September 28, 2016

At some point, all expecting moms have to decide. Their decisions can have a lasting effect on their children and their development. We’re not talking about baby names, although that choice can have a lasting impact on children. Equally and probably more important is choosing the right vitamin to carry moms and babies through pregnancy and postpartum. This decision is a vital one for maintaining a healthy pregnancy and helping a mother’s body recover post-pregnancy.

What to Look for in a Prenatal Vitamin

• Folic Acid – Folic acid is an important nutrient a mom’s body needs before conception and throughout pregnancy. Folic acid, a form of folate, plays a key role in supporting healthy brain and spinal cord development as well as neural tube closure.^1,2 Look for a prenatal vitamin that helps meet the recommended 800 mcg daily.³
• Calcium – Before birth, a baby gets calcium from the mom’s body as well as the food she consumes. If a growing baby’s daily calcium needs are not met, he or she will draw calcium from the bones of the mother.⁴ Choose a prenatal vitamin that helps meet the recommended 1,300 mg of calcium each day.³ In addition to building and maintaining strong teeth and bones for a mom and her baby, calcium helps the heart, nerves, muscles and other body systems work properly.⁴
• Iron – Throughout pregnancy, a mother’s blood volume increases up to 50 percent.⁵ This increase occurs to support the needs of the mother and her growing baby as iron in the blood plays a role in transporting nutrients to both. Choose a prenatal vitamin that helps meet the recommended 18 mg of iron each day.³
• DHA – In recent years, the inclusion of fatty acids such as DHA and EPA in the diet has been deemed important. Recent studies have shown that DHA supplementation during pregnancy has been associated with longer gestation and lower incidence of low birth weight.⁶ For this reason and others, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends at least 300 mg of DHA daily for pregnant and lactating women.⁶

Vitamins with Folic Acid and DHA to Support Mom and Baby

Many prenatal vitamins on the market do not contain folic acid and DHA in a single pill. Women often have to take two pills to obtain both of these critical nutrients. However, the Prenate^® Vitamin Family includes several prenatal vitamins that contain all of the essential nutrients detailed in this article in a single, once-daily dose:

• Prenate Pixie^® – Designed for ease of use before and during pregnancy with 11 concentrated nutrients.
• Prenate Mini^® – The complete “go-to” prenatal vitamin with 14 nutrient forms. It was created for maximum absorption while ensuring tolerability.
• Prenate^® Enhance – A clinically advanced formulation with 14 different vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
• Prenate^® Restore – Our only prenatal vitamin that contains probiotics. It’s designed to meet the needs of breastfeeding mothers and babies and is also appropriate in pregnancy.
• Prenate^® Essential – Our first-generation complete prescription prenatal supplement, plus DHA, in one easy-to-swallow softgel capsule.

Prenate^® is committed to providing nutritional support for mothers and babies. With products designed with the patient in mind, Prenate^® offers a line of prescription prenatal vitamins for each stage and special needs of pregnancy. Expecting mothers can save on their prescription prenatal vitamins with our savings cards. Click here to get your coupon now and pay only $10 per prescription refill! Talk to your doctor to see if Prenate^® vitamins may be right for you to help fill nutritional gaps.