Over the Counter prenatal vitamins

What Are the Best Prenatal Vitamins?

Many pregnant women wonder which prenatal vitamins are best. This is a difficult question to answer, as the prenatal vitamins that are best for one woman may not be the best for another woman. Additionally, it can be difficult to directly compare prenatal vitamins, even if they contain the exact same ingredients. Over-the-counter prenatal vitamins typically have lower amounts of some vitamins (particularly folic acid). There is no single "best" prenatal vitamin. The best prenatal vitamin for you will depend on several factors, such as any special health needs or how much you want to spend. Your healthcare provider can be a great resource for helping you choose the best prenatal vitamin for your needs. Keep in mind that you may need to try a few different prenatal vitamins in order to find the one you prefer.


Prescription prenatal vitamins

*may contain more iron than others (which is helpful for women who are anemic).
*may contain iron in formulations that are easier to absorb.
*may be formulated with special coatings
*may be formulated specifically to help with morning sickness.
*may contain a stool softener (usually docusate sodium), which helps relieve constipation, a common problem during pregnancy (which can be made worse by the iron and calcium in prenatal vitamins).

The latest trend is to include docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in prenatal vitamins. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that appears to be important for brain, eye, and heart health. The typical American diet is usually deficient in DHA (because DHA is mostly found in fish). Also, because fish is the primary source of DHA and because pregnant women are often instructed to limit their intake of certain types of fish (to avoid the potential risks of mercury toxicity), many pregnant women may be deficient in DHA. In most formulations, the DHA is included in a soft-gel capsule that is separate from the prenatal vitamin (which means that two pills are necessary each day, instead of one).

Some are chewable, liquid, organic, or even kosher.

Importantly, there are wide variations in the cost of prenatal vitamins. If your healthcare provider has prescribed one that is too expensive, please ask to switch to a different prenatal vitamin. Many prenatal vitamins are very inexpensive, and there is no reason to not take a prenatal vitamin due to cost.


Some women feel that swallowing a large and bulky tablet makes their morning sickness worse. For these women, a chewable prenatal vitamin may be the best choice. In many cases, I recommend taking two children's Flintstones™ chewable vitamins a day, which is similar to taking one prenatal vitamin (and these vitamins actually taste fairly good).