Prenatal Vitamins While Pregnant

Your diet while pregnant is even more important than ever. Everything you eat is also what your baby eats. To adequately nourish your growing baby, you need to ensure you get enough of all the important nutrients for pregnancy, including folic acid, iron and calcium. The American Pregnancy Association states these nutrients are essential for proper fetal growth and development. Taking prenatal vitamins can help ensure you're able to meet the nutrient needs of pregnancy.

Prenatal Vitamins

While a balanced diet may satisfy most of your nutrition needs during pregnancy, it may be hard to get enough of everything required to maintain a healthy pregnancy. That's where prenatal vitamins come in handy. Think of them as a nutritional insurance policy, recommends the Babycenter website. Prenatal vitamins are for women trying to conceive, as well as for consumption throughout pregnancy.

Nutrient Needs

While you aren't actually eating for two during pregnancy, your needs for certain nutrients do increase. The requirements for many vitamins and minerals -- including folic acid, calcium and iron -- increase during pregnancy, states the Cleveland Clinic. According to the American Pregnancy Association, 70 to 80 percent of women experience morning sickness, especially during the first trimester. Nausea and vomiting may interfere with the intake of an adequate diet. Prenatal vitamins can help fill in the gaps to ensure sufficient nutrient intake.

Types

You can choose prescription prenatal vitamins or over the counter prenatal vitamins, and one is not better than the other, as long as the prenatal vitamin you choose contains adequate amounts of certain nutrients. According to the Cleveland Clinic website, look for prenatal vitamins that contain at least 800 to 1000 mcg of folic acid, 400 IU of vitamin D, 200 to 300 mg calcium and 30 mg of iron. Prenatal vitamins should also include at least 70 mg of vitamin C, 10 mg of vitamin E and 2.6 mg of pyridoxine, which is vitamin B-6. Prenatal vitamins come as pills, capsules, chewable tablets, gummies, liquids and even powders. Choosing the right form of vitamin comes down to personal preference. Some factors to consider when choosing a prenatal vitamin in addition to nutrient content is how well you tolerate taking pills, what's available in your area and how much you want to spend. Your doctor can also help you make a decision about which prenatal vitamin best fits your particular needs and if the vitamin you choose contains adequate amounts important nutrients for pregnancy.

Considerations

Unfortunately, taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy makes some women nauseous. Try taking prenatal vitamins right before bedtime or with meals to reduce nausea. Switching brands or types of prenatal vitamins can also help. If you can't find a prenatal vitamin you can tolerate, talk to your doctor for recommendations.