Best Prenatal Vitamins! - Healthy Mama Hacks

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Are you taking a prenatal vitamin that is sourced from real food?

…or is your prenatal made from synthetically, “factory-created” vitamins?

In this post, I am going to discuss the difference.

I also hope to help you choose vitamins that will provide your body and baby with optimal nutrition!

Keep reading to get the scoop…

Is your prenatal vitamin food-based or synthetic?

Why Prenatal Vitamins?

Prenatal vitamins have become the standard in good prenatal care. Why?

Because good nutrition in pregnancy and lactation is so very important!

So much so that your doctor or midwife will stress the importance of a prenatal vitamin during your pregnancy as well as during lactation.

In a perfect world, we should be getting all our nutrition from the food we eat.

But, in our modern world, that is not often the case.

There are several reasons for this: busy lifestyles, highly processed food, lack of nutritional education and nutrient-depleted soil to name a few.

Unless you are super diligent about your diet, you absolutely need to supplement with high-quality prenatal vitamins.

But, remember… not all prenatal vitamins are the same!

This post is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to take the place of professional medical or nutritional advice. If you are pregnant or nursing, please seek the advice of a healthcare professional before deciding on the prenatal supplements that are best for you!

Start with a Nutrient-Dense Diet!

Before considering prenatal supplements, let’s discuss the importance of a nutrient-dense diet.

All the best supplements in the world cannot take the place of a healthy real food, nutrient-dense diet!

Focus your pregnancy and breastfeeding diet on high quality protein. Examples include grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and eggs, wild-caught, sustainable fish, as well as organ meat from grass-fed animals.

Next load up on plenty of healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocados, olive oil and nuts. If you are not familiar with the importance of good fats in your diet, read this post!

Another awesome nutrient-dense food that I highly recommend is bone broth. This is such an amazing super food that you simply must include in your pregnancy/lactation diet!

Read about the many benefits of bone broth here.

Finally, don’t forget your veggies!

Green vegetables are high in folate, an essential prenatal nutrient. Vegetables also contain many other essential nutrients that your developing baby needs.

In addition, the fiber will ward off constipation, a common pregnancy ailment that is easily prevented!

Pro-tip: Try fermented veggies! Super charge your pregnancy diet with these amazing fermented super-foods! Learn more here.

How to Choose the Best Prenatal Vitamins

Just because the label says “prenatal vitamins” does not mean it’s natural or even healthy!

Many popular brands are merely synthetic, “factory-created” vitamins, not naturally occurring nutrients from food.

Research has shown that synthetic forms of vitamins are very different than natural food-sourced vitamins.

Food-based vitamins are more easily recognized and absorbed by the body whereas synthetic vitamins react very differently in the body. They also have been shown to be nutritionally inferior to natural vitamins. (source)

Synthetic vitamins are also linked to such problems as digestive issues, kidney stones, toxicity, and more. In addition, women who suffer from prenatal constipation or nausea, often see significant improvement after switching to a food-based prenatal!

Please note that food-based prenatal vitamins are more expensive than synthetic vitamins. But, they are well worth the investment!

You may also notice on the labels that nutritional values are lower with food-based supplements compared to synthetic prenatals.

This is because requirements for natural vitamins are also lower, since they are more absorbable.

The high levels required for synthetic vitamins are not necessary or beneficial.

Best Food-Based Prenatal Vitamins

Here are my top three picks for a food-based, prenatal vitamin:

I am providing three options because everyone’s needs are different!

They each offer different pros and cons. For example, some have herbs or probiotics added in. Some may be higher or lower in iron, etc.

Consider your dietary needs when choosing the best option for you.

Also note the specific dosage for each brand.

Some prenatal vitamins require that you take more pills per day. The advantage of this is that it can be easier on digestion to spread out dosage over the whole day. If you experience constipation or nausea, consider this option.

You can’t go wrong with any of these brands:

Mega-Food Baby & Me Prenatal Vitamins

Seeking Health Optimal Prenatal

Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Multivitamin

They are all really great products that I feel good about recommending.

Whichever brand you choose, make sure that you are avoiding fake, processed foods and making healthy, real food choices.

Your health and the health of your new baby depends on it! 🙂

Other Pregnancy Tips and Resources!

Consider learning more about the benefits of raspberry leaf tea during your pregnancy.

Check out my post here on why I recommend red raspberry leaf tea during pregnancy.

Do you need to decide about a Childbirth Class soon? What is the best childbirth class option for you? I have written a post to help you decide. Check out the post here.

Did you know that there is new research which shows that eating dates during your last trimester of pregnancy may help you have an easier childbirth?

Yup! It’s absolutely true.

FREE Pregnancy Planning Resources for Your New Baby!

If you are pregnant, this is the time to begin planning for your new baby’s arrival!

What do you include on your baby registry checklist?
How do you write a birth plan?
How do you hire a doula?
Who will be helping you during your recovery time?
What should you include in your postpartum plan?
How about a newborn care plan?
How do you set up a meal train?
What are some easy freezer meals to make ahead?
What should you pack in your hospital bag?

These are just a sampling of the kind of planning you will need to do!

But don’t get overwhelmed!

The work of planning isn’t really so bad because I have compiled some great FREE resources for you HERE

Download these free worksheets and email courses to get you started with all your planning needs!

Planning for Postpartum FREE Email Course and Postpartum Planning Worksheets

This 5-Day FREE email mini-course will help you get started on planning and organizing for your new baby and the 3rd Trimester.

The course is written by a certified postpartum doula and designed to help you get organized with confidence.

Lots of FREE downloadable freebies included: planners, worksheets, shopping lists, etc!

How to Write a Newborn Care Plan

Many new parents don’t know about the importance of a newborn care plan.

If you are planning a hospital birth, this plan walks you through all the important decisions you will need to make regarding the care of your new baby.

The Nesting Planner –Ultimate Pregnancy Planner!

Another great pregnancy planning resource….

Although not free, this affordable planner is one that I want to bring to your attention.

As a postpartum doula, I am VERY excited to recommend this great planning resource!

Why? Because I have witnessed so many new moms who are not prepared for their postpartum recovery and consequently have a much more difficult time recovering and adjusting to motherhood.

The Nesting Planner is a complete planner for pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, breastfeeding and newborn care.

It is loaded with printable checklists, worksheets and other planning tools.

It will help you get organized and stay on track throughout your entire pregnancy.

You will never miss a step with monthly checklists and reminders that easily itemize what must be done before the big day!

Check out the Nesting Planner here.