Prenatal Vitamins: Do you have the right insurance?
By Dr Mahalia Freed, ND
Why do you take a prenatal multivitamin?
Does it have everything you need to stay healthy during pregnancy? (No!)
Does it contain all the nutrients your baby needs for optimal growth? (No!)
Multivitamins are sometimes described as a supplement “insurance policy”. Do you have the right insurance?
People don’t question whether or not to take a prenatal multivitamin. Even those who wouldn’t think to take a vitamin when not pregnant or trying to conceive assume they should take a prenatal. The intention behind this is noble, if somewhat symptomatic of the health concerns I see in practice: when nurturing another life, people are way more responsible than they are for themselves alone. Riding this trend, I encourage you to use the motivation of pregnancy or pregnancy preparation to enhance your own health. I also encourage you to work with a practitioner to determine what nutrients YOUR body needs, and in what dose.
Fact: nutritional needs change during pregnancy. You need more protein, more calories, and more of a variety of specific nutrients (for those of you who like the details, see chart below for an incomplete list of top nutrients).
