Prenatal women need sufficient nutrients to both care for themselves and ensure the health of their child. The United States Department of Agriculture and the National Academies of Science have developed daily recommended vitamins for all people, including special categories for pregnant and lactating women.
Vitamins
A vitamin is an organic compound produced by plants or animals. The USDA makes nutrient recommendations for 18 key vitamins and minerals based on a person's age, sex and whether the person is pregnant or lactating. A pregnant woman needs all the nutrients a non-pregnant woman needs. Ten are important, including calcium vitamins D and E, as well as higher amounts of vitamins A, C, B-6, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and B-12.
Minerals
A mineral, unlike a vitamin, is an inorganic element that plants or animals ingest or absorb through the environment around them. The USDA recommends that pregnant women, when compared to non-pregnant women of the same age, need higher levels of copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, molybdenum, selenium and zinc. Many of these minerals, such as selenium, are considered trace elements, meaning women need only small amounts of them. For example, the USDA recommends that pregnant women between 19 and 30 ingest 49 mcg of selenium per day, as opposed to 70 mg of vitamin C.
Sources
Pregnant women can often receive enough vitamins and nutrients through a properly balanced diet. However, many women take prenatal vitamins as directed by their physicians. Because dietary supplements do not have to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, pregnant women should always consult with their physicians before taking a vitamin supplement.
Use
The Mayo Clinic reports that pregnant women should take prenatal vitamins throughout their entire pregnancy. You should take them with water or juice instead of milk or soft drinks. Women who experience nausea when taking the vitamins can take the supplements at night or with food, or can chew on gum or hard candy immediately after taking the vitamin. Women who experience constipation when taking vitamins can drink more water, eat more fiber, get more exercise or consult a physician about taking a stool softener.
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