Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are vitamins which are taken during pregnancy.
Compared to a standard multivitamin, prenatal vitamins include an increased dosage of components that are known to reduce birth defects (such as folic acid), as well as an increased level of calcium and iron.
For a mother’s health, and the health of her baby, she is advised to take so-called “prenatal vitamins” during pregnancy. These are specially formulated multivitamins that make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the mother’s diet. While the supplements contain numerous vitamins and minerals, their folic acid, iron, and calcium content are especially important.
Multivitamin 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 doctor’s prescription, there are many of them are available over the counter. Keep in mind that it is possible to jeopardize your baby’s (or your own) health by taking inappropriate amounts of synthetic vitamins, so be sure your health care provider is aware of any supplements you are taking.
Importance of Iron
Like Folic Acid, iron is essential to a health pregnancy. Iron is the central component of hemoglobin, the part of the blood that carries oxygen. Iron helps blood cells carry oxygen to you and your developing baby, supporting energy, healthy growth, and strong teeth and bones. Many women do not get enough iron even when not pregnant - so when you do conceive, the need for this mineral increases. Pregnancy Plus prenatal vitamins provide enough iron for you and your growing baby.
Pregnancy Vitamin & Mineral Guidelines
Pregnancy Vitamin & Mineral Guidelines are designed for helping pregnant women figure out how much of any particular vitamin or mineral that they need in their diet either through food (nutrition) or through supplementation (prenatal vitamins).
Do I need extra vitamins?Scientific studies have not shown that vitamin supplementation with prenatal vitamins throughout pregnancy benefits babies, except in a few circumstances. Nevertheless, prenatal vitamins also have never been shown to harm developing babies either, unless used in megadosages.
Do prenatal vitamins require a prescription?
Prenatal vitamins are available over-the-counter in nearly any pharmacy. Some prenatal vitamins require a prescription. Your health care provider may recommend a specific brand of prenatal vitamins or leave the choice up to you.
