Pregnancy Prenatal Vitamins for Optimal Fetal Development

I started taking prenatal vitamins a month before we conceived. It’s a good idea to start taking them months before you conceive to get your body ready for optimal fetal development. Garden of Life Raw Prenatal and New Chapter’s Perfect Prenatal are great organic/non GMO prenatal options. As good as they are, they aren’t  100% complete in providing essential minerals for many expecting moms. They lack many nutrients needed to grow a healthy baby that you can get from eating a healthy diet, but I wanted to be sure that I was getting everything needed for baby and I on the daily. So in addition to my daily prenatal vitamin I also take  also take the following supplements.

DHA ( Omega 3)

DHA is pretty much “brain food” for baby.  DHA plays a vital role in healthy visual development and may reduce baby’s risk of asthma and allergies.  A new research  found that taking 600 mg each day during the last half of pregnancy resulted in longer gestation, bigger babies, and fewer preterm births. It also prevents against postpartum depression.

If you are looking to add DHA to your diet, try fatty fishes like salmon and tuna or hemp seeds and chia seeds. I don’t eat these every day so taking the supplement just gives me piece of mind knowing that i’m always getting a good amount of DHA daily.

Choline

Another nutrient not found at all in both of the prenatal vitamins that’s also important for the development of a healthy fetus is Choline. Although the body makes some Choline on its own, the amount you need during pregnancy is much higher.

Choline helps the baby’s brain cells to develop and function normally and protects against birth defects like spina bifida.  Some studies have shown that it can also improve a baby’s IQ and protect them from other mental problems like depression and schizophrenia.

The recommended amount during pregnancy is 450 mg per day and 550 mg when breastfeeding.  You can meet those requirements if you regularly eat eggs, meat, or fish. I take this supplement because eating meat everyday for me can be a challenge.

Calcium

Calcium helps with baby growth and production of breast milk. Both of the prenatals have significantly low amounts of calcium in them compared to what the required amount for pregnant women is. During the third trimester especially is when the need for calcium goes up when the baby’s skeleton is rapidly developing. Pregnant or nursing women require 1,200 to 1,400 milligrams a day of calcium. You can can it in many foods like yogurt, milk, cheddar cheese, juices, bread, cereals, and dark green leafy vegetables. I’m not going to lie some days I eat like total crap because i’m so tired from all the growing my lil one is doing so taking this supplement is just so easy to do.

Iron

Both of the prenatal vitamins mentioned don’t have enough iron in them for me due to my health history with having anemia. So I take these as an additional iron supplement to prevent my Iron levels from dipping and knowing that anemia is also a common issue in pregnancy.

I hope this was helpful to you in your pregnancy and your beautiful baby’s development. Of course please speak with your OB-GYN or  midwife to see what is best for you. May your pregnancy be a peaceful and blissful journey!

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