Taking prenatal vitamins is very important, and knowing when should I start parental vitamins is even more important.

During pregnancy, pregnancy supplements help support the mother and the baby before it is born. If you do not start taking the vitamins as early as possible, there could be major health issues for you and your baby.

If you want to know when you should start taking prenatal vitamins, keep reading.

In this post, I will discuss the following.

• When should I start prenatal vitamins?
• Are prenatal vitamins important?
• Do I need to be concerned about other nutrients not found in prenatal vitamins?
• Benefits of Taking Prenatal Vitamins
• How to pick prenatal vitamins?
• Which prenatal vitamin is best?
• How to pick prenatal vitamins?
• What are some pregnancy supplements side effects?
• What should I do if prenatal vitamins make me nauseous?

Disclaimer:

I am not a doctor. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be taken as medical advice.

This post may also contain affiliate links. if you purchase something, I may earn a small commission.

When should I start prenatal vitamins?

The best time to start prenatal vitamins is three months before trying to get pregnant. You should take it throughout your entire pregnancy. 

However, no one actually knows when they may get pregnant. So, sometimes, it is recommended that all women who are capable of getting pregnant (child-bearing age and having unprotected sex) should take prenatal vitamins. 

If you do fall pregnant and you haven’t taken prenatal vitamins, do not worry. Just start taking them. It is better to start than never to take them. 

Are prenatal vitamins important?

Yes, during pregnancy, prenatal vitamins are very important. Some vitamins are very important for pregnancy, and if there is a deficiency, you baby can dramatically be affected. Here are some examples. 

• You need enough folic acid when pregnant. If you have a deficiency, it could cause your baby to have a neural tube defect. A neural tube defect can cause abnormality in your baby’s spinal cord or brain. You should begin taking folic acid three months before trying to conceive. But, if you haven’t, you should start now. 
• Many pregnant women develop anemia. So, they need more iron to help support the placenta of the baby. Anemia affects the number of red blood cells. red blood cells carries oxygen. So, to ensure the healthy development of the baby, you need to prevent anemia.  

If you do not take prenatal vitamins and have a deficiency in certain vitamins, you could have pregnancy complication like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes. Your baby could also develop birth defects and brain complications. 

Do I need to be concerned about other nutrients not found in prenatal vitamins?

Besides iron and folic acid, you need enough Omega-3 fatty acids which is needed for your baby’s brain development. If your diet lacks Omega-3 fatty acids, tell your doctor. She/he may give you Omega-3 fatty acids supplements. 

Instead of supplements, you could eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids like plant oils, seeds and nuts, and certain types of fish. However, make sure you can eat those foods during pregnancy. 

Benefits of Taking Prenatal Vitamins

Taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy comes with a lot of health benefits including decreased risks of birth defects like neural tube defect, decreased risk of low birth weight, and lowered risk of preterm birth.

The benefits of taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy for the mom, it could protect the placenta, prevent depression, prevent anemia, and decrease risk of preeclampsia and certain cancers. 

How to pick prenatal vitamins?

There are so many types of prenatal vitamins in the market today. You could easily find them in any pharmacy. You do not need a prescription for them. 

To pick prenatal vitamins, you need to look at the ingredients and make sure they have vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, B vitamins, zinc, iron, folic acid and iodine. You should also look at the cost, and what suits you. 

Sometimes, if your baby has complications, you may need more of a certain vitamins. If this is the case, let your doctor choose your prenatal vitamin. 

Which prenatal vitamin is best?

As mentioned before, there are so many prenatal vitamins. However, there are certain ones that are the best. Here is a list of the best prenatal vitamins. 

• One A Day Prenatal 1 Complete Multivitamin

This brand has the perfect combination of vitamins, and most doctors recommend it. 

• Nature Made Prenatal Multi + DHA

This one has a good amount of nutrients and is cost efficient.

• Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal

This is the best vegetarian prenatal vitamin.

• Vitafusion Women’s Gummy Vitamins, Mixed Berries

This one tastes very good and is easy on the stomach.

What are some pregnancy supplements side effects?

Prenatal vitamins do cause side effects, and the main side effects are nausea and constipation. Both side effects are caused by iron found in prenatal vitamins. 

However, these side effects can be managed by doing the following.

• To prevent constipation, you could eat more fiber and drink more water. You could also take medication prescribed by your doctor. 
• To prevent nausea, you could take the prenatal vitamins right before you sleep or eat food before and after taking them. 

What should I do if prenatal vitamins make me nauseous?

Many pregnant women complain that prenatal vitamins make them nauseous. To prevent this, you can as mentioned before eat snacks before and after taking them or take them at night.

However, this does not always work. If it doesn’t you could change the type of prenatal your taking. Some do not include iron, or have a form of iron that doesn’t upset the stomach easily.

I recommend taking Gummy prenatal vitamins. They usually don’t make your stomach upset. 

In Conclusion

You should start prenatal vitamins as soon as possible. If you haven’t yet and are pregnant, begin now. There are so many health benefits for prenatal vitamins.

All doctors recommend take prenatal vitamins since pregnancy can cause depletions in certain vitamins. Feel free to leave a comment and mention the brand of prenatal vitamins you take.