Pregnant women need increased nutrients to ensure the health of the mother and the health of the baby. A nutritious diet can provide many of the extra vitamins and minerals, but many physicians recommend taking prenatal vitamins to supplement the diet. Most prenatal vitamins contain increased levels of folic acid, iron and calcium over typical multivitamins meant for adults. What type a pregnant woman should take depends on her nutritional needs.
Over-the-Counter Vitamins
Many over-the-counter prenatal vitamins are available. These vitamins provide extra levels of folic acid, calcium and iron necessary to prevent birth defects and help support the growth and development of the fetus and general health of the mother. PrenatalVitamins.net names Nature's Way Multi Prenatal, Women's 1-a-Day Prenatal, Twinlabs Prenatal Care, Trimedisyn and Prenatalgyn as the best over-the-counter prenatal vitamins in 2010, based on expert and consumer reviews. Pregnant women should check vitamin A content in any vitamin as doses that exceed 3,000mcg may result in fetal poisoning and birth defects and may cause calcium loss, a factor in the development of osteoporosis.
Prescription Vitamins
Prescription prenatal vitamins contain higher levels of folic acid, iron and calcium than the usual daily vitamin supplement, according to Dr. Elisa Ross, writing for the website Dr.Spock. These vitamins usually contain 1mg of folic acid, thought to help with the fetal growth and development and allow the pregnant woman to create red blood cells at a faster rate. A variety of prescription prenatal vitamins exist, including vitamins that contain stool softeners, extra calcium or other vitamins and vitamins that are kosher-certified, chewable, drinkable, tasteless or odorless. Physicians warn that women with a family history of anemia should make sure their doctor is aware as extra levels of folate may hide anemia symptoms.
Vitamin Bars
Some nutritional supplement bars specifically formulated for pregnancy can give pregnant women the extra vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy pregnancy. Those who opt to include these pregnancy vitamin bars in their diet should understand many of these bars provide 100 percent or more of the daily value for certain vitamins and minerals and should take care not to ingest too much of any particular nutrient, particularly vitamins A and D, fluoride and selenium. Too much of these nutrients may cause a variety of problems, including discolored teeth and birth defects. "Fit Pregnancy" magazine recommends Belly Bar, Bright Beginnings, Ensure Healthy Mom, Mommy Munchies and Oh Mama! vitamin bars as possible options for prenatal vitamin options for pregnant women.
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