Connect
To Top

Best Prenatal Vitamin for Pregnancy? Top 10 Revealed

For most women the moment they learn that they are pregnant changes their behavior drastically. Suddenly everything you do, everything you eat, and even what you think centers on the baby. That’s a good thing, too, because once that child actually arrives, they will be the center of your world for a long time. Among these thoughts, you should be considering what will be the best prenatal vitamin for pregnancy.

Prenatal vitamins are essential to the health and well-being of both you and your baby. Many women begin taking prenatal vitamins even before they get pregnant. This is not a bad idea since building up folic acid in your body before pregnancy is a great way to prevent serious birth defects.

Other women may not take the vitamins pre-pregnancy but understand that the moment they learn they are pregnant some changes must be made in their nutrition. Adding a prenatal vitamin is an easy and important step. However, you should also understand that a prenatal vitamin is not a substitute for good nutrition. Always think of the vitamin as a supplement to good nutrition, not a substitute.

Knowing you need a prenatal vitamin and knowing which one, however, are two different things. There are tons of vitamins on the market today, and each one claims to be the best. So how do you know which one really is the best for you and your baby? We have created a top 10 here to help you get started.

Product FAQ

Pregnant Woman standing at the park while holding her belly

Image via Pexels

To start your research, we have provided ​​​​the best prenatal vitamin for pregnancy FAQs here.

1. Do I Really Need Prenatal Vitamins?

2. When Should I Start Prenatal Vitamins?

3. Do I Need a Prescription?

4. How Do I Choose the Best Prenatal Vitamin for Pregnancy?

How We Reviewed

Pregnant woman holding her belly

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

The following products were reviewed based on the following parameters: Features, Pros & Cons, Price, and Where to Buy. This should help you get started on your search. You should discuss with your doctor any recommendations they may have concerning prenatal vitamins as well.

Overall Price Range

Most prenatal vitamins can be found for between $10-$30.

What We Reviewed

  • Nature Made Prenatal
  • Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Vegetarian Multivitamin Supplement
  • MegaFood – Baby & Me
  • Rainbow Light – Prenatal One Multivitamin
  • New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Vitamins
  • Nordic Naturals – Prenatal DHA
  • Vitafusion Prenatal Gummy Vitamins
  • Mama Bird AM/PM Prenatal Multivitamin
  • SmartyPants Prenatal Complete Daily Gummy Vitamins
 Spring Valley – PrenatalNature Made Prenatal

Features

This is a great choice, especially if you are on a budget. Nature Made Prenatal provides all of the nutrients that a soon to be mom will need in addition to a good dose of DHA Omega 3 fatty acids. This vitamin provides 200 mg DHA which is the recommended dose for pregnant women. Nature made provides all of this for an affordable price.

Many women like these vitamins so much that they continue using them beyond pregnancy while they are breastfeeding to provide their babies with additional DHA.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Nutrient Sufficient
  • Contains DHA

Cons

  • Pills are large
  • Some report a fishy aftertaste
Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Vegetarian Multivitamin Supplement

Features

This vitamin addresses an important topic in pregnancy, and that is Folic Acid vs Folate. Folate is an essential nutrient needed during pregnancy. Folate is also known as B9. Although Folate is very important in preventing certain birth defects, it is hard to come by. Thus, Folic Acid was created which is a synthetic form of Folate.

You should think of Folate as the purest form of Folic Acid. For this reason, many people have chosen this as the best prenatal vitamin for pregnancy because it contains pure Folate in addition to the many other nutrients.

Pros

  • Contains Folate
  • Vegan-friendly
  • Easy to digest

Cons

  • Does not contain DHA
MegaFood Baby & Me

Features

MegaFood Vitamins are known for providing nutrients via real whole foods ingredients. This differs greatly from synthetically reproduced nutrients. This particular vitamin is a great choice for moms-to-be who are concerned about the purity of their ingredients. This is one of the few prenatal vitamins that has the seal of approval from NSF International. This is a third party which tests supplements for purity and effectiveness.

MegaFood also uses ingredients which are more easily absorbed by you and your baby, so your body can actually use more of what you are taking.

Pros

  • Approved by third-party testing
  • Easy to absorb

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Does not have necessary iron amounts
Rainbow Light – Prenatal One Multivitamin

Features

The great selling point for Rainbow Light Prenatal vitamins is their size. The mini-tabs are easy to swallow which is important to many soon-to-be moms. When you are dealing with nausea, the last thing you want to do is try to swallow a huge pill.

Despite their small size, though, each mini tab is a powerhouse of nutrients essential to a healthy pregnancy. This is also one of the more affordable options for over-the-counter prenatal vitamins. This is why many women have chosen Rainbow Light as their pick for best prenatal vitamin for pregnancy.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Easy to Swallow

Cons

  • Does not contain full daily calcium
New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Vitamins

Features

The great selling point for New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Vitamins is their size. The mini-tabs are easy to swallow which is important to many soon-to-be moms. When you are dealing with nausea, the last thing you want to do is try to swallow a huge pill.

Despite their small size, though, each mini tab is a powerhouse of nutrients essential to a healthy pregnancy. This is also one of the more affordable options for over-the-counter prenatal vitamins. This is why many women have chosen Rainbow Light as their pick for best prenatal vitamin for pregnancy.

Pros

  • 100% daily iron
  • Easy to swallow and digest

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Folic Acid instead of Folate
Nordic Naturals – Prenatal DHA

Features

This is not a prenatal multi-vitamin, but it is important to mention this product because it fills an important nutritional gap. Nordic Natural Prenatal DHA is an important supplement for moms to use because DHA Omega 3 Fatty Acids are essential to proper fetal brain development. Many prenatal vitamins do not have DHA.

Taking prenatal DHA in addition to your prenatal vitamin will benefit both you and your baby. While it helps your baby’s brain develop, it will help you think more clearly, stay focused and help with pregnancy brain fog.

Pros

  • Provides necessary DHA
  • Easy to swallow and digest

Cons

  • Not a multi-vitamin
  • Some fishy after taste
Vitafusion Prenatal Gummy Vitamins

Features

This is the best prenatal vitamin for pregnancy for women who cannot swallow pills. If you discover that once you got pregnant you could no longer swallow pills, you are not alone. Most women struggle with this during pregnancy because their gag reflex becomes so sensitive.

VitaFusion Prenatal ​​Gummies solve this problem. Tasty gummies provide basic nutrients, plus DHA in an easy to chew tasty gummy.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Chewable
  • Tasty

Cons

  • Contains little or no iron
  • Contain little or no calcium
Mama Bird AM/PM Prenatal Multivitamin

Features

This is a great choice for moms who are concerned about animal by-products being used in their vitamins. Mama Bird is completely vegan while providing all of the basic nutrients you need during your pregnancy. This product contains Folate, not Folic Acid, and many mothers report that it is easy to swallow and digest.

Pros

  • Vegan-friendly
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Does not contain iron
  • Does not contain DHA
  • Does not contain iodine
SmartyPants Prenatal Complete Daily Gummy Vitamins

Features

This is one of the best prenatal vitamins for pregnancy because of the high dose of easily absorbable Folate it contains. Folate is the naturally occurring form of Folic Acid, an essential nutrient to prevent birth defects.

Smarty Pants are also great for moms who struggle to swallow pills. These great tasting gummies are easy to chew and digest.

Pros

  • Folate instead of Folic Acid
  • Easy to chew and digest

Cons

  • Little to no iron
  • Little to no calcium
  • Dosage is six gummies per day.
Spring Valley – Prenatal

Features

This is a great choice as the best prenatal vitamin for pregnancy. It is budget friendly and contains all of the basic nutrients necessary before, during, and after pregnancy.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Easy to swallow

Cons

  • No DHA

 The Verdict

Because so many women find taking their prenatal vitamins difficult, it is very important that the best prenatal vitamin for pregnancy be easy to swallow and digest. Swallowing is a huge challenge for many pregnant women. For this reason, Rainbow Light is probably going to be your best bet with prenatal vitamins.

This prenatal vitamin will give you the basic nutrients you need for your pregnancy in a small, easy-to-swallow pill. It is also affordable enough for most budgets.

Featured Image by Canidia Jupiter from Pixabay

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More in Pregnancy