When should you start taking a prenatal vitamin? For most women, it should be as soon as they find out they are pregnant. If you know before hand that you are planning on becoming pregnant, you should start taking a prenatal vitamin then.
In this day and time, most people do not get all of the nutrition that they need. This is the result of processed food, poor diet, stress, and the rushed lifestyle that we all live. As a result, we should be taking additional vitamin supplements.
A prenatal vitamin is essentially a multi vitamin formulated especially for pregnant women. Multivitamins come in different formulations depending upon your needs. There are multivitamins for men, women, senior citizens, teens and other special needs. And a prenatal vitamin contains the additional nutritional vitamins and minerals that a woman needs to cope with the added stresses of pregnancy.
Many women suffer from an iron deficiency even before they become pregnant. This is especially true after they become pregnant, because they are supplying blood for themselves and their baby. Therefore, most prenatal vitamins will contain an additional iron supplement to help prevent the pregnant woman from being anemic.
Because the child is developing in the womb, a woman needs additional calcium in her diet. The developing skeletal system of the baby robs calcium from its mother. Without a calcium supplement, the chances increase for a stress fracture. A good prenatal vitamin will provide the additional calcium that is required.
Most prenatal vitamins will also include folic acid, which is an essential supplement to take in the first stage of pregnancy. It is during this period that the spinal cord and skeleton is being developed. Folic acid will help prevent spinal bifida and other birth defects.
You should not take a prenatal vitamin and another multivitamin supplement, because you could end up with a vitamin excess, and this can be dangerous for the mother and the baby. Let your doctor know what vitamins and supplements that you are taking. They can advise you as to the proper dosage that you require for your system.
Just as it is important that some vitamins increase during pregnancy, some vitamins should decrease. For example, vitamin A, D and K levels for a pregnant woman should be lower than for a woman that is not pregnant.
So, if you are pregnant, or planning on becoming pregnant, you should take a good prenatal vitamin. You can get them in drug stores or online. Your doctor may prescribe a special prenatal vitamin for you if your system needs some special dietary needs.
by Fran Mullens
