Essential Supplements For Pregnancy: What Should & Shouldn’t Be In Your Prenatal
Today, we’re sharing everything you need to know about what should (and shouldn’t) be in your prenatal supplements!
We’ve partnered with Wild Nutrition, experts in women's nutritional health and creators of natural, Food-Grown® supplements to better connect mothers in our community with the supplements they need at each stage of their journey, from conception through postpartum. You can read more about our partnership here. Psst. keep reading for a50% off Wild Nutrition!
Make sure to discuss your unique nutritional needs with your healthcare professional to be certain you're getting everything you and your baby need.
Two essential nutrients that should be in your prenatal supplement: Folic Acid & Vitamin D
Folate / Folic acid
Recommended amount during pregnancy: 400mcg per day
Folate is the name for the natural form of this nutrient, but you'll see it listed as folic acid in any supplemental form. It’s recommended to start getting this vitamin from the moment you start trying to conceive up until you are at least 12 weeks pregnant. If you weren't taking folic acid prior to your pregnancy, don’t worry — just start taking it daily as soon as you know you’re pregnant and are able to do so.
What is folate / folic acid?
Folic acid is a man-made B vitamin that maintains healthy cell growth and development throughout the body. You might have heard of its natural form, folate.
It’s thought that folic acid helps to boost good heart health by improving blood flow, and research shows that taking supplements can help regulate high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease (pretty cool right?!).
Why is folic acid important during pregnancy?
Folic acid is critical for baby’s overall development, DNA synthesis, and producing red blood cells, folate is the natural form of the B vitamin while folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements.
Some studies show that if every woman took a folic acid supplement every day before getting pregnant and during early pregnancy, up to 70% of NTDs could be prevented. On top of that, a review of over 6,000 women found supplementing daily with folic acid reduced the risk of neural tube defects in baby and women experienced no negative side effects.
Vitamin D
Recommended amount during pregnancy: 10 micrograms per day
In supplement form, you’ll often see Vitamin D amounts listed in IU's (international units), which is based on the biological activity of each substance.
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D, aka “the sunshine vitamin”, is produced naturally by our bodies when exposed to sunlight! It’s critical for the health of you and your growing baby — but it's not always easy to get the recommended amount through your daily diet or lifestyle. It's estimated 50% of the global population isn't regularly getting enough of the sunshine vitamin which is why supplementing during pregnancy is so important.
Why is vitamin D so important during pregnancy?
It helps the body absorb and utilize calcium to grow bones and teeth, support a healthy immune system, and support cellular division for baby’s optimal growth and development. It even supports healthy skin and eyesight!
Other good nutrients that may be in your prenatal supplement & what they’re for
The best way to get all of your nutrients in pregnancy is through a varied and balanced diet. All of the nutrients we have listed below are essential for pregnancy and can be found in your diet. However, many women choose to take a prenatal multivitamin which can include not only your recommended amount of folic acid and vitamin D, but other essential nutrients for you and baby.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is critical for your baby’s brain development and helps form new blood cells and support nervous system development! Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) plays a part in your growing baby's brain and nervous system development. It can also help ease pregnancy symptoms of nausea and vomiting.
Vitamin B12
This vitamin goes along with folic acid for its nervous system support and the prevention of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Alongside folic acid, it’s thought that vitamin B-12 helps to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida and defects that affect the spine and central nervous system.
There’s currently no strong evidence that women with a varied diet need to take a vitamin B12 supplement during pregnancy, and there’s no official UK recommendation on daily amounts for women who are pregnant. However, it’s recommended that adults aged 19 to 64 need about 1.5 micrograms a day of vitamin B12.
If you’re a vegetarian, B vitamins can be harder to get in your diet alone, and supplementation is recommended. Speak to your doctor before taking a B12 supplement.
Vitamins C & E
We usually think of our immune system but vitamin C is critical for keeping our cells protected and healthy, while also supporting bone growth and overall development. It helps your body absorb iron properly, especially from non-heme iron sources from plant-based foods! One study showed that over ⅓ of women weren’t getting adequate Vitamin C in their diets.
During pregnancy, Vitamin C helps you and your baby make collagen for your tendons, bones, and skin. Vitamin E helps your body to create and maintain red blood cells, healthy skin, and eyes, and strengthens your natural immune system.
Vitamin E helps maintain healthy skin and eyes, and strengthens your body’s immune system.
Iron
During pregnancy, you need 27 milligrams of iron each day. Your body uses iron to produce hemoglobin, which supplies oxygen from your lungs around your entire body. Iron is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world, and potentially 40% of pregnant women because your blood volume increases by 45% during pregnancy.
Calcium
During pregnancy, it’s recommended that you have 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. Calcium is an important vitamin and is responsible for helping build bones and keep teeth healthy, regulating muscle contractions, including your heartbeat, and making sure your blood clots normally.
During pregnancy, calcium supports way more than baby’s bones and teeth, but also their muscles, nerves, and heart! Adequate calcium intake during pregnancy is also important in the prevention of preeclampsia.
Iodine
During pregnancy, you need 220 micrograms of iodine each day. Iodine is a mineral that’s critical for thyroid health, and during pregnancy, it helps to develop baby’s nervous system, which is how baby will move around and experience the world!
Choline
During pregnancy, you need 450mg of choline per day. Choline is another nervous system supporter and helps to support baby’s brain and spinal cord development during pregnancy.
Nutrients that should not be in your prenatal vitamin: Vitamin A
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, also known as retinol, helps to keep your immune system working properly, helps your vision in dim light, and has a role in keeping skin and the lining of some parts of the body, such as the nose, healthy.
Vitamin A is incredibly important for the healthy development of your baby's major organs and bones, as well as the establishment of healthy vision. Plus, Vitamin A will be very important for you leading up to birth as it's crucial for postpartum tissue repair!
However, it’s recommended that you avoid taking supplements that contain vitamin A (NHS, UK) as animal sources (retinol) have been shown to be teratogenic, meaning they can disrupt fetal development, leading to birth defects or even miscarriage.
Having large amounts of vitamin A can harm your baby. So if you're pregnant or thinking about having a baby, it’s recommended that you do not eat liver or liver products, such as pâté, because these are very high in vitamin A.
So it's still important for you and the baby to consume a little Vitamin A, So what's the safe solution? It's simple - look for beta-carotene as this is naturally found in plants such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and peppers. Beta carotene converts to Vitamin A in the body and it’s safe to consume Beta Carotene in pregnancy and breastfeeding.
How to choose the right prenatal supplement for you
Pay attention to those nutrient labels and make sure levels are helping you reach your recommended amount without exceeding it
If you take more than one supplement, avoid doubling up on nutrients and aim for each nutrient's recommended daily amount
Speak to your doctor about prenatal supplements that might be recommended for you and your pregnancy
If you’ve found results from clinical trials that prove other multivitamins to be beneficial, keep in mind that some of the results may not be applicable to you, as the trials could have been taken in foreign countries, under different circumstances and various environmental pressures.
When it comes to multivitamins consult with your doctor and be empowered by what you've learned to make informed decisions that are best for your unique situation.
About Wild Nutrition Food-Grown® supplements
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, we’ve partnered with Wild Nutrition and we have an exclusive discount for you: 50% off subscriptions for 3 months with code B2B50*!
Here’s an overview of the supplements Wild Nutrition offers:
A blend of botanicals, minerals, and vitamins, including the recommended 400ug of Folate, to provide prenatal nutritional support whilst trying to conceive. Based on the latest clinical research Wild Nutrition have increased the levels of Vitamin D in this unique formula.
A comprehensive blend of vitamins and minerals, including Folate and Iron, providing nutritional support for you and your baby through all trimesters of your pregnancy, including the all-important ‘fourth’ trimester.
Formulated for mother and baby to support at a nutritionally demanding time. Contains energy-maintaining Vitamin B6 and sits alongside cognition-supporting Iron and traditional breastfeeding botanicals Fenugreek and Stinging Nettle.
A unique blend of four probiotic strains for pregnancy and new motherhood. Specifically formulated to support both mother and baby throughout all four trimesters, it provides 30 billion CFU per daily dose.
Sustainably sourced fish oil to support your baby’s eye and brain development with the optimal ratio of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) for your growing baby. In postpartum, this supplement will support your heart and brain essential needs and your breastfed infant.
If you have any questions, drop them in the comments & we’re here to help.
*T&Cs: New customers only. Valid until 31.04.24. Cannot be used with other codes, offers or discounts. Discount applies 50% off one-time RRP for first three months. Only valid with subscription orders.
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