Prenatal vitamins are designed for women who are pregnant. They are multivitamins formulated with an abundance of certain nutrients that are very important for an unborn baby. Your health-care provider may recommend that you start taking prenatal vitamins before you become pregnant. But do not begin taking a prenatal vitamin on your own. Get his go-ahead first.
Special Nutrients
Although prenatal vitamins are nothing more than a multivitamin, they do contain higher amounts of folic acid, iron and calcium than ordinary vitamins have. Calcium is important during pregnancy. If you don't get enough calcium, your unborn baby will deplete your supply to get what he needs. Getting an adequate amount of iron is also important during pregnancy because of the increase in red blood-cell production. Folic acid helps prevent certain birth defects.
Why You Don't Need Prenatal Vitamins
If you're not pregnant or planning to become pregnant, there is no need for prenatal vitamins. The extra iron, calcium and folic acid could produce side effects because there's no unborn baby using the additional amounts. The extra iron can make even pregnant women feel queasy. If you're not pregnant, you could feel much sicker and perhaps even overdose. Likewise, too much calcium can make you feel queasy. Too much folic acid, meanwhile, can cause tingling, tongue and mouth pain, confusion and fatigue.
Why You Might Need Prenatal Vitamins
You should get a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals from your diet, but if you're planning to become pregnant, your health-care provider may recommend prenatal vitamins. Folic acid --- even before pregnancy --- can significantly reduce birth defects, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA reports that approximately 2,500 neurological birth defects occur each year in the United States, and about half of them could have been prevented if the mother had received adequate folic acid. It's imperative that you start getting enough folic acid before you become pregnant. Folic acid is absorbed into your blood; making sure that your blood has a rich supply of folic acid when you become pregnant will help ensure your baby has the best start. Neural tube defects such as spina bifida develop 18 to 30 days after the time of conception, according to the FDA. This is often before a women know they're pregnant.
Considerations
If you want to start a family soon, ask your health-care provider if and when you should begin taking prenatal vitamins. He may recommend that you start taking a prenatal vitamin or folic acid supplements three months before conceiving. If becoming pregnant isn't in your plans, and you just want to be healthy, talk with your doctor about the multivitamins that you should be taking. He is in the best position to advise you.
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