Prenatal vitamins are essential for healthy pregnancy. They contain a variety of vitamins and minerals that are essential for the healthy development of the baby. A woman’s daily requirement for certain vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, iron and calcium increases during pregnancy. These vitamins and minerals are essential for proper fetal growth and development and healthy adult living. It is essential to start taking prenatal vitamins before getting pregnant. This is because the brain and spinal cord develops during the first month of pregnancy even before you know you are pregnant.

To  increase your chances of having a healthy baby, you need to eat healthy and stay active before you get pregnant. You can also supplement your diet with vitamins but you have to let your health care provider know how much you are taking.

Choosing a prenatal vitamin

There are a variety of prenatal vitamins available. Some of them are high in iron and target women with anemia. Others are only available through prescription. You should let your doctor know any supplements you are taking to make sure you are not putting you and your baby’s health at risk.

Look for a prenatal vitamin that contains:

• Folic acid — 400 to 800 micrograms
• Calcium — 250 milligrams
• Iron — 30 milligrams
• Vitamin C — 50 milligrams
• Zinc — 15 milligrams
• Copper — 2 milligrams
• Vitamin B-6 — 2 milligrams
• Vitamin D — 400 international units

Source : Mayo Foundation
 

Important points to note

It is better to take one prenatal vitamin that includes all the different vitamins that you need in one dose. Do not take several different supplements without the supervision of your doctor. Taking different supplments at the same time increases your risk of overdosing on one particular nutrient.

If you are eating a balanced diet, you should not worry about  overdosing in nutrients found in natural foods. However supplements which are synthetic forms of vitamins and minerals contain higher doses of these nutrients in concentrated forms. This can be dangerous if taken in improper amounts. You always need to let your health care provider know what prental vitamins and other supplements you are taking.

Prenatal vitamins are a good way to include vitamins and minerals to your daily diet. They should in no way be a  substitute to good nutrition . It is essential  to talk to your doctor about nutrition before you get pregnant .You should take prenatal vitmains throughout pregnancy and after delivery especially if you plan  on breastfeeding.