Interestingly, prenatal vitamins date back to the early 1970s, when vitamin companies started adding folic acid to their multivitamins and then marketing them specifically to pregnant women. Research on the effects of folate deficiency and birth defects predates that with research published as early as the 1950s. Transparency and confirmation are important factors in choosing the right brand of vitamin. This means the vitamin should list all of its ingredients and the doses on its label. Additionally, vitamin brands that are third-party tested ensure that an independent company has tested the vitamin and that it contains what it states and does not have any undeclared ingredients. Taking a prenatal with foods and drinks high in vitamin C, like orange juice, can improve the absorption of the iron and cause less constipation. I often suggest that to reduce the nausea side effect of prenatals they should be taken at night before bed. This has been successful for many of my pregnant clients. The daily recommended dose of iron during pregnancy is 27 mg, where for nonpregnant women it is 18 mg—a pretty significant difference! So it’s important to balance out the side effects of iron if your body seems to be having a hard time with the adjustment. If you’re wondering whether you should have a “natural birth,” read this first.
