Prenatal Vitamins are Important for a Healthy Pregnancy At every stage of pregnancy it is important to make sure that you and your baby are healthy. One way to do so is through the use of prenatal vitamins. These vitamins as well as minerals are a way of making sure that you are receiving the right supplements, so when you become pregnant you and your baby will have the right nutrients.

When one is pregnant, the need for certain vitamins and minerals increases. Because of the developing fetus inside of you, more vitamins and minerals must be taken. Because of this, prenatal vitamins can help to make sure that you are receiving the right supplements that may not be as prominent in your diet, or that might be in foods you have suddenly developed distaste for.

Vitamins and minerals that are important to take include:

1. Folic Acid - This reduces the risk of neural tube defects in your baby by 70 percent. Normally, women only have the minimum or below the minimum amount of folic acid available in their bodies. This is an important vitamin supplement to take during pregnancy.
2. Iron - When you are pregnant your body makes more blood to support your baby. The iron naturally stored in your blood can become thin, so an iron supplement is important.
3. Calcium - This doesn't necessarily need to come from prenatal vitamins, but it is important to get at least 1300 mg per day when you are pregnant. Normally, one gets about 800-1000 mg per day. Eating calcium rich foods will help you meet your calcium needs.
4. Protein - This is a building block for your baby's cells, so adequate meat and protein sources should be consumed.
5. Vitamin C - This vitamin helps with the developing teeth, gums, and bones. A supplement is available, but you can get the necessary amount of vitamin C by eating oranges and other fruits.
6. Potassium - This mineral helps with the fluid balance in the cells. Bananas are a great source of potassium.
7. B Vitamins - These all help with the babies developing brain as well as the nervous system, so make sure your prenatal vitamin includes all of the B vitamins.
8. Zinc - Also helps with preventing neural tube defects and develops body tissues.

In addition to all of these vitamins and minerals that should be taken are a few that you don't need to take any more of than usual or can be taken in small doses. The most common of these is Vitamin A. Prenatal supplements should not contain more than 10,000 'IUs' of this vitamin. Many prenatal supplements will offer Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, the same type of mineral found in fruits and vegetables in order to have less of a dosage going straight into the body. The body can then use the Vitamin A as needed.

It is a continuing debate as to whether prenatal vitamins are a necessary supplement for pregnant women. Some say that the only reason why you need these vitamins is if you are not in the best of health before you become pregnant. This includes being a smoker, not eating a balanced diet or having some other type of problem that leads to a lack of nutrients, such as lactose intolerant. If you are carrying more than one fetus, it is important that you do use the extra prenatal vitamins, as these different supplements will need to be divided among the two fetuses. Some individuals or doctors say it is not important to take prenatal vitamins. However, many disagree, saying that it is essential to have extra vitamins and minerals available during pregnancy in order to have a healthy baby. Along this line of debate is the statement that over fifty percent of defects that may happen during birth can be prevented with prenatal vitamins.

In order to find what vitamins is best to take and how much during your pregnancy, the best thing to do is consult your doctor about the options. Prenatal vitamins are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and so it is important to know which ones are going to work better for you and your baby and your doctor can provide you with this information.

Every woman is different and will need different supplemental materials during their pregnancy. It is important to know what types of vitamins and supplements that you need in order to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

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