Best With Methylated Folate: Megafood Baby & Me 2 Prenatal Vitamins
Folate is a key nutrient for women during their reproductive years, but it’s important to get the right form. Many brands use folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, but this form isn’t necessarily the most bioavailable for everyone. For this reason, whether you have the MTHFR mutation or not, it’s important to select a prenatal vitamin with methylated folate.
Megafood’s Baby & Me 2 contains 600 micrograms of L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or 170 percent of the daily recommended value for pregnant women.
Megafood is one of the most trusted brands in the supplement industry because of its commitment to transparency. Their products are certified glyphosate-, GMO-, soy-, gluten-, and dairy-free and have been tested for over 125 pesticides and herbicides.
When you’re pregnant, your iron needs increase by 50 percent18 milligrams for adult women to 27 milligrams per day for pregnant adult women. The growing baby requires adequate iron to support the healthy growth of cells, tissues, and organs and mom needs extra iron to support the increase in blood volume when pregnant.
The extra red blood cells that are produced carry oxygen to the baby and, without enough iron, mom can develop iron-deficiency anemia which has been associated with increased risk of low-birth-weight infants, premature delivery, and infant mortality.
Tips For Using Prenatal Vitamins
Dont go out and buy multiple different brands of prenatal vitamins and volley between one.
Find one prenatal vitamin that works best for you and your baby and get into the daily regime of taking it every day.
Some exceptions are if you need additional amounts of a specific nutrient and your diet and/or supplement isnt covering it, such as omega-3 fatty acids .
More is not always better when it comes to vitamins and minerals.
Balance is key when it comes to nourishing and protecting yourself and baby.
Too much of a certain nutrient can be harmful.
We want just the right amount to optimally support growing baby and ourselves.
For exact recommendations on what your prenatal should contain, or what amounts of vitamins and minerals you need from your diet, check out our Complete Guide To Prenatal Vitamin Ingredients.
The more natural, the better.
Check the ingredients and bottle to see if its GMO-free, soy free, gluten free, and yeast free.
It should be free from all harmful substances such as artificial ingredients, colors, and additives.
There should be no pesticides and herbicides and heavy metals present.
It should not be the other way around.
Food should be your first source of nutrients followed by a prenatal vitamin to fill in any gaps.
Prenatal vitamins are incredibly important but sometimes they are hard to swallow .
When Do I Need To Start Taking Prenatal Vitamins
Start taking folic acid at least 1 month before you start trying to get pregnant. The first few weeks of pregnancy are a really important time for fetal health and development. Taking folic acid and other prenatal vitamins can help reduce the risk of some birth defects. Keep taking prenatal vitamins throughout your entire pregnancy.
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What Prenatal Vitamin Do Doctors Recommend
“Women who are trying to get pregnant need additional folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin A, B-complex, C, D, zinc and omega-3-fish oil,” Dr. Ross said. Our medical reviewer Regina Cardaci, PhD, RN, a clinical assistant professor of midwifery at NYU Meyers College of Nursing pointed out that thiamine is also crucial in any prenatal for brain development.
Choosing Your Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamin combinations can vary depending on the nutritional focus. For example, some manufacturers will create multivitamins that have a higher amount of iron than usual, targeting women who are prone to iron-deficiency anemia.
While certain prenatal multivitamins are only available by a doctors prescription, many of them are available over the counter. Keep in mind that it is possible to jeopardize your babys health by taking inappropriate amounts of synthetic vitamins, so be sure your health care provider is aware of any supplements you are taking.
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How To Choose The Best Prenatal Vitamins
Wondering what are the best prenatal vitamins out there? Really, its a bit of a trick question. There isnt one best prenatal vitamin, says Sara Twogood, MD, an ob-gyn at the University of Southern California and founder of the postpartum care package service . As with most things related to pregnancy and parenting, what works for someone else may not be a great fit for you. Women respond to supplements differently. Some patients may have their nausea alleviated by using gummies, while another may feel more nauseous because of the smell or taste of the gummies. One patient may want to stick with a strict vegan prenatal, while another doesnt like the texture or aftertaste of that same vitamin, Twogood says. Depending on a variety of individual factors, or just good experience, your doctor may recommend one in particular.
For instance, Carley Mendes, a prenatal nutritionist, founder of the website Oh Baby Nutrition and creator of the pregnancy nutrition series In The Glow, prefers supplements made from 100 percent whole food sources. Quality makes a difference, as the body utilizes the nutrients required in pregnancy much more efficiently from natural sources, she says.
Analysis Of 7 Reviews For Nature Made Prenatal Multi 90 Tablets Folic Acid + 17 Prenatal Vitamins & Minerals To Support Baby Development And Mom
BestViewsReviews analyzed 80,741 reviews for 134 products in the Prenatal Vitamins category.
We analyzed a total of 7 reviews for this product out of which, 1 reviews were received in the last 6 months.
The analysis indicates that around 100% reviews were positive while around 0% of reviews had negative sentiment.
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Faqs About Prenatal Vitamins
Isnt good nutrition good enough?
As we said above, prenatal supplements are in no way a replacement for a healthy diet and many of the essential nutrients pregnant or lactating women need canand should beprimarily ingested through dietary means.
But these supplements still play an essential role in the prenatal process for a couple of reasons: first, because its difficult to get the required amounts for each nutrient solely through food and second, because enough nutrients have to reach at least two targetsmom and babywhich makes getting the required quantities even more important.
Can I take more than the recommended amount of folic acid?
Folic acid is a water-soluble nutrient, meaning thatwell, youll pee out whatever excess you consume.
In theory, this means there isnt any harm to consuming more than the established RDAs of folic acid. However, an abundance of folic acid can mask B12-deficiency by hiding its symptoms, and this can be increasingly harmful in the long run. For this reason health organizations like the World Health Organization, advise against taking more than the established Upper Intake levels of folic acid, which is 1000 mcg a day.
Are prescriptions prenatal vitamins superior to over-the-counter supplements?
Helpful Information About Prenatal Vitamins
Whether youre pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or have just completed a pregnancy, there are certain nutrients and minerals your body needs to compensate for having to produce doubly for you and your baby. This is where prenatal vitamins come in. They work not only for your babys development, but to ensure you get all the required nutrients necessary to carry out a pregnancy, and to replenish your depleted stocks postpartum.
Ideally, mommies-to-be would be getting all the necessary nutrients from a balanced diet. However, its not exactly a secret that women are at their queasiest during pregnancy, and hormonal fluctuations may make eating that extra plate of spinach particularly off-putting.
Xaimar Sánchez, a registered nutritionist working for Head Start and who tends to a large population of young expectant mothers echoed this, the truth is that many women find it difficult to ingest all the essential nutrients they need during pregnancy. Whether its because they cant physically stomach ingesting the required foods, or because they simply dont make the best nutritional choices when it comes to their diet, many women dont receive all the minerals and vitamins necessary to cover their nutritional requirements. Thats where prenatal vitamins come in. Prenatal vitamins try to even out the dietary playing field, so you can have as many of the essential nutrients you need for a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy.
Here are some points to consider:
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Organic Vs Synthetic Prenatal Vitamins
One of the first things youll notice when choosing a prenatal supplement is the vast variety of types on the market. The vitamin industry is generally split into organic, or whole-food vitamins, and so called synthetic vitamins. What each company may interpret as organic can vary, but generally vitamins that are advertised this way are purported to be made with whole foods or natural components, instead of the chemical equivalents manufactured in a lab. Many of these products are also Non-GMO certified, but this isnt always the case. Incidentally, many companies will boast about their pure organic ingredients, trying to differentiate themselves from other synthetic products.
In reality, the difference between the two is not as black and white as many companies try to make it. No vitamin supplement is 100% natural, or organic, and none is 100% synthetic. Rather, many times companies will combine processes.
Research regarding whether organic vitamins are more beneficial than synthetic ones is highly split. Food-based vitamins are often touted as best because their phytonutrientsthe natural chemicals found in some fruit and vegetablesare thought to make overall absorption of minerals and nutrients more effective. Similarly, some writing on the subject indicates that synthetic nutrients may not be processed in a way that can be effectively be absorbed by your body.
Best Dha: Nordic Naturals Prenatal Dha
Docosahexaenoic acid is one of the three main essential omega 3 fatty acids, the others being alpha-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid . DHA is found primarily in seafood.
During pregnancy, DHA is especially important for a babys healthy cognitive and visual function and overall brain development. A reference intake for the amount of DHA that should be consumed per day hasn’t been set yet, but health experts agree that pregnant and lactating women should consume at least 200 milligrams of DHA per day. Others believe that pregnant women should up their intake to 300 milligrams of DHA per day.
Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA provides 480 milligrams of DHA and 205 milligrams of EPA per serving and is the official omega-3 supplement of the American Pregnancy Association. All of Nordic Naturals products are non-GMO, use wild-caught fish, and are third-party tested, surpassing the strictest international standards for purity and freshness. Note that this is not a complete prenatal multivitamin, but rather an additional supplement for your routine.
SmartyPants Organics Prenatal Formula gummy vitamins are free of artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, and the top eight allergens. Smarty Pants does not use synthetic colors or artificial flavors in their gummies, and each batch is third-party tested for purity.
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Do Prenatal Vitamins Have Side Effects
A lot of people wonder about about prenatal vitamins side effects. Some people get nauseated or constipated from taking prenatal vitamins. If this happens to you, talk with your doctor about changing brands or the types of vitamins youre taking.
Prenatal vitamins come in tablets or capsules, so finding the kind that works best with your body can help ease side effects. Your doctor or midwife can help you find a prenatal vitamin that will work best for your body.
Breastmilk Adapts To Your Babys Needs
With the right maternal diet, breastmilk is a perfectly balanced source of all the nutrients your baby needs to grow and develop.11 It provides infants with an abundance of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, and water.11 It also naturally adapts to your babys nutritional needs over time as your baby grows and continues to develop.11
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Nature Made Prenatal Viatmins Are A Great Value
I had used these prenatal vitamins for my first pregnancy and now that we are trying for our second i ran right out and grabed 2 more bottles. I found these vitamins to be rather large and for a time i had to cut them in half to swallow them but i have a phobia about choking on pills so that was probably most of the problem. My docotor was the one that recommended these vitamins over a prescription and i found that they were a great value especially since i was able to purchase them at costco. I did find that these vitamins made me kind of nauseaus so i made sure to take them at bedtime and then i didn’t seem to have any trouble. i did like that the new version that i picked up recently have the DHA added to them which who knows if that will really make much of a difference but i figure it can’t hurt. I’m not one for taking a daily vitamin but i sure feel that it is very important during pregnancy and as prenatal care so i would highly recommend that you consider these they are not that expensive and can help protect your baby from preventative problems and complications.
Sheston
How We Chose The Products On This List
We personally tested many brands of different prenatal vitamins throughout various stages of conception and pregnancy. We also drew on past personal experiences with issues such as nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and investigated common concerns and complaints with prenatal vitamins among pregnant women, like bad taste and smell.
We read the current scientific literature and consulted with medical professionals as well. The doctors quoted throughout this piece include three different OB-GYNs as well as a registered dietitian who reviewed product selections and consulted with us on what to look for, as well as what to avoid, in prenatal vitamins.
When considering various options, we looked for:
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When Should You Start Taking Prenatal Vitamins How Long Should You Take Them
Doctors, midwives, and other health care professionals recommend that women begin taking prenatal vitamins before they become pregnant. The brain and spinal cord of the embryo begin to develop within 3 to 4 weeks of pregnancy, when you may not even know that you are pregnant. The CDC recommends that all women of childbearing age consume folic acid daily to prevent spina bifida and anencephaly. These serious birth defects affect the babys developing brain and spinal cord. Your doctor or midwife may recommend that you continue to take prenatal vitamins after you have your baby, especially if you are breastfeeding. If you are planning to conceive, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss any pregnancy planning concerns.
Do I Keep Taking Prenatal Vitamins After Birth
Nutrient requirements remain high after giving birth, so a vitamin supplement can help provide the extra nutrients you and your baby need. While many women continue to take prenatal vitamin supplements after giving birth, your nutrient needs change as you move from pregnancy to breastfeeding. So, if youre really looking to get the most out of your dietary supplements, its best to swap your prenatal vitamins for postnatal ones.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Prenatal Vitamins
Most women who take prenatal vitamins as directed by their doctor or midwife experience little or no side effects from prenatal vitamins. The iron in prenatal vitamins may cause constipation, and some women complain of nausea. You also may have diarrhea, dark stools, low appetite, and stomach upset or cramps. Talk with your OB/GYN or midwife about any side effects you have from taking prenatal vitamins.
Nature Made Multi +dha Review
Best Value Supplement
How Many Pills a Day: 1
Cost: $11.75/ 60 count on Amazon
With over 40 years of experience in the vitamin industry, Nature Made is one of the most recognizable brand names in the market, a comforting thought given how vast and varied the supplement world is. Nature Made also counts with the United States Pharmacopeia label , meaning the ingredients have been thoroughly vetted and have been found to be not only safe, but also accurate in chemical composition and quantity.
With 27 mg of iron, 800 mcg of folic acid, and 1000 IU of vitamin D, Nature Mades prenatal supplement checks off almost every box for required nutrients, at an affordable price. Additionally, the supplement includes 200 mg of DHA which is essential for the babys neurological development. Most companies dont include DHA in their formula, much less have the added benefit of including all of their nutrients in a single convenient soft gel pill.
As with most prenatal vitamins on the market, these supplements include a reduced dose of calcium, so its important to get the required amount from other sources.
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Bestviewsreviews Ranking And Score For Nature Made Prenatal Multi 90 Tablets Folic Acid + 17 Prenatal Vitamins & Minerals To Support Baby Development And Mom
This product received a total score of 7.45 out of 10, based on review sentiments and user opinions related to 5 features:
