Choosing Prenatal Vitamins

Prenatal vitamins are very important for pregnant mothers. Doctors will often suggest a prenatal vitamin to an expecting patient, but some also believe that vitamins are helpful to those women trying to get pregnant. Using the supplements before conceiving helps prevent certain birth defects. Some mothers choose to continue taking pre natal vitamins throughout their pregnancies and while they are breastfeeding.

Vitamins can be so convenient that we come to rely on them for getting our nutrients, at the expense of focusing on eating a healthy and balanced diet. So, it's important to remember that they are only supplements, and nothing replaces the complex array of nutrients found in food - nutrients like antioxidants, fats, and protein.

Prenatal vitamins also work better when taken with food. If you have a meal first, your stomach juices are flowing, and the vitamins and minerals are thus more easily absorbed. Also, if you take vitamins on an empty stomach, nausea can develop.

Calcium is one mineral that needs to be taken in addition to prenatal vitamins. Because it is a large molecule, it cannot physically fit into a multivitamin supplement. We wouldn't be able to swallow the capsule it made! Prenatal vitamins tend to have no more than 250mg of calcium, and pregnant women need between 1,200 mg and 1,500 mg.

Pregnant women need to be careful in choosing their prenatal vitamins. Some vitamins are made in a way that they are not easily absorbed, and during pregnancy, this is a critical issue. A lack of some vitamins can cause birth defects. Folate is one well known example of this - a lack of folate can potentially lead to neural tube defects and spina bifida in the baby.

On average, only 3 out of 9 vitamins actually provide the amount of folate on the label. And it's not that they don't have the amount of folate specified on the bottle, it's just that it isn't absorbed.

There's a simple test you can do to see whether your prenatal vitamin will be absorbed. Put one into a cup of water, and wait ten minutes. If the vitamin dissolves, or is very soft, chances are high it will be absorbed in your system. If it remains hard, it will probably not be fully broken down and absorbed by your body.

Is it better to get a vitamin prescribed by your doctor? Not necessarily. They do tend to be of very high quality, but many of them are the same types you'll see available in stores, without a prescription. When choosing a prenatal vitamin, consider first the ingredients it has, and then factor in whether it is absorbable.

Your doctor will be good to talk to about the types of prenatal vitamins available. They may even be able to suggest some you can buy in a store yourself. Doctor prescribed vitamins tend to be more potent, but this can also cause potential problems with nausea in some women. IF that's the case, it may be best to use one bought over the counter.

You may find yourself trying a few prenatal vitamins before you find the best one for you. Do a little research, and remember to continue eating a healthy and well balanced diet.