When to Start Popping Prenatals

It’s important to make healthy food choices during pregnancy, but you need to be sure you’re getting enough of the essential vitamins and minerals that your baby needs, such as folic acid, calcium with vitamin D and iron. So even before conception, you should start taking prenatal vitamins.

In general, for women of reproductive age, it’s advisable to take a prenatal vitamin regularly. You might not even know you’re pregnant during your first month of pregnancy when the baby’s neural tube develops. (It becomes the brain and spinal cord, and folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects.)

You should take prenatal vitamins during your whole pregnancy, but they only should be vitamin and mineral supplements recommended by your doctor. After your baby is born and if you’re breastfeeding, your doctor might even recommend that you continue taking prenatal vitamins.

For some women, taking prenatal vitamins could cause nausea. It might be helpful to eat a snack before taking your prenatal vitamin or take it at night before you go to sleep. If you’re still experiencing queasiness, talk to your doctor about your options.

Get more pregnancy resources and tips at BayCareMaternity.org or find an obstetrician near you.