During pregnancy, a prenatal vitamin is essential to ensure the health of both mother and baby. Prenatal vitamins are available by prescription from your doctor or they can be purchased over the counter at most drugstores and pharmacies. Choosing which prenatal vitamin to take is ultimately a personal choice, but you should discuss any special circumstances or concerns with your doctor before making a final decision.
Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins contain most of the essential vitamins and minerals a pregnant woman needs to support the proper growth and development of her baby. Because a pregnant woman needs more folic acid, calcium and iron than women who aren't pregnant, prenatal vitamins contain higher amounts of these nutrients than a normal multivitamin. Prenatal vitamins may contain less vitamin A than multivitamins designed for women who are not pregnant since vitamin A can harm the developing baby when taken in high doses.
Types
For women without any pregnancy complications who simply need a standard prenatal vitamin, over-the-counter brands should work fine and can be cheaper than prescription varieties. Prescription brands tend to be higher in folic acid, containing 1,000mcg instead of the 400 to 800mcg typically found in over-the-counter varieties. Some prescription versions may be higher in iron or the B vitamins as well.
Considerations
The high iron content in some prescription brands brings on severe morning sickness in some women. A prescription or over-the-counter brand without iron or with a low-iron dose may work better for these women. Over-the-counter versions may also be a better option for women who may be trying to conceive or are newly pregnant but haven't seen a doctor yet, since starting prenatals as soon as possible in the pregnancy is better than waiting until you have a chance to get a prescription.
Special Circumstances
In some circumstances, a prescription prenatal vitamin is a necessity. Women who have had a previous child with a neural tube defect should take a prenatal vitamin with extremely high levels of folic acid and may need to take separate folic acid supplements. According to the March of Dimes, taking 4,000mcg of folic acid daily can reduce the risk of having a second baby with a neural tube defect by up to 70 percent. Women who develop anemia during pregnancy may need a prescription prenatal with a higher dose of iron than over-the-counter supplements can provide.
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