It\u2019s because prenatal vitamins supplement women with the 3 key nutrients their bodies need for a healthy pregnancy: calcium, folic acid, <\/strong>and iron<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might think, \u201cOh, I can just take more of my regular multivitamin.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But not really. Taking more than one daily multivitamin leads to an overload of certain nutrients and vitamins, like vitamin A and C, and can actually pose harm to mom and baby during early pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prenatal vitamins were specifically designed with extra amounts of just the vitamins moms need<\/strong>, and lower amounts of potentially harmful nutrients, so mamas\u2019 bodies receive all of the right nourishment for pregnancy<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, prenatal vitamins are so crucial to a healthy pregnancy that we made our own all-natural, affordable prenatal filled with all of the best nutrients to support mom and baby. And in this post, we\u2019re going to talk about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing babies need plenty of folic acid for healthy neural tube \u2014 spinal and brain \u2014 development; without enough of this mineral, babies can develop neural tube defects like anencephaly<\/a> and spina bifida<\/a>. Since prenatals are full of this mineral, they\u2019re essential in preventing conditions like so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not already taking a prenatal while trying to conceive, you should start as soon as possible since the neural tube develops during the early weeks of pregnancy and you\u2019ll want to ensure your body has healthy levels of folic acid from day one of conception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being deficient in certain minerals, like zinc, can cause early labor, premature birth, and low birth weight in newborns. Prenatal vitamins help mama get all the nutrients she needs to maintain good health, and ensures that baby receives enough of the right vitamins and minerals to develop at a healthy rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prenatal vitamins contain folic acid to facilitate baby\u2019s brain and spinal cord development; copper to develop the skeletal system, brain, heart, and other major organs; vitamins to stimulate baby\u2019s bone, cell, and tissue growth; in addition to a number of other beneficial nutrients to support a fetus from conception until birth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A good portion of fetal development takes place in the first weeks and months of pregnancy, sometimes even before you realize you\u2019re pregnant, which is why taking prenatals all throughout the time you\u2019re trying to conceive is recommended to ensure your growing baby gets the right amount of essential nutrients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your body needs iron to make red blood cells, and red blood cells are what carry oxygen to the heart and other organs. Plus, iron plays a decently large role in the development of the placenta, which is pretty important for pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iron deficiencies are rather common in general, not just in pregnant women, so it\u2019s a safe bet to increase your iron intake during pregnancy to prevent iron-deficiency anemia and other health complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Certain studies<\/a> have shown that supplementing vitamins C and E \u2014 as well as vitamin D during early pregnancy and the first trimester \u2014 can significantly lower your chances of developing preeclampsia<\/a> – a serious condition characterized by high blood pressure that can lead to potentially fatal complications for both mom and baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research found oxidative stress as a leading cause of preeclampsia; so the thought is that supplementing the body with powerful antioxidants like vitamins C, E, and D will stabilize free radicals and prevent preeclampsia due to oxidative stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paying extra attention to meet your nutritional needs helps your internal processes run more smoothly and regulates your hormones. Healthy hormone production and maintaining good health in general means better quality eggs, which increases the chances of getting pregnant\/or reduced complications or chance of miscarriage once you do. Plus, many prenatal vitamins are full of omega-3 fatty acids, or DHA; this nutrient enhances cervical mucus quality and better balances reproductive hormones to facilitate conception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It probably comes as no surprise that mamas need extra nutrients while breastfeeding just like they do while pregnant. Sure, the nutritional needs change from pregnancy to breastfeeding, but mamas are advised to continue with their prenatal until they\u2019re done breastfeeding to make sure they\u2019re providing enough nourishment for their baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since we know moms already have a lot on their plates after becoming pregnant, we designed our prenatal vitamins program to be as simple, straightforward, and convenient as possible to take the burden of shopping prenatals off of mama. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most importantly, our prenatal vitamins contain all of the essential nutrients to support pregnancy, such as folic acid, calcium, magnesium, and an array of vitamins. This way, mom doesn\u2019t have to worry about reading labels to find the best prenatal, or heading to the store to replenish her prenatal vitamins every time she runs out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And we take our dedication to supporting pregnant mamas one step further by donating our prenatal vitamins<\/strong> to pregnant women who need them, so no expecting mamas have to go without. Upon signing up for our prenatal program, mama can choose whether they want to just pay for shipping or pay for shipping plus<\/em> a donation to a pregnant mom in need \u2014 every dollar donated goes directly to supplying and shipping moms our nourishing prenatal vitamins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, over 10,000 mamas rely on us every month for their prenatal vitamins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we mentioned earlier, our prenatal vitamins are completely clean and safe for all mamas. They\u2019re free of fillers found in the OTC prenatal vitamins, and they contain all of the right ingredients in healthy amounts so moms are never oversaturated in one vitamin or mineral. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our Bump Boxes prenatal vitamins are dye- and filler-free; sugar, lactose, and gluten-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Signing up for an affordable prenatal vitamin subscription<\/a>\u00a0takes only a few clicks. Simply choose the shipping amount and whether or not you want to make a donation, then enter your billing and shipping info. Then, we\u2019ll send your prenatal vitamins straight to your door every month! \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most prenatal vitamins contain the same primary vitamins and minerals \u2014 although some may have a few additional nutrients thrown in here or there \u2014 but the amount of each ingredient may differ from supplement to supplement. We always recommend checking with your OBGYN or doctor to determine how much of each vitamin and mineral you should be taking before choosing a prenatal vitamin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the most part, there\u2019s no right or wrong way to take a prenatal vitamin; however, these helpful pills can have not-so-fun side effects that may require some strategy to manage. If you\u2019ve never taken a prenatal vitamin before, or you\u2019re struggling with taking your current pill, try some of our tips below to make the process smoother:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some moms swear by taking prenatal vitamins in the morning, others can only take it at night right before bed. Take Moriah on our Social Media team, for example, she got sick when trying to take her prenatals in the morning, and instead, felt best taking them in the evening; while on the other hand, her best friend was the complete opposit<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you consistently get sick taking your prenatals first thing in the morning (or right before bed), change up the time you take them. And although it seems most moms usually choose morning or<\/em> night, there\u2019s nothing wrong with taking your prenatal with lunch or in the middle of the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Prenatal vitamins, when taken on an empty stomach, can cause serious stomach aches and nausea. However, this can also be said for nearly any other multivitamin. If you\u2019re going to take a vitamin, you should pair it with a meal <\/strong>so you\u2019re not filling your body with vitamins and minerals on an empty stomach \u2014 doing this upsets the GI tract and leads to discomfort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Babies grow a ton during early pregnancy, so they need the extra nutrients prenatal vitamins provide to fuel that healthy development. Start taking your prenatal vitamin as early as you can \u2014 if you\u2019re planning for a baby, it\u2019s helpful to start these earlier than later, and if you\u2019ve just become pregnant, definitely start taking them now! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though prenatal vitamins have all the nutrients mamas need for pregnancy, moms should be extra mindful of nutrition during pregnancy and still follow a healthy diet. This way, mama gets enough fruits and veggies, proteins, whole grains, and dairy (and limits sugary junk and greasy fats) on top of supplementing the vitamins her baby needs with a prenatal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A diet full of sweets and lacking in sustenance isn\u2019t recommended for mom\u2019s general health or baby\u2019s fetal development. Not to mention, fatty foods and sugary snacks usually cause an upset belly, anyway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking another vitamin with a prenatal supplement means you\u2019re getting way too much of certain nutrients, including folic acid, calcium, and iron, and even though those are good for pregnancy, they\u2019re not necessarily better in higher doses. Many vitamins cause unpleasant side effects when taken in too-large doses, too, including headaches, dizziness, nausea, constipation, abdominal pain, a metallic taste in your mouth, drowsiness, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally, your doctor or gynecologist will tell you there is no significant difference between prescription and over-the-counter prenatal vitamins \u2014 apart from their price \u2014 and most mamas can use OTC prenatals with zero problems. However, expecting mamas who\u2019ve had neural tube defects in previous pregnancies may want to ask their health care provider about a prescription prenatal vitamin with higher amounts of folic acid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prescription prenatal vitamins are filler-free and more strictly regulated than OTC options, though, so if that is important to you, you may want to pay the extra cost for a prescription pill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! You should actually start taking prenatal vitamins years before you plan on getting pregnant, when possible. Prenatal vitamins help prepare the body for pregnancy and aid in conception. And you should continue to take prenatal vitamins after childbirth until you\u2019re done breastfeeding since your body now needs the extra nutrients to produce breast milk. (And if you\u2019re planning on having another child, we suggest continuing to take them until you\u2019re done breastfeeding and done planning for another!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you take prenatal vitamins long-term when you\u2019re not pregnant \u2014 and not planning on becoming pregnant \u2014 it could result in certain vitamin deficiencies, like vitamin B-12, and getting too much of other minerals, like folic acid or folate. Prenatal vitamins can also cause gastrointestinal problems like stomach pains, loss of appetite, and nausea, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to find a prenatal that has healthy doses of these nutrients that won\u2019t oversaturate you, like our Bump Boxes prenatal vitamins<\/a>. We design our prenatals with just the right amount of vitamins and minerals to support pregnancy without causing unpleasant side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While, yes, prenatal vitamins can help you conceive if you\u2019re trying to get pregnant, they don\u2019t actually boost fertility or \u201cmake you fertile.\u201d Though they can prevent pregnancy complications and prime your body to nurture a developing baby, they don\u2019t make you any more likely to get pregnant than any other supplement or multivitamin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, it\u2019s best to begin taking prenatal vitamins a few years before planning for a baby; however, not everybody plans for baby years in advance \u2014 so as long as you start taking them 3 to 6 months before, or as soon as you find out you\u2019re pregnant, your body and baby should be OK. Of course, you should always consult with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about taking prenatal vitamins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Prenatal vitamin supplements are full of three major nutrients needed for pregnancy \u2014 folic acid, calcium, and iron \u2014 so they:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Missing your prenatal vitamin isn\u2019t the end of the world, even if it is for a week. It\u2019s definitely not the best, but as long as you get back into a routine as soon as you realize you fell out, you and baby should be just fine. Just remember, don\u2019t double-up the dosage after days you\u2019ve forgotten to take your prenatal \u2014 this usually leads to unpleasant side effects like vomiting and nausea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prenatal vitamins aren\u2019t like birth control where you have to take the pill at the exact same time every day, you can change up when you take your prenatal on any given day. Most moms do prefer to take their prenatal vitamin at the same time every day because it\u2019s easier to remember when it\u2019s incorporated into your routine, or because they\u2019ve found taking their prenatals at certain times of the day leads to fewer side effects than taking it at others, but there aren\u2019t any negatives to varying the time you take your prenatal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our Bump Boxes prenatal subscription program makes shopping for the best prenatal vitamin for pregnancy convenient and affordable (also, super easy); but we take convenience one step further with our pregnancy subscription boxes<\/a>, full of all of the best products for pregnancy, and put together just for mom every single month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bump Boxes pregnancy subscription gift kits are designed to pamper mamas through every step of pregnancy and make shopping for safe pregnancy products easy. Our monthly boxes are tailored specifically for where mom\u2019s at in her pregnancy, too, so our Bump Boxes mamas are always getting a variety of fun products to tackle the discomforts they\u2019re currently experiencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, our early pregnancy boxes are usually full of morning sickness remedies and fun gifts to celebrate and announce your pregnancy; meanwhile, our boxes in later months contain belly bands and all the gear mom needs to prepare for labor and the big day. And our subscription box is more than just a fun box to mom\u2019s doorstep each month, it comes with the dedicated support of our team of moms here at Bump Boxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our entire goal is to make pregnancy go smoother for other moms just like us, so we\u2019re always happy to lend a helping hand or offer some guidance while navigating the pregnancy and prenatal world. And we love pampering our moms with our favorite products for pregnancy each and every month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interested in learning more about our prenatal subscription program<\/a> and finding the right pregnancy subscription program for your stage of pregnancy? We have something for every shopper, between month-to-month, 6, and 9 month options<\/a>, and we even have trimester-specific boxes<\/a>\u00a0for when you want a little extra pampering. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every expecting mama needs a good prenatal vitamin, but it’s actually helpful to take prenatals before, during, and after pregnancy. Our post explains why.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":778290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[463,483,462,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-776780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pregnancy-lifestyle","category-wellness-physical","category-pregnancy","category-wellness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Pregnant](\"https:\/\/blog.bumpboxes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Artboard-22@0.75x.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHere are 7 benefits of prenatal vitamins:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#1: Reduces the Chance of Birth Defects, Specifically Neural Tube Birth Defects<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#2: Prevents Premature Birth and Low Birthweight<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#3: Supports Earliest (and Most Important) Stages of Fetal Development<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#4: Supplements Mom\u2019s Natural Iron Levels to Ensure She Receives Enough of This Needed Mineral<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#5: May Reduce the Risk of Developing Preeclampsia<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#6: Improves Egg Quality and Balances Reproductive Hormones, Especially Helpful for Those Trying to Get Pregnant<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#7: Support Mama during Breastfeeding<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bump Boxes Prenatal Vitamins for Trying and Expecting Mamas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Bump](\"https:\/\/blog.bumpboxes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Artboard-2@0.75x.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBeneficial Vitamins and Minerals in Prenatals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Prenatal](\"https:\/\/blog.bumpboxes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Artboard-23@0.75x.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nTips for Making the Most of Your Prenatal Vitamins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Bump](\"https:\/\/blog.bumpboxes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Artboard-3@0.75x.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n#1: Listen to Your Body When Choosing the Timing of Taking Your Prenatal<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#2: Take Your Prenatal Vitamins with Food<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#3: Start Taking Prenatal Vitamins Earlier Than Later<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#4: Supplement Prenatal Vitamins with a Healthy, Balanced Diet<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#5: Avoid Pairing Prenatal Vitamins with Other Multivitamins<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Talking with Your Doctor About Prenatals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Doctor](\"https:\/\/blog.bumpboxes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Artboard-21@0.75x.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nFAQs on Prenatal Vitamins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Is It a Good Idea to Take Prenatal Vitamins When Not Pregnant?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What Are the Side Effects of Taking Prenatal Vitamins When Not Pregnant?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Do Prenatal Vitamins Make You Fertile?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
When Should You Start Taking Prenatal Vitamins?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What Do Prenatal Vitamins Do to Your Body<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Is It OK to Miss a Week of Prenatal Vitamins<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Do I Have to Take Prenatal Vitamins at the Same Time Every Day?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Trust in Bump Boxes for Prenatal Vitamins and<\/em> All of the Best Products to Prepare for Pregnancy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pregnant](\"https:\/\/blog.bumpboxes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Untitled-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n