Some pregnant women need prenatal vitamins, but others don't -- and your health care-provider is the best person to help you decide which category you fall into. Getting sufficient amounts of nutrients is vital to a healthy pregnancy, whether through diet alone or with the help of supplements.
Identification
Prenatal vitamins, also called prenatal supplements, are multivitamins designed to meet the changing nutritional needs of expecting mothers, says the American Pregnancy Association. Prenatal vitamins combine the recommended allowances of certain key nutrients into one multivitamin to eliminate the need for taking multiple supplements. Whether you choose an over-the-counter prenatal vitamin or a prescription formula, all prenatal vitamins contain most of the same essential nutrients.
Time Frame
The best time to start taking prenatal vitamins is at least three months before you get pregnant, according to the Mayo Clinic, but many women don't start taking prenatal vitamins until their pregnancies are confirmed. Plan to take prenatal vitamins throughout your pregnancy, unless your health-care provider advises otherwise. If you're breastfeeding, you may want to continue taking prenatal vitamins for the first few months of your baby's life.
Benefits
Prenatal vitamins may help reduce your risk for giving birth to a low-birth-weight baby and ensure that you and your developing baby get the nutrients needed during pregnancy. Most prenatal vitamins contain folic acid, which protects against neural tube defects; calcium, which helps maintain healthy function of the circulatory and nervous systems, in addition to helping your baby develop healthy teeth and gums; and iron, which helps protect against pregnancy anemia and develop healthy muscles and blood.
Warning
If you eat a balanced diet, supplementing your diet with prenatal supplements may actually be a bad idea, warns the American Pregnancy Association. During pregnancy, it's important not to exceed the 100-percent recommended daily allowance of any nutrients. For the same reason, be wary of combining supplements, and don't take any supplements without your health-care provider's recommendation.
Considerations
Even if you don't need to take a prenatal vitamin, it's a good idea to take a folic acid supplement every day during your pregnancy -- and ideally, for at least three months before you become pregnant, according to WomensHealth.gov. Folic acid plays an essential role in the development of a baby's healthy brain and spine, and it can be challenging to get the 400 micrograms of folic acid your body needs every day from diet alone.
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