do you have to take prenatals while pregnant?
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The best reason to take prenatal vitamins is to protect your baby from defects of the brain and spine, like spina bifida. These defects develop in the first month of your baby's growth, before some women even know they're pregnant. So it's best to start prenatal vitamins before you try to get pregnant.
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Take Your Vitamins Doctors used to tell women to take folic acid as soon as they got pregnant. Now, experts suggest starting a prenatal vitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid before you try to have a baby. This important nutrient prevents spinal defects in growing babies.
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Take a prenatal. No, you're not pregnant yet — but taking a prenatal vitamin in the months leading up to conception can help prevent serious birth defects, preterm delivery, and — as a just-for-mom bonus — morning sickness.
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Because so much of a baby's development happens during the early weeks of pregnancy, it's important to start taking prenatal vitamins before you start trying to get pregnant—three months is a good rule of thumb.
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Depending on your diet, your physician or lactation consultant may recommend that you keep taking your prenatal vitamins as long as you breastfeed your baby.
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Even if you eat a super healthy diet, you still need prenatal vitamins. It takes a lot of vitamins and minerals to grow a baby! Prenatal vitamins give you extra amounts of these three key nutrients for pregnant women: Folic acid helps your baby's brain and spinal cord develop correctly.
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Prenatal vitamins are supplements that contain daily vitamins and minerals you need before and during your pregnancy. Folic acid is the most important vitamin to take when planning a pregnancy. Folic acid is a B vitamin that cells in your body need for growing and developing.
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It takes a lot of vitamins and minerals to grow a baby! Prenatal vitamins give you extra amounts of these three key nutrients for pregnant women: Folic acid helps your baby's brain and spinal cord develop correctly. This nutrient reduces the risk of serious birth defects called spina bifida and anencephaly.
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Before pregnancy, take a vitamin supplement that has 400 micrograms of folic acid in it every day. During pregnancy, take a prenatal vitamin that has 600 micrograms of folic acid in it every day. Take a vitamin supplement with folic acid every day, even if you're not trying to get pregnant.
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The takeaway. If you're considering taking prenatal vitamins and aren't pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive, evaluate your diet first. Most people who eat a balanced diet don't need to take a multivitamin.
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Whether or not you're pregnant, you should talk to your doctor before adding any prenatals or other supplements to your health routine. If there's any chance you could get pregnant soon, yes, experts do suggest taking some form of folic acid.
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There isn't a huge difference between prenatal and postnatal supplements. It is perfectly suitable to continue with the supplements that you took during pregnancy. Once the bottle empties, you can re-order the prenatals or switch to a postnatal supplement.
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Prescription Vitamins Prescription prenatal vitamins may be an option for you during your pregnancy; however, it's important to note that having a prescription is not a requirement.
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The bottom line Taking a prenatal vitamin is perfectly healthy for someone not looking to conceive. While it won't support fertility, it will replenish folic acid, iron, vitamin D, and calcium stores in the body. This can help keep you strong and prevent potential health complications in an unexpected pregnancy.
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But in general, avoid taking extra prenatal vitamins or multivitamins with dosing in excess of what you need on a daily basis. High doses of some vitamins may be harmful to your baby. For example, extra vitamin A during pregnancy can potentially cause harm to your baby.
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Prenatal vitamins consist of a variety of vitamins and minerals that help your baby get the nutrients that are essential for healthy development. During pregnancy, a woman's daily intake requirements for certain nutrients, such as folic acid (folate), calcium, and iron will increase.
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Whether or not you're pregnant, you should talk to your doctor before adding any prenatals or other supplements to your health routine. If there's any chance you could get pregnant soon, yes, experts do suggest taking some form of folic acid. If not, it's really up to you.