I used to think that if you ate a healthy diet, full of colorful, whole foods—organic when possible—your prenatal vitamin was just an insurance policy. It was the extra boost of vitamins and minerals that your body may be lacking. Having gone through pregnancy twice myself, and after having cared for hundreds of patients as a midwife, I now know better.
And get this—97% of women report taking a prenatal vitamin, yet 95% are depleted of key nutrients.
Pregnancy and postpartum are some of the most nutritionally demanding time periods in a woman’s life. A high-quality and appropriately dosed prenatal vitamin is critical to support both mom’s and baby’s wellbeing.
Maria Chopivsky
Certified Nurse Midwife, Perinatal Nurse
This is a guest blog post written by our wonderful teacher, Maria. There are afflilate links in this article, but we only every promote products that we have tried and trust 100%.
Choosing the Best Prenatal Vitamins
As a midwife and mom of two, I’m incredibly mindful of the supplements I recommend to my patients and take personally. Not only do I carefully evaluate what’s in the supplement, but also what’s not in it. With so many brands out there, it’s hard to know who to turn to and what to trust.
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Nutrients You Need
Postpartum Diet: 3 crucial nutrients to speed up recovery and improve energy – and where to get them.
Enter Needed—a perinatal nutrition company created by two moms and trained nutritionists who believe women and their families deserve radically better. Their products support women throughout all stages—preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. Needed doses their vitamins beyond just the bare minimum nutrient requirements. For example, their prenatal vitamin has 7x more Choline than the typical one-a-day or gummy prenatal. Choline is a critical nutrient for baby’s brain development.
Discover Exercise & you
Ready to run again? Ready to get back to the gym? Or just looking to take care of your body after pregnancy and birth with exercise routines designed for moms? Then this is the course for you! Taught by a Physical Therapist, Janie, and Personal Trainer, Emi – you will be back in that little black dress and feeling great in no time!
Key Nutrients in High-Quality Prenatal Vitamins
Another supplement I commonly recommend to women is their Omega-3 fatty acid supplement. High-quality fish oils are helpful for supporting egg quality, maternal mood, and baby’s optimal brain, nerve, and eye development. Bonus—it’s encased in such a way to prevent the dreaded fish burps! They even make a vegan version for those who avoid fish.
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Baby Growth and Development
Milestones of 1 month old: physical changes to sensory, cognitive, social and emotional developments.
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What to Eat Postpartum
Postpartum Food: Warm and easy to digest foods provide physical warmth and healing, we have some recipes for you.Â
Lastly, I love recommending their flavorless, easy-to-mix collagen protein powder. Most women need around 100g of protein per day in pregnancy, and adding in a collagen powder is an easy way to reach that goal. Moreover, at the end of pregnancy, your uterus will contain 800x more collagen than pre-pregnancy, and it will support the growth of your baby’s hair, skin, and nails, as well as your own.
What to Avoid in Prenatal Vitamins
What won’t you find in a Needed supplement? Fillers, heavy metals, and poor nutrient forms. Ensuring your prenatal vitamin contains clean, high-quality ingredients is essential for both you and your baby’s health.
Additional Supplements for Postpartum and Beyond
In my busy season of raising two littles and supporting women through their pregnancies and postpartum periods, there are a few Needed products that I now lean on daily. Their Cognitive Support supplement contains a unique blend of 9 targeted nootropic and botanical ingredients that support focus and attention, brain health and memory, and alleviates brain fog. This has been a total game-changer in feeling sharp at work. Because pregnancy brain is real.
The other supplement I use often is their Stress Support – the mental load of parenting is heavy. It’s made of adaptogenic and nervine botanicals traditionally used in Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and herbalism to nourish and support the central nervous system. It supports mood, energy, hormone balance, and overall well-being. These are both safe for us before and after pregnancy, but not during.
And finally, my kids and I love their Immune Support powder, which contains elderberry, zinc, and pre/postbiotics that help fortify the immune system. It’s delicious and easy to make into a drink, popsicles, or even kid-friendly gummies.
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