While many women may not consider prenatal vitamins important until they are actually pregnant, taking a prenatal ahead of time can help you get a jump start on your nutritional needs during pregnancy. In addition, many vital nutrients are important early on in pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. This can help you avoid certain birth-related complications.
Early Use of Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are not just for pregnant women: they are also for women who are trying to conceive. Many women do not meet their nutritional requirements in early pregnancy through diet alone, even if they eat healthy foods. By the time a woman knows she is pregnant, she may have already passed a few key developmental stages for which certain nutrients are important. Because of this, prenatal vitamins contain more folic acid, iron and calcium than the average woman needs.
Folic Acid for the Neural Tube
Perhaps the most important vitamin early on in pregnancy is folic acid. Women who get an average of at least 400 mcg of folic acid daily during the first months of their pregnancy greatly reduce the risk of their baby developing neural tube defects, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The neural tube later becomes the brain and spinal cord, but forms early in the first trimester, often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Folic acid is found naturally in fortified cereals and flour, as well as in leafy green vegetables. However, eating well alone may not give you the amount of folic acid you need daily to support the early development of her unborn child. While 400 mcg is the general minimum, the Cleveland Clinic recommends that moms-to-be take a prenatal vitamin with at least 800 mcg of folic acid.
Calcium for Baby's Bones
Calcium is another important nutrient early as well as throughout pregnancy. Developing babies need calcium in order to grow their own skeletal system. However, if they do not get enough from their mother's diet, they can still get the calcium they need -- from her bones. Consequently, women who are not taking a prenatal vitamin early on in pregnancy are at risk for losing bone density to their babies. The MayoClinic.com reports that calcium also helps a woman's circulation, nervous system and muscles function normally during pregnancy. The Cleveland Clinic recommends 200 to 300 mg of calcium daily for pregnant women.
Iron to Prevent Anemia
Women who do not get enough iron during their pregnancy are at risk for developing anemia. Early on in pregnancy, your body begins increasing its blood supply to support the developing baby. With increased blood supply comes an increased demand for iron, which helps carry oxygen through the blood. Taking a prenatal vitamin that contains iron can help prevent anemia during this critical time. The Cleveland Clinic recommends that pregnant women get 30 mg of iron a day.
Considerations for Women of Childbearing Age
Around half of all pregnancies were not planned, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Standard multivitamins alone do not meet the recommended daily requirements for pregnant women. For this reason, women of childbearing age who are not taking a prenatal vitamin should ensure that they are getting at least 400 mcg of folic acid daily, either through enriched foods or through a dietary supplement.
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