When a woman finds she's pregnant, generally one of the first questions she has is how to eat for a healthy pregnancy. Developing babies need high-quality nutrients in the form of carbohydrates, proteins and fat, but they also need vitamins and minerals. Pregnant women need vitamins and minerals to support their changing bodies. Prenatal vitamins can help women meet these requirements.
Significance
There are several reasons women benefit from prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. First, between family and work commitments, it can be hard to find the time to prepare balanced meals. Prenatal vitamins help pregnant women ensure they're getting the micronutrients -- vitamins and minerals -- they need. Additionally, there are some special vitamins that developing babies need in higher concentrations than healthy adults. Finally, as a pregnant woman's body changes, she needs some vitamins in excess of what most healthy diets provide.
Features
Most prenatal vitamins include 800mcg to 1,000mcg folic acid, which is very important to a developing baby -- particularly during the first few months of pregnancy. In his book "What You Didn't Think To Ask Your Obstetrician," Dr. Raymond Poliakin says folic acid protects developing babies from neural tube defects, and most women don't get enough in their normal diet to have a protective effect. Prenatals also include extra vitamin C to boost the immune system, and plenty of vitamins D and A for calcium uptake and vision.
Function
Many prenatal vitamins have high doses of iron, says Dr. Miriam Stoppard in her book "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth." This is because a pregnant woman's blood volume increases significantly during the third and fourth month of pregnancy, leaving her with much more blood than she had before and a greater ability to supply nutrients and oxygen to her baby. Building those extra red blood cells requires lots of iron, however, and prenatal vitamins supply it when diet often doesn't provide enough.
Considerations
Sometimes, prenatal vitamins can leave women feeling queasy -- particularly during the early months of pregnancy when morning sickness is at its worst. Despite this unpleasant side effect, Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz say in their book "You: Having A Baby" that it's important for women to take their prenatals to help ensure adequate nutrition. The doctors recommend breaking a prenatal in half or even in quarters and spreading the dose throughout the day to reduce queasiness.
Expert Insight
Calcium is important to pregnant women, because babies need calcium to build strong bones. Many obstetricians recommend that pregnant women take a calcium supplement, Dr. Poliakin explains. However, it's rare for prenatal vitamins to include much calcium because they have so much iron. The body has trouble absorbing iron and calcium at the same time, so it's best to take a separate calcium supplement at a different time of day, well removed from a prenatal supplement.
References
- "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth"; Miriam Stoppard, M.D.; 2008
- "What You Didn't Think to Ask Your Obstetrician"; Raymond Poliakin, M.D.; 2007
- "You: Having A Baby"; Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.; 2009
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