What to look for in your prenatal vitamin
Folks ask me ALL the time, “what brands of prenatal vitamins do you recommend?”
I hate to gatekeep…but it’s actually hard for me to give you a recommendation without knowing your needs and preferences! On top of that, brands are constantly changing their formulas. It’s hard to keep up with, and I want to make sure that I feel confident in what I’m recommending to you!
So unfortunately, you’re not going to find recommendations for specific brands in this post. I provide individualized supplement recommendations to my 1:1 clients, and help the members of my group program Fully Nourished Pregnancy DIY it with a lot of guidance so they can choose the supplement regimen that’s right for them in fertility and pregnancy.
What I DO want to share with you are some of my top tips for searching for the right prenatal!
Third party testing
Unfortunately, the supplement industry isn’t regulated by the FDA (it really should be!!) That means that in order to ensure that your prenatal vitamin is safe and effective, you need to look for one that is 3rd party tested. USP, NSF, and Consumer Labs are really great organizations that test for supplement quality and safety, and these labels will be clearly listed on a prenatal vitamin. Labdoor.com is also a website that does third-party testing, and you can always look at the supplement’s website to see if they’re 3rd party testing in a different way. If you do nothing else, this is the most important factor in choosing a prenatal.
Choose a form that works for you
Pills are a classic way to take a supplement, but 1 pill per day may be too large for some people to swallow, while other brands may tout high nutrition content of their product but the dosage is 8 pills per day. If pills aren’t your thing, powder and gummy vitamins exist too! Remember you have options, and you can try different methods to make sure you’re able to take your prenatal vitamins daily.
Looking for the right nutrients
This can be the overwhelming part of choosing the right prenatal. Know that as long as your supplement is 3rd party tested, it’s better to take SOMETHING instead of nothing. While a well rounded eating pattern is really important for fertility and pregnancy, a prenatal vitamin is your micronutrient insurance policy while you work on adding foods in and navigate issues like nausea and food aversions that may limit your diet. This is also the most individualized aspect of choosing a prenatal supplement regimen! Depending on your eating pattern, lifestyle, medical history, and lab work, you may need more of certain nutrients. Regardless, the following nutrients are ones that I think EVERY pregnant person should be sure to look for in their prenatal vitamin, as they play such a vital role in fetal development:
methyl-folate (the active form of folate, but folic acid is the synthetic form and is effective for most people, too)
iron (iron bisglycinate will be less likely to cause GI upset and constipation)
iodine
vitamin D
choline
magnesium
vitamin K2
selenium
DHA
Ultimately, there’s so much more to fertility and prenatal nutrition than simply taking the right supplements! Having a healthy relationship with food and body, and consuming nutrient dense foods as part of a joyful, balanced eating pattern is vital to your physical and mental well-being as your conceive and grow a healthy baby.
My program Fully Nourished Pregnancy is an online course and community that walks you through not only how to choose the right prenatal and additional supplements for YOU, but also how to focus on food as your primary source of nourishment. There’s so much more to this body positive, info-packed program, too! Click here to read more about Fully Nourished Pregnancy and enroll today.
Looking for a high level of individualized support? I would love to work with you 1:1! While FNP is like a peek inside my brain as a fertility and prenatal dietitian, you might need extra guidance for specific conditions affecting your fertility or pregnancy. Click here to learn more about 1:1 coaching and apply to work with me.