and iron, the best supplements are Gastagyn, Natalben Supra and Femasvit, you can learn the pros and cons in our post about the best prenatal vitamines. These ones contain all of these three between others.

* Gestagyn (red) and Natalben green are both for those women that are still not pregnant but are trying. Once they get pregnant they should switch to Gestagyn (orange) or Natalben Supra (Blue).

As we can see, in the table there are multiple molecules that have not been explained before. The effect of these molecules on pregnant women and their babies has not been yet scientifically stated. Here is a summary of the supposed benefits that you can get from taking this supplements:

DHA: Contributes to the normal brain and visual development of the fetus
Inositol: For women who are already pregnant, inositol is used as a natural way to reduce their chances of developing gestational diabetes. For women not yet pregnant, inositol is used to help manage polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms, resulting in increased ovulation.
Vit A: helps to build your developing baby’s immune system, as well as helping them develop healthy skin and good vision. Too much can be very harmful so we would recommend not choosing vit A supplementation if your doctor has not prescribed it.
Vit B1: it supports your baby’s brain development and enables you and your baby to convert carbohydrates into energy
Vit B2: Riboflavin, or vitamin B2, supports your baby’s bone, muscle, and nerve development.
Vit B3: has the potential to prevent some miscarriages and birth defects.
Vit B6: greatly improves nausea, though not vomiting, for many pregnant women.
Vit C: it helps you and your baby make collagen for your tendons, bones, and skin.
Vit D: regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, which are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
Vit E: it is an antioxidant that seems to prevent preeclampsia.
Magnesium: to prevent seizures in preeclampsia
Selenium: Selenium deficiencies may lead to gestational complications, miscarriages and the damaging of the nervous and immune systems of the fetus.
Iodine: Iodine helps the body to grow and develop, especially the brain
Zinc: helps to slightly reduce preterm births
Melatonin: natural sleep hormone. THis can help those women who struggle to sleep at night. It has no side effects nor addiction.