Pregnancy Multivitamins: 7 Key Questions Answered

If you are pregnant, trying to conceive or just thinking about becoming pregnant, you are bound to have questions about vitamins, prenatals, pregnancy supplements and nutrition in general.

in this guide, we ask and answer 7 common pregnancy multivitamin questions so you can make informed decisions about your pregnancy – whatever your stage.

When it comes to pregnancy vitamins and regular vitamins, the main difference is their nutrient composition. Prenatal vitamins contain higher levels of folic acid, iron, and calcium, which are essential for foetal development and the health of the mother during pregnancy.

On the other hand, regular multivitamins are intended for general health and are not formulated to meet the specific needs of pregnant women. While they may contain similar nutrients at a lower concentration, they will often contain many others too.  

Common Minerals:

Calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium and iodine.

Common Vitamins:

Folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E

Ideally, women should start taking a pregnancy multivitamin before they become pregnant – ideally at least three months before conception.

This is because the neural tube, which forms the baby’s brain and spinal cord, develops very early in pregnancy, and often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Folate is particularly important during this time, as it can help prevent neural tube defects.

In short, if you are trying to become pregnant, you should be taking a pregnancy multivitamin every day.

It is generally recommended that pregnant women take prenatal vitamins instead of regular multivitamins. Prenatal vitamins are specifically formulated to provide the optimal amounts of nutrients needed for foetal development and the health of the mother during pregnancy.

However, if a woman is not able to take prenatal vitamins for some reason, she may consider taking a multivitamin instead. If you are considering this, discuss this with your health professional.

While multivitamins can provide some of the same nutrients as prenatal vitamins, they are not specifically formulated for pregnancy and may not contain the optimal amounts of these nutrients. For this reason, it is generally recommended that pregnant women take prenatal vitamins instead of regular multivitamins. However, if a woman is not able to take prenatal vitamins for some reason, she may consider taking a multivitamin instead.

In addition to taking a prenatal vitamin, pregnant women may also need to take other supplements to meet their nutritional needs. For example, women who are deficient in vitamin D may need to take a vitamin D supplement, as this nutrient is essential for bone health and immune function. Women who are not getting enough iron from their diet may also need to take an iron supplement, as iron is needed to make red blood cells.

Simply put if a pregnant woman is deficient in the nutrients vital for healthy foetal development, the risk of certain birth defects in the baby may increase.

For example, a deficiency in folate (rather than folic acid which is synthetic) can increase the risk of neural tube defects, while a deficiency in iron can lead to anaemia.

We always stress that women focus on their diet first. It’s important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet that includes plenty of quality protein, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and fresh fruit.

A pregnancy multivitamin should assist and complement your diet, not replace it.

Whatever pregnancy multivitamin you choose, make sure it contains sufficient amounts of quality nutrients your body needs at your stage.