Nearly all women can benefit from taking a prenatal vitamin during pregnancy and sometimes while breastfeeding. In addition to proper nutrition through your diet, prenatal vitamins can provide the extra vitamins and minerals that your body needs while supporting a growing baby. If you're concerned about your nutrition during pregnancy or about taking prenatal vitamins, consult your doctor.
Identification
A wide variety of prenatal vitamin brands are available, either over the counter or by prescription. Common brand names of prenatal multivitamin supplements include PreCare, One A Day Women's Prenatal, Cal-Nate, Duet and many others, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. These prenatal supplements contain the essential vitamins and minerals that your body requires on a daily basis, along with larger amounts of certain nutrients like iron, calcium and folic acid. Although most prenatal multivitamin supplements come in the common forms of tablets or capsules, some are available as powders and mouth sprays, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Function
Prenatal vitamin supplements are designed to provide the extra amounts of vitamins and minerals specifically needed during pregnancy, explains the University of Michigan Health System. During pregnancy, your body demands larger quantities of certain nutrients, and taking a multivitamin-mineral supplement is often necessary in addition to a healthy, nutrient-rich diet. In particular, the increased blood volume created during pregnancy typically causes your body to require more iron and your growing baby requires more calcium, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Significance
Prenatal vitamins also provide extra folic acid, which is essential to preventing birth defects--especially during the first trimester of pregnancy, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The extra iron in prenatal multivitamin supplements is important because you need about three times the normal amount of this mineral during pregnancy. The extra calcium provided by a prenatal supplement supports the health of both the mother's and developing baby's bones, teeth, circulatory systems, muscles and nervous systems, MayoClinic.com notes. Taking prenatal vitamins can also help support your baby's overall growth and size, as well as decrease the risk of low birth weight.
Effects
As many women know, prenatal vitamins can cause certain side effects that are usually more annoying than serious. While taking prenatal supplements, you might experience nausea, vomiting and constipation, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In addition to constipation, the large iron content in prenatal vitamins can cause dark-colored stools, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. You could also experience headaches, stomach upset or a bad taste in your mouth from prenatal vitamins. If you experience difficulty breathing, hives or swelling of your face, these are signs of an allergic reaction and you should seek emergency medical attention immediately, warns the University of Michigan Health System.
Warning
Although prenatal vitamin supplements are generally considered safe, they can pose certain risks for some people. If you have kidney stones or kidney disease, or if you have pernicious anemia or other related blood disorders, certain types of prenatal vitamins may be unsafe, cautions the University of Maryland Medical Center. Also, keep in mind that taking large amounts of iron can cause toxicity, so keep your prenatal vitamins out of the reach of children. Don't take any other multivitamin while you're taking a prenatal supplement, unless your doctor directs you to do so. One of the most serious dangers of taking prenatal vitamins is an accidental overdose, particularly of vitamins A, D, E and K, which can cause potentially life-threatening complications for both you and your unborn baby, warns the University of Michigan Health System. Therefore, you should take only the vitamin dosage recommended by your physician. Also, take your prenatal vitamin with a full glass of water but not with milk or calcium supplements to prevent absorption problems. Prenatal vitamins can also interact negatively with certain medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs--NSAIDs, diuretics, tretinoin and isotretinoin, sulfa drugs and trimethoprim, and drugs for treating blood-pressure or heart conditions.
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