Should i take prenatal vitamins when trying to conceive

Prenatal vitamins are made for people who are pregnant or are trying to get pregnant. Folic acid is the most important vitamin for pre-pregnancy health.

Prenatal vitamins are supplements that contain daily vitamins and minerals you need before and during your pregnancy.

Folic acid is the most important vitamin to take when planning a pregnancy. Folic acid is a B vitamin that cells in your body need for growing and developing. Taking 400 mcg of folic acid every day for at least 1 month before and during pregnancy can help lower the risk for problems with the baby’s brain and spine — called neural tube defects (NTDs). Some women, like those who have had a pregnancy affected by NTDs or with sickle cell disease, may need more folic acid. Talk to your doctor or nurse about the dose that is right for you.

Most nutrients should come from the foods you eat, but it’s also a good idea to take prenatal vitamins. Your nurse, doctor, or midwife can recommend the best vitamins for you, on top of folic acid.

When do I need to start taking prenatal vitamins?

Start taking folic acid at least 1 month before you start trying to get pregnant. The first few weeks of pregnancy are a really important time for fetal health and development. Taking folic acid and other prenatal vitamins can help reduce the risk of some birth defects. Keep taking prenatal vitamins throughout your entire pregnancy.

Do prenatal vitamins have side effects?

A lot of people wonder about about prenatal vitamins side effects. Some people get nauseated or constipated from taking prenatal vitamins. If this happens to you, talk with your doctor about changing brands or the types of vitamins you’re taking.

Prenatal vitamins come in tablets or capsules, so finding the kind that works best with your body can help ease side effects. Your doctor or midwife can help you find a prenatal vitamin that will work best for your body.

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Not trying to conceive right now, but definitely have babies on your bucket list? Learn the benefits of taking prenatals before even trying to get pregnant.

By OBGYN and fertility expert Dr. Kenosha Gleaton

Prenatal nutrition has a significant impact on your overall pregnancy and health outcomes for both you and your baby. A prenatal vitamin is a dietary supplement that includes the key ingredients and essential vitamins you need to enhance your health. So, if you're starting to get the slightest case of baby fever, it's time to evaluate your diet and pre-pregnancy routine.

Why take a prenatal vitamin supplement, and who should take them?

Whether you're trying to conceive soon or a while down the road, a healthy diet with rich, key nutrients is a must for your body, and a prenatal vitamin supplement can help with that. While there are lots of women's daily vitamins on the market, prenatal vitamins are the only solid way to ensure you’re getting all of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs prior to conceiving. The general recommendation is for women of reproductive age to take a prenatal vitamin if they are not preventing pregnancy, planning to TTC in the near future, actively TTC, pregnant, or breastfeeding. This recommendation stems from the fact that up to 50% of pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Furthermore, many such pregnancies are unrecognized for the first four to six weeks—which represents a vital time for organ development, mainly the brain and spinal cord. 

Do prenatals affect fertility? 

Taking your prenatal vitamin won’t make you any more likely to get pregnant. While prenatal vitamins can support nutrition in a pregnant woman during the pregnancy experience or a woman TTC, it will not impact fertility itself. 

Prenatal vitamins will, however, make it significantly more likely that you experience a healthy pregnancy. They significantly reduce the likelihood of neural tube defects. Their use is also associated with a lower risk of miscarriage. They are a key safety net in preventing pregnancy complications that result from nutrient deficits, such as low birth weight or premature birth. So, we recommend that you add prenatals into your TTC journey; these can include vitamins and fertility supplements such as iron, folate, or DHA supplements, but don’t expect them to be magic fertility pills.

When to start taking prenatal vitamins

Although there is no clearly defined timeframe, ideally it’s best to start prenatal vitamins at least one month prior to trying to conceive.  ACOG states that you should take a daily prenatal vitamin before pregnancy as well as throughout. It’s easy to see the rationale behind this recommendation since prenatal vitamins contain all of the recommended daily vitamins and minerals you will need before, during, and after your pregnancy, including folate and iron. 

Benefits of taking prenatal vitamins before TTC

Although studies do not support consuming prenatal vitamins for long periods of time when not intending to get pregnant, there is clear benefit to starting prior to actively TTC and of course before pregnancy. These benefits include:

• Lower risk of miscarriage 
• Reduced nausea and vomiting when prenatal vitamins started before pregnancy
• Reduced birth defects

It's also clear how big of an impact pregnancy takes on a woman's body. The baby is in need of key nutrients just as much as the mother. When a pregnant woman is not fueled up on all the nutrients needed, she may experience symptoms such as exhaustion. So, taking care of your body first with a prenatal supplement and essential vitamins is important for both you and the baby and encourages a healthy pregnancy.

Things to look for when picking your prenatal vitamins

• Folate: This is the one you’ve likely heard about. Folate is a B vitamin (B9) that provides significant protection against neural tube defects. Neural tube defects are developmental abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord, including spina bifida and anencephaly. There are many different types of folates found in food, but the two most commonly found in dietary supplements are folic acid and 5-L-MTHF, abbreviated MTHF folate. We’ll delve into the difference between MTHF folate and folic acid later, but make sure that whatever prenatal you choose has at least one. Folate can also be found in dark leafy greens, lentils, beans, and legumes. Many foods where folate is not naturally found are fortified with folic acid, especially grains, which you can check on the nutritional info panel.
• Iron: Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, the protein that red blood cells use to transport oxygen. In your lungs, hemoglobin binds oxygen and carries it to all the tissues in your body, including a developing embryo via the placenta. The total amount of blood in a woman’s body will increase by 50% during pregnancy, so iron is in high demand. If you feel more tired than usual, it could be because you’re iron deficient, also known as anemia. During pregnancy, doctors will routinely test for anemia by a simple blood test. Iron is found in its highest amounts in red meat (heme iron) but is also naturally present in plant-based sources like dark leafy greens, beans, and dried fruit (non-heme iron). Non-heme iron is best absorbed when eaten with a source of Vitamin C, like citrus fruits.
• Calcium: It’s the mineral used to build your bones and teeth, and for your baby’s, too. Dairy, dark leafy greens, and calcium-fortified orange juice (check the nutritional label) are all good food-based sources of calcium.  
• Vitamin D: Many nutrients are dependent on one another to function or be absorbed. Vitamin D and calcium have that kind of relationship—you can take as much calcium as you want, but your body won’t be able to absorb it properly without vitamin D. Fatty fish (like salmon) and vitamin D-fortified dairy are good sources. You also get vitamin D from spending time in the sun. Too much sun exposure—especially without protection from sunscreen or clothes—can lead to skin cancer, so if you want to sunbathe or go for a walk in the name of vitamin D, do so in moderation. As an alternative, a simple way to increase your vitamin D intake is to take vitamin D gummies or capsules.
• DHA: This stands for docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that supports fetal brain and eye development. It's an integral component of neuronal cell membranes, and supplementing with a DHA supplement is tied to the on-time attainment of key developmental milestones and infant problem-solving abilities. It’s found in low-mercury fish and DHA-enriched orange juice, milk, and eggs.
• Iodine: This mineral helps your baby’s organs and nervous system develop properly. It’s found in iodized salt (usually labeled as such) as well as dairy, fish, and iodine-fortified bread.
• Choline: Most prenatals lack choline. But growing evidence of its benefits shows choline improves several pregnancy outcomes and protects against certain neural and metabolic disorders.

The bottom line is to stick with a prenatal that’s been researched and doctor approved to ensure you’re getting the appropriate amount. You can read more about prenatal vitamins and their importance here.

🌟 Shop Prenatal  vitamins⟶

How to take prenatal vitamins

The benefits of prenatal vitamins are cumulative, so the most important factor is to take one daily. If you’re nausea prone, it's often best to take them before bed. If you’re iron deficient, try taking your prenatal vitamin with a vitamin C beverage such as orange juice. Again, the most important thing is consistency. So if you’re having negative side effects, choose a prenatal vitamin free of starch, dairy, artificial coloring, preservatives, or flavoring, which can theoretically worsen unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.

Are there harms to taking prenatal vitamins if not trying to get pregnant? 

Although prenatal vitamins are a wonderful source of nutrients and minerals, they should not replace a multivitamin if you do not fall into one of these categories: women of reproductive age not preventing pregnancy, planning to TTC in the near future, actively TTC, pregnant, or breastfeeding. And while most of us want the benefit of beautiful hair, skin, and nails, these claims are unproven. Furthermore, long-term use of prenatal vitamins can lead to toxicity of iron and vitamin A, and can even mask certain GI conditions.

Prenatals for Him

Prenatal vitamins don’t have to be just for women. Our prenatal for male fertility  was designed with a urologist and male fertility nutrition specialist to address any nutrient deficiencies in men. After all, pregnancy does require both egg and sperm, and this multivitamin is great for getting in the key nutrients.

Optimizing before destination pregnancy

So, should you take prenatals when trying to conceive? Short answer: yes. Not only are they beneficial for getting enough nutrients and vitamins, but also for pregnancy health of both the baby and the carrier. 

I know what you’re thinking. Most of us are looking to simplify our lives and taking a prenatal vitamin before actively TTC seems like an overachieving, unnecessary task. However, there are proven benefits of optimizing your nutritional status before destination pregnancy. Reducing miscarriage and birth defects rank pretty high on that list. So, in your quest for simplicity, check out Natalist’s prenatal vitamins. 

Do prenatal vitamins make you more fertile?

How long should I take prenatal vitamins before getting pregnant?