Prenatal Vitamins: Are They Really Needed?

Prenatal vitamins ensure you get essential nutrients even if your diet is lacking. They help prevent birth defects, and help support the baby’s brain development (choline, DHA). In this blog, Richmond, TX Midwife, Faren, explains the benefits of prenatal vitamins.

I’ve had clients ask my advice on prenatal vitamins. Many wonder if taking prenatal vitamins has any real benefits when matched against a well-balanced diet.

What is the difference between taking prenatal vitamins and eating a well-balanced diet?

Prenatal vitamins ensure you get essential nutrients even if your diet is lacking. They help prevent birth defects, and help support the baby’s brain development (choline, DHA). A well-balanced diet provides fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients missing from prenatal pills. When you eat a healthy well-balanced diet, the nutrients are more bioavailable nutrients compared to supplements.

Do you need prenatal vitamins when you have a well-balanced diet?

YES! God has made a way where we can eat the foods we need and take supplement for wherever we may be lacking.  Let’s use prenatal vitamins as insurance – they fill in gaps where diet falls short. Prioritize real food for optimal absorption and overall health. If nutrients are low in your prenatal, adjust your diet or take an extra supplement. Even with a healthy diet, certain nutrients (like folate, iron, choline, and DHA) are hard to get in ideal amounts.

Choosing Prenatal Vitamins

When planning a home birth, we strive to stay as healthy as we can be. Choosing the right prenatal vitamins could be costly and confusing. There are many prenatal vitamins that cost a lot, but they aren’t so good for us. Our body is not able to absorb some vitamins, but they are still sold to women every day. Some vitamins aren’t enough. Each brand of prenatal vitamins has a different set of ingredients and may work differently.

How do Whole Food Prenatal Vitamins Compare to Traditional Prenatal vitamins?

Whole food prenatal vitamins are made from concentrated whole food sources like fruits, vegetables, herbs. Their nutrients are derived naturally. Traditional prenatal vitamins which contain synthetic or isolated nutrients, often produced in laboratories to mimic natural vitamins. Whole food prenatal vitamins are more bioavailable, meaning the body may recognize and absorb them more easily because they come from food sources. Traditional prenatal vitamins are effective, but some synthetic nutrients may not be as easily absorbed or utilized by the body. Fueling your body with the best nutrients during your pregnancy will lead to a healthy pregnancy and baby. We want to have whole food prenatal vitamins for optimal consumption. If you couldn’t tell already, I am a fan of the whole food’s vitamins! Another benefit of whole foods vitamins is they usually are gentler on the stomach so if you are dealing with pregnancy nausea and constipation you would do better with a whole food’s vitamin. Traditional prenatal vitamins can cause nausea, constipation and upset stomach due to synthetic iron.

What I look for in a prenatal vitamin: When choosing which prenatal is best. You should consider the ingredients. As a midwife I look for vitamins that have folate and not folic acid, and amounts of magnesium, choline and iron.

More on Choline?

In 1998 they recently discovered choline and its benefits to the body. Because it is considered a newer essential nutrient, not many prenatal vitamins have it. Because of this I suggest clients have a choline rich diet along with taking a separate supplement. It’s nice to have between 500-1000 mg per day. Research suggests higher intakes around 550-900 mg may provide additional benefits for your baby’s brain development. This is why Choline is the first thing I look for in a vitamin. Each brand of prenatal vitamins has their own amounts.

Choline – Choline is an essential nutrient. It supports cell messaging, fat transport and metabolism, DNA synthesis, and a healthy nervous system.  Most diets do not have enough choline. If you do not have a diet high in choline supplements are an option.

Food Sources of Choline

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2 large eggs = ~294 mg choline) with a side of quinoa (1 cup cooked = ~43 mg choline)

Lunch: Grilled chicken breast (3 oz = ~72 mg choline) served with steamed broccoli (½ cup = ~31 mg choline)

Dinner: Baked cod (3 oz = ~71 mg choline) accompanied by roasted Brussels sprouts (½ cup = ~32 mg choline)

Snacks: A handful of roasted soybeans (½ cup = ~107 mg choline) or a smoothie made with milk (1 cup = ~43 mg choline)

This meal plan provides approximately 693 mg of choline, helping you meet and exceed the recommended daily intake.

Extra information about prenatal vitamins:

·         If your prenatal vitamin is making you nauseous in the morning, try taking them at night before bed.

·         If your prenatal causes constipation, take them earlier in the day and drink plenty of water.

·         Drink at least half your body weight in water each day. This helps with digestion and reduces the chances of constipation.

·         Some vitamins are large or hard to digest. Splitting your prenatal and taking it at a different time may help with digesting.

·         Some prenatal vitamins have iron in it, and some are iron-free specifically for those who have a sensitive stomach