Prenatal Vitamins: Part 1

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Note: This post is not intended to diagnose or treat.


While researching for this post, I made a shocking and frustrating discovery. When I found out I was pregnant, my primary doctor’s office prescribed me a prenatal vitamin. I picked it up at the pharmacy and it was, of course, in the typical orange pharmacy bottle without any brand name or ingredients listed. I started my research for this post by looking up the code on the bottle and finding the ingredients for my vitamin. I wrote them down and then started looking up important nutrients that should be in a prenatal vitamin and found that it was missing key ingredients including vitamin B7, choline, iodine, magnesium, omega 3 DHA, and vitamin K. In addition to missing these key ingredients, it also had about 25 inactive ingredients including five that I did not find information for, one that has been proven to have high risk of causing cancer, and two unnecessary dyes just to make the tablet pink. This is probably something that my doctor was not even aware of. So all that to say, I am looking for a new vitamin to take. Below are the key nutrients that you should be eating or getting in a prenatal vitamin while pregnant. 


Vitamin A: RDA 2,567 IU*

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Vitamin A is important for the DNA formation for baby’s heart, brain, lungs, and eyes (Howland 2017, 18; Low Dog 2016, 75-76). 

    • Pregnant and breastfeeding women are at the highest risk of vitamin A deficiency (Low Dog 2016, 77).

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Good dietary sources of vitamin A are liver, shrimp, eggs, dairy products (Low Dog 2016, 76). 

    • Foods such as carrots and green leafy vegetables have nutrients that can be converted to useful vitamin A (Low Dog 2016, 76). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • Vitamin A is best absorbed when taken with healthy fats (Low Dog 2016, 76). 

    • Pregnant women should not have more than 3000 IUs of vitamin A in their vitamins, and risk of miscarriage is higher if a pregnant woman has more than 10,000 IUs daily (Low Dog 2016, 77, 80; “Vitamin A (OTC)” 2025). 

    • For more information on vitamin A click here. 


Vitamin B1 (thiamine): RDA 1.4 mg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Pregnant women are at higher risk of thiamine deficiency if they have significant vomiting from morning sickness (Low Dog 2016, 84). 

    • B vitamins including B1 can help support) energy levels in pregnant women (Low Dog 2016, 86).

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • “Pork, trout, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, green peas, acorn squash, asparagus, oatmeal, beans, flax seeds, brown rice, and yeast are good sources of natural thiamine” (Low Dog 2016, 83).

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • For more information on vitamin B1 click here. 


Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): RDA 1.9 mg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Anemia can be caused by B6 deficiency because B6 helps the body make red blood cells and the farther into pregnancy the more B6 is important (Howland 2017, 18; Low Dog 2016, 98, 102). 

    • At a dose of 10-25 mg every 8 hours, B6 can be a good treatment for morning sickness (Low Dog 2016, 98; “Pyridoxine (Rx, OTC)” 2025). See my blog post Sick and Tired: First Trimester Symptoms.

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Meats including fish, beef, and poultry and fruits and vegetables including potatoes, avocado, banana, leafy vegetables, peppers, carrots, and beans are good sources of B6 (Low Dog 2016, 100; Medline Plus 2025).

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • For more information on vitamin B6 click here.


Vitamin B7 (biotin): RDA 30 mcg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Deficiencies in B7 can lead to birth defects like cleft lip or palate (Low Dog 2016, 103). 

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Dairy, eggs, and bananas are good sources of B7 (Medline Plus 2025). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • Although RDA of biotin is 30 mcg, if a deficiency is found 300 mcg can be taken for two weeks to improve levels (Low Dog 2016, 103). 

    • For more information on B7 click here. 


Vitamin B9 (folate): RDA 600 mcg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Vitamin B9 deficiency can lead to birth defects such as spina bifida (Low Dog 2016, 106).

    • Vitamin B9 can help support the placenta (Howland 2017, 18).

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Liver, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, avocados, nuts, and beans are good sources of vitamin B9 (Medline Plus 2025; Low Dog 2016, 110). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • Folic acid is the synthetic (man-made) form of folate. Some women have a gene mutation that prevents folic acid from being useful to the body leading to increased risk of miscarriage (Howland 2017, 20-21).

    • For more information on vitamin B9 click here.


Vitamin B12 (cobalamin): RDA 2.6 mcg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Vitamin B12 deficiency can also contribute to birth defects such as spina bifida (Low Dog 2016, 114, 120

    • Taking B12 during and after pregnancy can help decrease the risk of postpartum depression (Low Dog 2016, 114). 

    • B12 can help with increased blood volume needs during pregnancy (Howland 2017, 18; Medline Plus 2025). 

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Good sources of B12 are meat and dairy products (Medline Plus 2025; Low Dog 2016, 118). 

    • Nutritional yeast can be a decent source as well (Howland 2017, 35; Medline Plus 2025). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • For more information on vitamin B12 click here.


Vitamin C: RDA 85 mg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Vitamin C deficiency may be a cause of preterm labor (Low Dog 2016, 123). 

    • Vitamin C during pregnancy can help support baby’s immune system after birth (Low Dog 2016, 123). 

    • Vitamin C can help prevent sickness in pregnant women. 

    • Vitamin C helps with iron absorption. 

    • Vitamin C “nourishes the amniotic sac and placenta [and is] good for gum health” (Howland 2017, 18). 

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Citrus, peppers, and organ meats are good sources of Vitamin C (Low Dog 2016, 124). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • For more information on vitamin C click here. 


Vitamin D: RDA 600 IU

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Vitamin D during pregnancy can help support baby’s immune system after birth (Low Dog 2016, 129). 

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • The body can produce its own vitamin D in response to sunlight. 

    • Fish, fish oil, and eggs are good sources of vitamin D (Low Dog 2016, 131). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • Calcium depends on vitamin D to be used by the body (Howland 2017, 18; Medline Plus 2025). 

    • For more information on vitamin D click here. 


Vitamin K: RDA 90 mcg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Vitamin K “supports strong bone formation and healthy blood clotting” (Howland 2017, 18). 

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • “Dark green leafy vegetables are the main food source of vitamin K1” (Low Dog 2016, 142). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • The body is able to produce vitamin K with bacteria in the digestive tract (Medline Plus 2025). 

    • Be on the lookout for information about newborn vitamin K supplementation. 

    • For more information on vitamin K click here. 


Calcium: RDA 1000 mg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • “Calcium helps build your baby’s bones and tooth buds and regulates muscle function” (Centering Pregnancy, 40).

    • Studies have shown that calcium may help blood pressure during pregnancy and decrease the risk of preeclampsia (Low Dog 2016, 148). 

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Dairy products are the main source of calcium but can also be found in green leafy vegetables (Low Dog 2016, 149-150). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • Prenatal vitamins are usually not good sources of calcium. 

    • 1000 mg dose of calcium should be divided into 2-3 doses per day, 1-2 hours after meals (“Calcium Gluconate (Rx, OTC)” 2025). 

    • For more information on calcium click here.  


Choline: RDA 200-500 mg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Choline “assists in brain formation, liver function, and healthy metabolism” (Howland 2017, 18). 

    • Choline “may also provide the child lifelong protection against anxiety and exaggerated responses to stressor” (Low Dog 2016, 204). 

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Hard boiled eggs are good sources of choline (Low Dog 2016, 205). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • “Most prenatal supplements do not contain choline” (Low Dog 2016, 204). 

    • For more information on choline click here. 


Iodine: RDA 150-250 mg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Iodine is necessary for thyroid function and decreases in thyroid hormones can affect baby’s brain development and can lead to birth defects and ADHD (Low Dog 2016, 161-162). 

    • Iodine “[e]nhances [the] immune system” (Low Dog 2016, 18). 

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Iodine is added to table salt to help prevent iodine deficiency.

    • One major source of iodine is seaweed (Low Dog 2016, 163). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • For more information on iodine click here. 


Iron: RDA 27 mg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Iron “[h]elps prevent anemia, low birth weight, and premature delivery (Howland 2017, 18). 

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • The most available forms of iron are found in meat products while iron found in plant sources are usually less likely to absorb (Low Dog 2016, 170).

    • “Cooking spinach increases the bioavailability of its iron” (Low Dog 2016, 170). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • Iron requires vitamin C for absorption.

    • The farther into pregnancy the more likely the risk of iron deficiency (Low Dog 2016, 171) and, therefore, anemia due to lower blood cell formation. 

    • For more information on iron click here.  


Magnesium: RDA 350 mg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Good sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, nuts, avocado, and dark chocolate (Low Dog 2016, 181-182). 

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • Magnesium is the main treatment for preeclampsia (Low Dog 2016, 178).

    • For more information on magnesium click here.


Omega 3 DHA: RDA 200 mg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Omega 3 is necessary for baby’s brain development (Centering Pregnancy, 41).

    • Omega 3 can help prevent low birth weight and premature labor (Low Dog 2016, 223). 

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Fish and fish oil are excellent sources of omega 3 (Low Dog 2016, 223).

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • For more information on omega 3 click here.


Zinc: RDA 11mg

  • Why should you take this vitamin?

    • Zinc is important for baby’s DNA formation (Low Dog 2016, 191). 

    • Zinc is helpful for a healthy immune system.

  • What foods are good sources for this vitamin?

    • Zinc can be found in red meat, poultry, and oysters (Medline Plus 2025; Low Dog 2016, 194).

  • What else should I know about this vitamin?

    • For more information on zinc click here. 


*All recommended daily values or RDAs were taken from the RDAs for diet and supplementation for pregnant women in the book Fortify Your Life: Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and More by Tieraona Low Dog, M.D. See reference below.


I know this was a ton of information so if you have any questions please feel free to reach out. I will be doing more research on good prenatal vitamins options and will put out Part 2 soon. In the meantime, look at your prenatal and think about your diet and see if you are getting all the nutrients you need to help you and your baby be healthy. Hopefully you will not be shocked like I was!



Resources

2025. Centering Pregnancy Notebook. www.centeringhealthcare.org.


“Calcium Gluconate (Rx, OTC).” Medscape. WebMD LLC. 2025. https://reference.medscape.com/drug/calcium-gluconate-344434#91


Howland, Genevieve. 2017. The Mama Natural Week-by-week Guide to Pregnancy And Childbirth. Gallery Books.


Low Dog, Tieraona. 2016. Fortify Your Life: Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and More. National Geographic Society.


Medline Plus. National Library of Medicine, 2025. https://medlineplus.gov


“Pyridoxine (Rx, OTC).” Medscape. WebMD LLC. 2025. https://reference.medscape.com/drug/vitamin-b6-nestrex-pyridoxine-344425?_gl=1*iqtlyo*_gcl_au*MTQ4MDUzMTY4Mi4xNzQyODQ0NzU0


"Vitamin A (OTC)." Medscape. WebMD LLC., 2025. https://reference.medscape.com/drug/retinol-aquasol-a-vitamina-344426#0.

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