27 mg Iron
To support a healthy birth weight and proper brain and nervous system development, you’ll need to take more than the recommended 18 mg of iron each day. During pregnancy, up your intake to at least 27 mg per day. This is generally difficult to do with food alone. So, look for prenatal vitamins that contain this minimum amount to help supplement your intake.
15 mcg Vitamin D
Many women struggle to get enough vitamin D, especially during the more overcast seasons.
However, this vitamin is essential for maintaining bone health and promoting proper fetal skeleton development.
Taking a prenatal vitamin containing at least 15 mcg of vitamin D may also prevent preeclampsia, which often leads to smaller or premature babies and can result in fetal death in some cases.
1,000 mg Calcium
During your third trimester, your unborn child will rely on increased calcium intake to build strong bones and teeth. Plus, your own body relies on calcium to support your own bones. Failing to get enough on a daily basis may put you at a higher risk for bone loss during your pregnancy. Therefore, if you don’t consume enough calcium through food intake, you should look for a multivitamin with a few hundred milligrams of calcium or take an additional calcium supplement.
200 mg DHA
Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, is an omega-3 fatty acid that can reduce your baby’s chances of preterm birth, low birth weight and childhood allergies. It also supports proper neurodevelopment in your child, even after they’re born.
While many prenatal vitamins now contain DHA, they usually contain less than the minimum recommended amount of 200 mg.
Thus, you may have to take a separate DHA supplement in addition to your prenatal vitamin.
Don’t Overdo It
When it comes to vitamins, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. If you ingest more than the recommended amount, you may poison yourself and your unborn child. However, this is difficult to do if you’re only taking a single prenatal vitamin each day. Therefore, it’s best to pick one that meets all the above requirements and stick with it. Otherwise, you may be doing more harm than good.
Emily is the editor of Conservation Folks and a sustainability and conservation blogger. Follow her on Twitter to see the latest updates.
