Healthy pregnancy (16)
- Childbirth education: Get ready for labor and delivery
- Working during pregnancy: Do's and don'ts
- Pregnancy nutrition: Foods to avoid during pregnancy
- see all in Healthy pregnancy
First trimester (6)
- Fetal development: The first trimester
- First trimester pregnancy: What to expect
- Prenatal care: What to expect during the first trimester
- see all in First trimester
Second trimester (7)
- Fetal development: The second trimester
- Second trimester pregnancy: What to expect
- Prenatal care: What to expect during the second trimester
- see all in Second trimester
Third trimester (9)
- Fetal development: The third trimester
- Overdue pregnancy: What to do when baby's overdue
- Third trimester pregnancy: What to expect
- see all in Third trimester
Pregnancy problems (14)
- Heart problems and pregnancy: Know the risks
- High blood pressure and pregnancy: Healthy mom, healthy baby
- Epilepsy and pregnancy: What you need to know
- see all in Pregnancy problems
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Prenatal vitamins: Give your baby the best start
Are prenatal vitamins really necessary during pregnancy? You bet! Prenatal vitamins are an important part of pregnancy nutrition. Here's why you need them, when to start taking them and more.
By Mayo Clinic staffA healthy diet is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals you need. But even if you eat healthfully every day, you may fall short on key nutrients. If you're pregnant or hoping to conceive, prenatal vitamins can help fill any gaps.
How are prenatal vitamins different from other vitamins?
Most prenatal vitamins contain more folic acid, calcium and iron than do standard adult multivitamins. It's still important to eat nutritious foods, but prenatal vitamins can help ensure you're getting enough of these essential nutrients during pregnancy.
Wonder why it matters?
- Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects — serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. Folic acid may also decrease the risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight.
- Calcium promotes strong bones and teeth for both mother and baby. Calcium also helps your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems run normally.
- Iron supports the development of blood and muscle cells for both mother and baby. Iron helps prevent anemia, a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells. Iron may also decrease the risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight.
Prenatal vitamins have been claimed to promote thicker hair and stronger nails, but researchers haven't yet proved whether prenatal vitamins truly have these effects.
Keep in mind that standard prenatal vitamins don't include omega-3 fatty acids, which help promote a baby's brain development. If you're unable to eat fish or other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids or choose not to, your health care provider may recommend omega-3 fatty acid supplements in addition to prenatal vitamins.
Do prenatal vitamins require a prescription?
Prenatal vitamins are available over-the-counter in nearly any pharmacy. Some prenatal vitamins require a prescription. Your health care provider may recommend a specific brand of prenatal vitamins or leave the choice up to you.
Next page(1 of 2)
