Whether you’ve just found out you’re pregnant, or you’re trying to get there, health during pregnancy can be a minefield.
Between the foods we’re recommended not to eat (soft cheese and sushi, anyone?), nausea and aversions that can accompany early pregnancy (or the whole nine months if you’re unlucky!), and all the extra energy it takes to grow a human, it can be hard to get the right balance of vitamins and nutrients.
You might feel bombarded with nutritional information (and opinions) from influencers shilling the latest product, or rumours you heard from that friend of a friend. Then there’s your gran’s stories about drinking a pint of Guinness a day. So how do you sort fact from fiction and get the best for you and your baby?
We spoke with Wilma MacDonald, a qualified and registered nutritional therapist from Maverick Motherhood, who specialises in working with mothers, and Elisa Gomez de Bonilla, Nutritionist for Oxford Online Pharmacy to give us the low-down on prenatal vitamins and supplements.
What vitamins and supplements do I need during pregnancy?
The NHS guidelines only make specific recommendations for two supplements during normal healthy pregnancy: 400 micrograms of folic acid every day – from before you’re pregnant until you’re 12 weeks pregnant, and 10 micrograms of vitamin D each day between September and March.
All the supplements we tested contain at least these recommended amounts of folic acid and vitamin D.
MacDonald, however, advises that a ‘good’ prenatal supplement will also cover these key bases:
- Iron: “Requirements for iron increase rapidly during pregnancy,” she says, but “many women don’t have the iron reserves needed to meet this increased requirement.” All the supplements we tested contain iron.
- Choline: Choline is a nutrient that shares some properties with B vitamins, and is “active in neural tube and brain development.” Only some of the premium brands, and none of the budget brands, we tested contain choline, though almost all of them do contain B vitamins (with the exception of Nourished The Prenatal Stack).
Gomez de Bonilla also lists essentials, including:
- Thiamine and Riboflavin: These micronutrients are “recommended during the third trimester.” While many of the prenatals we tested do contain them, Glo Vitamins, Nourished The Prenatal Stack, and Wild Nutrition Food-Grown Pregnancy do not. Interestingly, all the budget options do contain thiamine and riboflavin.
- Vitamin C: Pregnant people are recommended to increase their intake to 10 mg daily, “to help with iron absorption”. While many of the prenatals we tested do contain vitamin C, including all the budget options, Glo Vitamins and Nourished The Prenatal Stack do not.
Are there any vitamins and supplements I should avoid in pregnancy?
Both NHS guidelines and the nutritionists we spoke with warn pregnant people to avoid vitamin A because excessive vitamin A can harm your baby.
In many cases, this means avoiding cod liver oil when you’re pregnant.
What extra prenatal vitamins and supplements might I need for a vegan or vegetarian pregnancy?
The NHS guidelines say that, if you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, you might find it more difficult to get enough iron and vitamin B12 during pregnancy.
If you are vegan or vegetarian, or if you follow another restricted diet because of food intolerance, you are advised to speak with your midwife or GP for nutritional advice.
MacDonald says that people with extra dietary requirements during pregnancy may need more:
- Iron: The highest level of absorbable dietary iron is found in red meat
- Zinc: The highest level of zinc is found in animal and fish products
- B12: Only found in animal products and dairy/eggs
Almost all of the prenatal vitamins and supplements that are suitable for vegans or vegetarians contain iron, zinc and vitamin B12, with the exception of Glo Vitamins which do not contain zinc and Nourished The Prenatal Stack which do not contain B12.
When should I start taking prenatal vitamins?
As folic acid is particularly important in the first trimester - even before you may know that you are pregnant - the NHS advise you to take folic acid if there is “a chance you might get pregnant.”
Many non-pregnancy multivitamins formulated for women do contain folic acid.
Equally, there is no harm in non-pregnant people - particularly those trying to conceive - taking prenatal vitamins and supplements.
When should I stop taking prenatal vitamins?
Again, there is no harm to non-pregnant people continuing to take prenatals for as long as they feel they need or want to.
MacDonald advises people to continue to take prenatals post-birth for as long as they bleed, or as long as they breastfeed if they choose to do so.
This is important because as soon as the baby arrives, all focus moves on to them: “The mother’s recovery is often forgotten about in the midst of the chaos. Repair, recovery and supporting the mother’s physical and mental health may benefit from continued supplementation.”
Here is our roundup of the best prenatal vitamins and supplements for pregnancy.
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Inessa Pregnancy Multinutrient
Inessa’s Multinutrient contains just as much (and more in some cases) of all the key vitamins and supplements recommended by our experts as the other premium options.
As well as that, Inessa also contains ginger, which can help combat the sickness and nausea so many pregnant people suffer during the first trimester.
The added ginger also makes the smell and taste make it a bit more palatable than similar premium options. It contains the iron, zinc and B12 recommended for vegans and vegetarians, and the tablets are suitable for a vegan diet.
Inessa only needs to be taken twice daily, making it a bit more manageable than some options.
Its black and gold bottle packaging really makes the jar stand out as a stylish, premium product on your medicine shelf.
Inessa offers a handy ‘subscribe & save’ option, so you can have your prenatal supps delivered to your door each month, instead of trying to remember to purchase them in the midst of pregnancy brain fog.
Buy now £29.99, Inessa Wellness
Nourished The Prenatal Stack
The Prenatal Stack from Nourished is another supplement in a category all of its own. The brand 3D prints its supplements to order. You can take a quiz on its site to find the exact right combination for your needs, or just pick a pre-formulated ‘stack.’
The combination of vitamins and supplements is then printed into - you guessed it - a stack. The dietary add-ons are sweet and chewy, with a taste and texture not dissimilar to a gummy sweet.
Nourished’s Prenatal Stack is a good option for people suffering from nausea, sickness and food aversions that make a large prenatal pill hard to swallow. They also include ginger, which is known to help with morning sickness.
Though they don’t contain every vitamin and nutrient available, The Prenatal Stack does contain the NHS recommendation of folic acid and vitamin D, as well as iron and zinc.
These are suitable for vegans, though they don’t contain B12.
Buy now £28.00, Nourished
Wild Nutrition Food-Grown Pregnancy
Wild Nutrition’s Food-Grown Pregnancy Supplement comes in an attractive black glass bottle.
So what does Food-Grown mean? The formula is grown in real food which, according to the website, means that it takes less energy to form the ingredients.
It is to be taken three times daily, so make sure you set an alarm in your calendar.
Wild Nutrition’s Food-Grown Pregnancy Supplements don’t contain thiamine or riboflavin but do contain iron, zinc and B12 and are suitable for vegetarians (but not vegans).
Buy now £39.00, Wild Nutrition
Purer Mama The Essence Capsule
The Essence Capsule is the best value of the premium options, with nutrient and vitamin values comparable to - or higher than - the other options, but at a slightly lower price point.
The main downside to these supplements is that you have to remember to take them three times daily, which would be a challenge at the best of times, let alone when contending with pregnancy brain!
Purer Mama is suitable for vegans and contains the iron, zinc and B12 recommended for vegans and vegetarians.
In a white and gold bottle, the Essence Capsules wouldn’t look out of place on the fanciest bathroom shelves.
Buy now £24.00, Purer Mama
Seven Seas Pregnancy Vitamins with Folic Acid
Seven Seas may be known for its cod liver oil and omega-3, but they also make multivitamins and pregnancy supplements.
The brand’s Pregnancy Vitamins with Folic Acid is a complete multivitamin, suitable for all stages of pregnancy.
As well as being a multivitamin though, it also contains ginger to help combat nausea, which is especially useful for anyone suffering the dreaded morning sickness.
Another nice touch is that it labels the days of the week on its blister packs, which can be a big help when you have a lot on your plate and you can’t remember whether you’ve taken your vitamins today.
The only downside of this over other budget options is that it is not suitable for vegetarians.
Buy now £6.99, Superdrug
Pregnacare Original
As well as the recommended doses of folic acid and vitamin D, Pregnacare contains slightly more thiamine and riboflavin than other budget options. Use throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding to maximise its nutrient boost.
Like the other budget options, this supplement comes in a card box and blister pack, just like most of the tablet medications you may take.
It has a very mild smell and taste, which may make it much more palatable for anyone with that famous heightened sense of smell that pregnancy can bring.
Perhaps the most recognisable label on the market, Pregnacare can easily be found in pharmacies and supermarkets across the UK, making it really easy to access when needed.
Buy now £4.30, Boots
Wiley’s Finest Prenatal DHA
While this isn’t technically a prenatal vitamin - it contains neither folic acid nor vitamin D, it is a good way to get DHA or essential fatty acids.
If you normally take a fish oil supplement but are worried about the potential for vitamin A in normal fish oil, Wiley’s Finest Prenatal DHA is a safe way to get your omega-3.
It is made from wild Alaskan fish oil and specially formulated for use during pregnancy for 600mg of DHA daily.
MacDonald, our nutritional therapist, advises pregnant people to take DHA because: “Studies have shown that DHA supports brain development in the growing small human, prevents early-term labour and supports the immune system.”
Buy now £22.50, iHerb
Mama Mio Pregnancy Gummies 60 Gummies
Mama Mio's Mixed Berry Pregnancy Gummies are high in folic acid to support your body while you try for and carry a baby. The formula is brimming with eight essential vitamins and minerals to support you throughout your pregnancy. These include vitamin B12 (something vegans might find themselves deficient in), vitamin C, vitamin D3, biotin and zinc.
Not only are the gummies good for you, but they taste delightful. A berry flavour offers a shot of sweetness as you take the supplements twice a day, preferably with meals.
Buy now £5.60, LOOKFANTASTIC
Verdict
As well as including all the vitamins and minerals recommended by our experts, Inessa is suitable for vegans, and can also calm morning sickness, thanks to the inclusion of ginger. Stylish packaging and a handy subscribe-and-save option put Inessa’s Pregnancy Multinutrient just ahead of the other options out there.
