Which Organic Prenatal Vitamin Is Right For You?
Any organic prenatal vitamin must have an affordable price, great reviews, must be Certified Organic, must not smell bad, must have no aftertaste and must have the essential vitamins and nutrients that mother and baby need.
Based on the above criteria we recommend the following two brands of Prenatal Organic Multivitamins:
1.)Rainbow Light Prenatal Organic Multivitamin, 120-Count
2.) New Chapter Perfect Prenatal, 192 Count
During pregnancy a woman's body is required to supply her body with the additional nutrients and vitamins her fetus needs. Although it is expected that an additional 25-35 pounds will be added to support the health of both baby and mother, it should be emphasized that the additional weight should be put on slowly and while maintaining a healthy, nutrient-rich diet. The amount of nutritional value a pregnant woman's body requires is doubled due to the baby, who is feeding off the foods the mother eats herself. Therefore, it is particularly important to maintain certain levels of vitamin intake on a daily basis. This is where the benefit of taking pre-natal supplements comes in to play.
Getting into the routine of taking a pre-natal vitamin is a good discipline to have while pregnant. This insures that if a day or two goes by when you didn't eat quite as healthy as you intended , you can still fulfill your nutritional needs with a supplement. And let's face it, we all know that pregnancy cravings do not always and I would venture to say fairly rarely focus on healthy food items. I have never been one to drink sodas but both times that I have become pregnant one of the first things I wanted (and with a vengance) was a big, iced fountain drink from the convenience store! How can that be beneficial for me and my baby? Fact is, it's not. Second fact is that a soda, while not being very nutritionally sound proved to be quite filling, so after indulging in my craving, I would not want to eat a balanced meal being full from the liquid and carbonation.
I am not proud of my lack of discipline in this area, especially during the first trimester when the idea of most anything besides the ice-cold soda sounded like to much for me to handle. However, one of the reasons, that I felt a bit more reassured that my body and my baby were not completely lacking in nutritional intake was because I had committed to taking an organic pre-natal vitamin each evening right before bed. Doing this at least helped me to sleep off any side effects that could possibly have arisen. However, another added benefit of our organic supplements is that there are no unnatural preservatives, food colorings, fillings or flavorings that contributed to the makeup of the supplement. I believe strongly that this contributed to the lack of nausea associated with taking this vitamin. I had previously been given a different vitamin which I took for a short period that was not organic and DID contribute to a very nauseated, pregnant me.
The most important factors in choosing a pre-natal vitamin are to be sure that the vitamin and mineral levels are sufficient for your recommended daily intake. The main nutrients you want to make sure are available are folic acid, iron and calcium. Most pre-natals do not contain an adequate amount of calcium so be sure to add an additional individual supplement if it doesn't. Here are the vitamins and minerals your pre-natal should contain and the appropriate levels for an expecting mother:
- 4,000 and 5,000 IU (international units) of vitamin A
- 800 and 1,000 mcg (1 mg) of folic acid
- 400 IU of vitamin D
- 200 to 300 mg of calcium
- 70 mg of vitamin C
- 1.5 mg of thiamine
- 1.6 mg of riboflavin
- 2.6 mg of pyridoxine (B6)
- 17 mg of niacinamide
- 2.2 mcg of vitamin B-12
- 10 mg of vitamin E
- 15 mg of zinc
- 30 mg of iron
The importance of folic acid in our diets increases 100% when a woman is pregnant. For any woman that may be in the process of trying to conceive or without a specific form of birth control, keeping this in your regime at all times is a bonus. Folic Acid is a B complex vitamin used to treat anemia and shown to reduce incidence of neural tube defects such as spina bifida (incomplete closure of the spine) and anencephaly (partially or completely missing brain). It must be included in your prenatal vitamins. Some very good natural sources include liver, beans, and leafy green vegetables.
Iron, though always a requirement for a healthy body also rises in importance during pregnancy. This is because iron is essential for the formation of healthy red blood cells. In order to satisfy the demand created by your increased blood volume, you should take a daily supplement. When you are pregnant, your blood supply increases to supply the nutrients needed for your growing baby. If you do not provide sufficient amounts of iron, your baby will take his or her supply from you. This will cause you to have an iron deficiency which may cause a condition called anemia. Anemia is a condition that will cause you to feel very tired, on top of the tiredness already initiated by pregnancy. Also, iron carries oxygen in your muscles, helping them function properly as well. Some natural sources of Iron-rich foods include lean red meat, clams, oysters, shrimp, egg yolk, sardines, legumes (peas, kidney beans, lima beans, soybeans and lentils), pumpkin, potatoes (with the skin), broccoli, collard and turnip greens, dried fruits berries, enriched or fortified breads and cereals and molasses. However, it is difficult to consume enough iron from foods alone, therefore you will benefit from taking a supplement (especially during the second and third trimesters).
We all know that calcium contributes to the strength and longevity of our bone density. It is very important , especially for women who are strongly subject to osteoporosis to get enough calcium daily to maintain the health of their bone structure. So, when a growing fetus also requires calcium to develop healthy bones a mother's supply will contribute to the amount it needs to be fulfilled throughout the day. This is why it is important to meet a minimum of 1,000 mg of calcium through foods and supplements on a daily basis during pregnancy. Most supplements will provide at least 200-300 mg and leave you to consume the rest through calcium -rich food sources or other supplements. Some natural food sources of calcium are milk, cheese, calcium-fortified juices and grains, yogurt, buttermilk, your dark green leafies, nuts and seeds.
So, be sure to read the labels on the pre-natal vitamins you are wanting to take and consider the most important factors for you and your babies health. Remember to always look at the organic alternative to whatever supplements you are finding. Our bodies appreciate anything that is put into them that remain as close to their organic, natural form as possible. Any added "ides" or toxins make it all the more difficult for our systems to break down and contribute to the functionality of our digestion, absorbtion and growing fetus.
Looking to purchase an organic prenatal vitamin. We recommend the following:
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