What prenatal vitamins before pregnancy do you need and why?
Posted by Travis
Not only is getting enough nutrients important during your pregnancy. It is also smart to get the right prenatal vitamins before pregnancy. If you eat a well balanced diet full of good healthy foods, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you should have no problem getting enough of the essentials. Sometimes in today’s world, this is very hard to do though.
As an adult you should be considering taking a multivitamin supplement especially if you plan on getting pregnant. Folic acid and B vitamins are needed before and during pregnancy to prevent birth defects of the spinal cord and brain. Most adult multivitamins will have both of these in them. The prenatal vitamins before pregnancy should have at least 400 mcg of folic acid combined with a healthy diet.
When you become pregnant, your needs for many nutrients will increase. That is why it is a good idea to start taking a multivitamin before pregnancy.
Before buying your multivitamin, make sure you read the labels. The labels aren’t hiding anything. They will tell you exactly whats in the supplement. Most multivitamins today contain 15-20 different vitamins and minerals. Common nutrients found in these vitamins are:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Folic acid
- Niacin
- Riboflavin
- Thiamin
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Iodine
- Zinc
Each of these vitamins and minerals will provide great benefits for you and your soon to be developing baby.
Your prenatal vitamins before pregnancy shouldn’t contain high doses of vitamins and minerals. There are certain nutrients you and your baby can get toxicity from like Vitamin A. Most of the vitamins in the stores won’t contain 100% of your daily value for all the nutrients. For example, calcium would cause the tablet way too large. It’s pretty easy to get enough calcium if you are eating enough dairy, fruits, and vegetables.
You can also check the label to see if it meets the requirements of the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP). This organization sets the guidelines for quality and safety for vitamins.
Getting excess of all vitamins isn’t a good idea while pregnant. Vitamin A is one of these. If you want all the information you need on choosing your vitamins and minerals during pregnancy, grab my free guide on how to Be One Hot Mama: Supplement Bonus.