Did you know that 95% of moms are nutrient deficient? Before, during, and after pregnancy are very demanding times on the body. After all, you’re growing and sustaining another human! Unfortunately, the combination of modern diet and depleted soil makes it nearly impossible to get all your nutrients from diet alone. However, you can get a significant boost from a high-quality prenatal vitamin! These are the 8 key nutrients to look for in a prenatal vitamin.
*This article should not be construed as medical advice, and cannot replace the guidance of your qualified health professional.*
Key Nutrients to Look for in a Prenatal Vitamin
If you read my post, My Honest Prenatal Vitamins Review: The Best Brands, these will look familiar.
The key nutrients to look for in a prenatal vitamin are: Methylfolate, B6 and B12, Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin A, Choline, and Iron, (but you may want to take Iron separately from your Prenatal!) These are not the only nutrients needed in pregnancy, but they’re an important place to start. Read on to learn what makes these the key nutrients to look for in a prenatal vitamin.
Choose a Prenatal Vitamin with at Least 800mcg of Folate
You may know that folate is one of the most important vitamins supplied by your prenatal. It’s a B vitamin, known for helping to prevent serious birth defects such as spina bifida and other neural tube defects, and also plays a significant role in egg quality. Recent research supports use of methylfolate (the biologically active form) instead of synthetic folic acid. Biologically active forms can improve absorption, especially for people with the MTHFR genetic variant.
B6 and B12 Are Key Prenatal Vitamin Nutrients
Look for a prenatal vitamin that contains all of the B vitamins, but pay special attention to B6 and B12. If you’re sensitive, read on for my recommendations!
B6 is needed for lots of reactions in the body. It can support mood by its role in production of neurotransmitters, and is especially helpful for addressing nausea. But some women also experience headaches and insomnia from too much B6. If you have these symptoms, try lower B6, or the biologically active form, pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P).
B12 is a detoxifier; it helps break down toxins methylmalonic acid and homocysteine that are byproducts of normal metabolism. It works in tandem with folate. Many prenatal vitamins have B12 in dosages of several hundred percent DV, but this is because only 1-2% is typically absorbed. Methylated B12 (methylcobalamin) can cause unpleasant side effects in large doses. It gives me insomnia and rapid heart beat! If this is you, try non-methylated B12, in the form of adenosylcobalamin and hydroxylcobalamin, like this standalone B12 I use from Pure Encapsulations.
Zinc and Selenium: Key Nutrients for Your Prenatal Vitamin
Zinc and selenium support egg quality and fertility, and continue to support both mom and baby during pregnancy. Selenium is especially important if you have a history of thyroid issues. Aim for at least 200mcg daily. If your prenatal vitamin falls short, add on a supplement. I like Thorne Selenium!
Zinc supports the immune system, protein synthesis, and even supports full-term gestation, which I didn’t know, but learned from Needed’s website! I love how they explain the dosage and benefits of each ingredient.
Why You Want Vitamin A in Your Prenatal, Not on Your Face
Although you want to avoid use of topical retinols (a form of Vitamin A) during pregnancy, you do still need Vitamin A. Vitamin A in the form of retinyl palmitate is important for preventing anemia, and supporting growth and immunity. Your prenatal vitamin may not contain enough, especially if you’re vegetarian and not getting easily absorbed vitamin A from meat and animal products. Test your Vitamin A blood level and supplement if you’re low. I’m taking Seeking Health Vitamin A Drops temporarily, since my blood level was low and I had some other symptoms (white spots on nails, for one!).
Choline Supports Baby’s Brain Development
Choline supports baby’s brain development. Most prenatal vitamins contain very low levels of choline, much less than mamas need. Unless you’re eating eggs every day, you likely need to add a choline supplement to hit 350mg daily. You can easily add more choline to your Prenatal Vitamin subscription with Needed Choline.
Iron Supports the Placenta and Prevents Anemia
Iron is needed for a healthy supply of red blood cells which are needed to carry oxygen to the placenta! But, iron supplements can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. To tailor your dose, opt for a prenatal vitamin without iron, then add it in separately as ferrous bisglycinate, which is easier on the stomach. Needed Prenatal Iron makes it easy to increase your iron levels. Their product page even has a helpful dosage calculator based on your blood ferritin levels! For even better absorption, take your iron apart from meals and with vitamin C.
If you want to try any product from Needed, code: MERRITT gets you up to 40% off pre-bundled plans, and 25%+ off your first subscription order! Shop now during their Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale!
Other Considerations for Pregnancy Supplements
Recommended Reading for Pregnancy Supplements
I highly recommend reading Rebecca Fett’s books It Starts with the Egg, It Starts with the Bump, and Brain Health from Birth, for more details on the science of egg quality and a healthy pregnancy. These books helped inform my prenatal vitamins review, and contain a wealth of information that you probably aren’t getting from your OB.
Third Party Testing for Supplement Purity
Supplements are not FDA-regulated. This means that ingredients labels are often inaccurate, and the products often contain higher levels of heavy metals and other contaminants. Each brand I recommend is Clean Label Project certified, meaning they’ve been third party tested for label accuracy and product purity from contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides. Clean Label Project is an excellent, free resource for checking certain product labels! Check them out.
Prenatal Vitamins: Capsules, Gummies, and Powder
A philosophy I repeat a lot on my blog is that the best product in the world is useless if you won’t actually use it. When it comes to pregnancy nausea, some people tolerate gummies or powders better than pills. Folate is so critical for preventing certain birth defects, especially early in pregnancy, so it’s important to find a vitamin that you can tolerate. If you’re really struggling, seek out a nutritional counselor. Needed subscriptions include a free, one-time consultation with a nutritionist to get you started.
My Top Prenatal Vitamin Choices
Here are two of my favorite brands that provide the key nutrients needed in prenatal vitamins. For more, check out my article My Honest Prenatal Vitamins Review: The Best Brands.
Needed Prenatal Vitamins Contain Key Nutrients at Needed Dosages
Needed prenatal vitamins contain optimal forms of vitamins for better absorption, and their dosages are based on research of real pregnant women’s nutritional needs. Try the Starter Plan to bundle your Prenatal with an Omega-3, which is important for egg quality and preventing preterm birth, among other benefits! Read more about Omega-3s in my post, Trimester-Specific Nutrients to Add to Your Prenatal Vitamin Now.
Use this link and code: MERRITT for up to 40% off pre-bundled plans or 25%+ off your first subscription order!
Perelel Prenatal Vitamins Are a Well-Rounded Option
Perelel is an OB/GYN-founded supplement company that makes it easy to get comprehensive prenatal nutrition, with “Packs” tailored to the nutritional needs of each stage! The Conception Support Pack aims to help prepare the body for pregnancy, providing extra folate, COQ10, and Omega-3 fish oil. The 1st Trimester pack contains extra B6 to help keep nausea at bay, the 2nd Trimester pack contains extra calcium and magnesium, and the 3rd Trimester pack adds calcium, magnesium and a probiotic. What’s unique about these packs is that they are literally little packets containing multiple pills — no pill case needed!
Try Perelel Multivitamin Packs with my link and code: MERRITT15 for 15% off!
Other Important Prenatal Vitamin Nutrients
Ultimately, the “right” prenatal vitamin for you depends on your health situation and lifestyle. To ensure truly optimal nutrition, it’s likely that you’ll need to supplement with more than just a single prenatal vitamin before, during, and after your pregnancy. Check out my article Trimester-Specific Nutrients to Add to Your Prenatal Vitamin Now for more about Prenatal Collagen, Omega-3, Choline, and more.
Whether you’re TTC, pregnant, postpartum, or just looking for supportive supplements, I hope you found this prenatal vitamins review helpful. Don’t forget to use my links and codes for special discounts!
To try Needed, code: MERRITT gets you up to 40% off pre-bundled plans, and 25%+ off your first subscription order!
Or try Perelel Multivitamin Packs with my link and code: MERRITT15 for 15% off!
Dive in to radically better nutrition!
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I would never recommend anything I wouldn’t personally use, and the income goes to keeping this site updated and free for everyone!
