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What’s in a Prenatal Vitamin? Do I Really Need to Take One?

Marcie Jones Leave a Comment

If you can eat a diet that’s a well-balanced variety of unprocessed or minimally processed foods every day you don’t need to take a prenatal vitamin supplement at all. But not everyone had access to nutritious food on a daily basis, which is why it’s worth considering taking vitamin for nutritional insurance. And even if you do take a prenatal vitamin, you should still try to get most of nutrition from your food, because your body absorbs nutrients from foods more efficiently than from pills, and also needs macronutrients (like protein, fiber and carbohydrates) and lesser-known nutrients rarely found in vitamin supplements. Most prenatals don’t contain much calcium, for instance, because it can inhibit the absorption of other nutrients.

If your prenatal is making you nauseated to the point of not being able to eat and/or digest a balanced diet, you may want to first try a different vitamin—sometimes two childrens’ chewables with iron, taken twice a day, are plenty. Vitamins also now come in the form of gummy candy, drink powder and even chocolate chews.

For reference, here’s a chart of the recommended daily allowances (RDAs) of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals:

NutrientRDA/Upper Limit
Carbohydrates160‒406 grams
Fiber28 grams, 29 while breastfeeding
ProteinAbout 60‒100 grams per day, plus 25 more if you’re expecting multiples
WaterAbout 3 liters
Calcium1,000‒1,200 mg (1-1.2 g), no more than 2,500 mg
Choline450 mg, 550 mg while breastfeeding, no more than 3,500 mg (3.5 g) per day.
Chromium29‒30 mcg during pregnancy, 44‒45 while breastfeeding, no more than 1.6 mg per day
Copper1,000 mcg, 1,300 while breastfeeding (1 – 1.3 mg)
Fluoride3.0 mg, no more than 10 mg per day
Iodine220 mcg, no more than 1,100 mcg per day
Iron27-30 mg, no more than 45 mg per day
Manganese2.6 mg, no more than 11 mg per day
Magnesium360-400 mg, no more than 350 mg per day from supplements
Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA, EPA, DHA)300‒1,000 mg, no more than 3,000 grams per day
Pantothenic Acid6 mg no determined upper limit
Selenium65 mcg, no more than 400 mg per day
Vitamin A770 mcg during pregnancy, 1,300 mcg while breastfeeding, no more than 8,000 mcg (2,500 IU) per day (try to get most vitamin A in the form of beta carotene)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)1.4 mg, no determined upper limit
Riboflavin (B2)1.6 mg, no determined upper limit
Niacin (B3)18 mg, no more than 35 mg per day
Vitamin B62.2 mg, no more than 100 mg per day
Vitamin B7 (Biotin)30 mcg, 35 mcg while breastfeeding, no determined upper limit
Vitamin B9 (aka Folic Acid)600 mcg – 1,000‒5,000 for women who have had a fetus or infant with a neural tube defect.
Vitamin B122.2 mcg, no determined upper limit
Vitamin C60‒300 mg, no more than 2,000 mg per day
Vitamin D5 mcg (200 IU), no more than 2,000 IU per day
Vitamin E15 mg (22.5 IU), no more than 1,000 mg (1 g) per day
Vitamin K65‒90 mcg, depending on age, no determined upper limit
Zinc8‒13 mg, no more than 40 mg per day

More from my site

  • Calcium And Pregnancy: How Much And What Kind?Calcium And Pregnancy: How Much And What Kind?
  • What Vitamins and Minerals Does Your Body Need During Pregnancy?What Vitamins and Minerals Does Your Body Need During Pregnancy?
  • Fiber: Your Pregnancy Best FriendFiber: Your Pregnancy Best Friend
  • Potassium and Pregnancy: the Benefits are Bananas!Potassium and Pregnancy: the Benefits are Bananas!
  • Magnesium and Pregnancy: How Much Do You Need?Magnesium and Pregnancy: How Much Do You Need?
  • The Truth About TurmericThe Truth About Turmeric

Filed Under: Nutrition, Pregnancy (general) Tagged With: Nutrition, vitamins, minerals, macronutrients

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