Prenatal Vitamins: Ingredients Matter!

One of the first questions asked at a prenatal visit your provider is usually "Are you taking a prenatal vitamin?" and hopefully your response is "YES!". Although a diet full of healthy, whole-foods is the best way to get your vitamins and minerals (especially for the growing baby inside of you), it's not always possible to get everything you (and baby) need(s) from diet alone. With that being said, vitamins should be taken in addition to consuming a healthy diet, NOT as a replacement to one.

We've spent HOURS researching prenatal vitamins before we became mommas and want to share our findings with you. Before we dive too deep, let's review some basics.

Prenatal Vitamin Basics: 

A great time to start taking a prenatal vitamin is BEFORE you get pregnant. We realize that a lot of pregnancies aren't planned, therefore this can't always be possible. A nurse practitioner colleague of ours advises all females of reproductive age to take prenatal vitamins, since there isn't harm in taking them in a non-pregnant state and critical periods of fetal development occur very early in gestation (before most women know they are pregnant!). Critical periods of development are times in which certain body parts are very sensitive to damages from harmful exposures. A great source for more on critical periods of development can be found here. Taking a prenatal vitamin prior to pregnancy can help a developing fetus during these critical periods. Also, if you're planning on breastfeeding, it's a good idea to continue to take your prenatal until you stop breastfeeding.

Another great thing to remember with prenatal vitamins (or any vitamins/supplements) is that they need to be taken regularly! Taking them once every 2 or 3 days is not going to do much for you. A great way to remember is to set up a pill box or set a reminder on your phone.

Finding the Perfect Prenatal: 

Did you know that since vitamins are considered supplements they aren't regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)? The FDA does not have to inspect or approve ANY vitamins sold in the United States. Well that's unsettling... That leaves it up to YOU as the consumer to do the research on what exactly you're putting in your body, which is especially important when you're growing a baby! (side note: We are not the biggest fans of the FDA anyway, and think that their "regulations" are lacking, but that's for a different blog post on a different day).

In our quest for the perfect prenatal vitamin, we were SHOCKED at some of the ingredients in vitamins on the market, some of which we would never put in our bodies, let alone the body of a tiny, developing baby. Here are some things to look for and avoid while searching for your prenatal vitamins:

AVOID vitamins with artificial dyes in them. A popular prenatal vitamin, Bayer Women's 1-a-Day Prenatal, has FD&C Blue #1 and FD&C Red #40. Another prenatal vitamin, from (our beloved) Target brand Up & Up has FD&C Yellow 6 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Blue 2 Aluminum Lake, & FD&C Red 40 Aluminum Lake. Yikes! Artificial dyes have been shown to affect children the worst and can cause sleep disturbances, hyperactivity, allergies, learning delays, irritability and restlessness.--NOT something that belongs in the body of a woman growing a baby! Red #40 (made from COAL TARS) and yellow #6 are known carcinogens. Yes, you read that right--prenatal vitamins on the market with carcinogens in them. It makes us sick! FYI, the "FD&C" label attached to these artificial dyes indicate that they are approved for use in food, drugs, and cosmetics by the FDA. See why we have a problem with their "regulations"?

LOOK FOR vitamins made from WHOLE FOODS! The drugstore is full of vitamins with standard synthetic ingredients, which are nutritionally inferior to vitamins derived from whole foods. Synthetic vitamins can cause problems, especially synthetic vitamin E, which has been linked to DNA damage and congenital heart defects in babies born to women taking large doses. Food-based vitamins are also more gentle on the body for digestion and absorption because they are not derived from isolated vitamins (nausea is a common side effect of synthetic prenatal vitamins). One downside is that vitamins derived from whole foods tend to be more expensive.

LOOK FOR a vitamin with folate instead of folic acid. Folate and folic acid are often used interchangeably as they both refer to Vitamin B9. Folic acid is the synthetic version of the vitamin and folate is the natural version. Leafy, green vegetables are the best source of folate. Unlike folate, a majority of folic acid is not converted to the active form of vitamin B9 (5-MTHF) to be absorbed by the body. Folic acid is slow and inefficient in comparison. Bottom line: since the body doesn't metabolize folic acid well, it can build up in the bloodstream.

While we're on the topic of folic acid, LOOK FOR a prenatal vitamin that has 400 mcg of folic acid or folate. You should also aim to get 30 mg of iron per day during pregnancy.

AVOID vitamins with soybean oil or hydrogenated oils. Unless soybean oil is organic, you can almost always guarantee that it is genetically modified. Hydrogenated oils also contain trans fats which are toxic.

If your vitamins contain EFAs (essential fatty acids) from fish, LOOK FOR reputable sourcing. Many contain lead, mercury and other toxic metal contaminants. LOOK FOR a label that includes the phrase "molecularly distilled and 3rd party tested to ensure PCBs, toxins, mercury, lead and other contaminants are below acceptable limits set by the Council for Responsible Nutrition and other advisory agencies"--or something similar.

AVOID vitamins with titanium dioxide in the ingredient list. This harmful substance is used as a colorant (and is also in many cosmetics). A few of the many nasty effects of titanium dioxide include lung inflammation and damage, decreased immune system function, DNA damage, kidney damage, and inflammation of the small intestine. Yikes.

There are generally four types of "brands" of prenatal vitamins: prescription brands, drug store brands, health market brands and professional brands. The two types of brands with the most dangerous and questionable ingredients are usually drug store brands and prescription brands. You read that right... the prescription that you get from your provider may not be as safe as you think it is. Read the label!

Other Considerations:

-A high intake of iron + pregnancy can cause constipation. If this is something you are sensitive to, look for a vitamin with the chelated form of iron.

-If you know that you have a MTHFR mutation (which makes it difficult for your body to convert folic acid and even folate into the usable form of the vitamin), make sure you find a vitamin with methylated folate.

-DHA is very important in pregnancy. This is something we recommend taking in addition to a prenatal vitamin if yours doesn't contain any. Look for a separate, future post on DHA supplement reviews and recommendations!

Our Recommendations: 

Keep in mind that some prenatal vitamins might not interact well with your body. If one brand doesn't make sit well with you, try another. Finding the perfect prenatal might take some shopping around. Here are some great potential prenatal vitamin options to consider:

Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal--This whole foods vitamin non-GMO, organic, vegan, gluten-free vitamin consists of 23 fruits and vegetables and they use no high heat or synthetic binders for processing. Bonus: there is ginger in this vitamin which can help alleviate morning sickness. This is the vitamin Kate personally takes and she has been happy with it! We like that it also has probiotics in it.

Megafood Baby & Me--The whole foods in this prenatal are sourced from organic, non-GMO farms. They also boast on their site that this can be taken any time of day, even on an empty stomach. We love that this vitamin also contains an herb blend!

 


Rainbow Light Prenatal--This whole-foods vitamin is great because it has the most iron in it of any on our list and you only need to take it once daily! This vitamin is also non-GMO and contains ginger and probiotics. The downside to this vitamin is that it has folic acid, instead of folate.

Take the time, expense and effort to fuel your body with healthy foods and supplements now. Your body (& your baby) will thank you for it!

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We would love to help you review your current prenatal or help you to find a new one.

**Make sure you talk with your provider before adding any vitamin or supplement to your regimen.
*We are not sponsored by any companies or products listed above