What Is a Good Prenatal Vitamin?

What Is a Good Prenatal Vitamin?
Photo Credit Pregnant woman Illustration image by Leo Blanchette from Fotolia.com

Pregnancy and breast feeding make demands of your body that prenatal vitamins are designed to support. When you choose a prenatal vitamin, it is usually before or during pregnancy and you may continue taking it while you're breast feeding. This vitamin will be with you for a very long time and is crucial to the development of your baby and the health of your body.

Toxins

The last thing you want your baby to be exposed to while in the womb or feeding at your breast are toxins. Unfortunately, a lot of vitamins contain toxins, including prenatal vitamins. Regulations are in place, but some prenatal vitamin companies have exceeded the limits for levels of lead. Make sure you check for prenatal vitamins that contain no more than 0.2 mcg of lead per day.

Liquid

If you hate to swallow pills or are having a particularly difficult time swallowing vitamins during your pregnancy, liquid vitamins are available. Liquid vitamins can make the task of taking a vitamin much easier, especially during a sensitive time such as pregnancy. While reviewers have stated that they typically don't taste great, liquid prenatal vitamins will go down smoothly compared to a pill.

Price

Money may be a concern for you since you will most likely take these vitamins for at least a year. Some store brand prenatal vitamins cost less than name brand products. If your finances are challenged, choose one of these cheaper vitamins to make sure that you stick with your prenatal vitamin.

Digestion

Many vitamins should be taken with food to minimize nausea. This can be a problem when you're pregnant because you may not be hungry or may not have predictable meals. Also, you may be extra sensitive to the nausea that some vitamins can cause. The best prenatal vitamins for these situations are whole foods vitamins, which are vitamins made out of real food. They can be taken on an empty stomach and are very easy to digest.

References

Article reviewed by David Fisher Last updated on: Mar 17, 2011

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