During pregnancy, your baby receives all the vitamins from you so it is more important to supplement with prenatal vitamins during your pregnancy than you would normally.
Prenatal multivitamins are supplements containing multivitamins for pregnant women or for those trying to conceive. It is essential that you take a prenatal vitamin supplement every day during your pregnancy or a few months before if you are trying to conceive.
A prenatal vitamin contains all the vitamins that you require throughout your pregnancy and whilst you need many vitamins and minerals, there are six important vitamins during pregnancy which include folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, iodine and an essential fatty acid called DHA.
Folic acid is a B- vitamin that when taken before and during pregnancy may prevent neural tube defects and birth defects. Ensure your prenatal supplement provides a minimum of 400mcg of folic acid for daily use.
Iron is a mineral that is used to make haemoglobin, the oxygen carrier in blood. During pregnancy, your body requires more iron to carry oxygen to the baby and also the baby requires iron to make its own blood so the demands for iron are far greater than normally.
Calcium is a mineral that is required for the development of your baby’s bones, teeth and for optimal function of muscles and nerves.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and additionally supports your immune system.
Iodine is a mineral that is important for the development of the nervous system including the brain, nerves and the spinal cord.
DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that is required for the development of the brain and eyes. It usually needs to be taken separately to your prenatal multivitamin.
