Last Updated on August 15, 2022 by
Prenatal vitamins are important for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
If you’re taking a prenatal vitamin, you may be wondering what the difference is between chewable prenatal vitamins with iron and regular prenatal vitamins.
What Is a Prenatal Vitamin?
A prenatal vitamin is a supplement that provides essential nutrients for pregnant women and those who plan to become pregnant. Prenatal vitamins typically contain folic acid (a B vitamin), iron, calcium, zinc and other minerals. Some prenatal vitamins may also contain DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which supports brain development in infants.
Prenatal Vitamins With Iron
Iron is an essential mineral for red blood cell production and energy production in your body. Iron deficiency during pregnancy can lead to anemia in both mother and baby, so it’s important to take an iron supplement during this time.
Chewable Prenatal Vitamins With Iron
There are two types of chewable prenatal vitamins: standard chewables and gummy chewables. Standard chewables are tablets that must be chewed before swallowed, while gummy chewables look like gummy bears but can be swallowed whole without chewing them first
Chewable prenatal vitamins with iron
Prenatal vitamins are a great way to ensure that you’re getting all the nutrients you need during pregnancy. These vitamins contain folic acid, which is crucial for a healthy baby — it helps prevent birth defects such as spina bifida.
The typical prenatal vitamin contains 20 to 25 mg of iron. But if you’re anemic, your doctor may recommend taking an iron supplement instead of a prenatal vitamin. This is because the iron in prenatal vitamins isn’t absorbed as well by your body as non-pregnant women’s bodies.
If you’re anemic and need an iron supplement, ask your doctor whether it’s OK to take chewable vitamins with iron instead of tablets or liquid drops. Chewable supplements can be easier on your stomach and taste better than pills and liquids.
Prenatal vitamins are a must for pregnant women, but they can be hard to swallow. With the right preparation, you can make them easier to take.
Many prenatal vitamins contain iron and calcium, which can lead to constipation or heartburn. Iron supplements may also cause constipation and upset stomachs. If your prenatal vitamin causes digestive discomfort, try these tips:
Take the vitamins with food. Eating food with your vitamins can help prevent nausea or bloating caused by iron supplements.
Mix the vitamin in juice or water. Adding juice or water to the vitamin powder helps it go down easier. You might even find that fruit juices make your prenatal vitamins taste better!
Take smaller doses at more frequent intervals throughout the day if necessary. Some women prefer to take smaller doses more frequently than one large dose per day, so talk with your doctor about what works best for you.
Prenatal vitamins are a must-have for pregnant women. They contain the right amounts of nutrients that are essential for your baby’s growth and development, especially during the first trimester.
What Are Prenatal Vitamins?
Prenatal vitamins contain many essential nutrients that you and your growing baby need to stay healthy. They’re usually made from a combination of folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D and other B vitamins, including thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) and vitamin B6. Some prenatal vitamins also contain iodine and zinc.
Why Do I Need Prenatal Vitamins?
Your body needs more folic acid during pregnancy because it helps prevent neural tube defects (NTDs), such as spina bifida, anencephaly and encephalocele. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends taking 400 micrograms of folic acid per day before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy for women who are capable of becoming pregnant or who are trying to conceive
Prenatal vitamins can be a little confusing. With all the different types of vitamins and brands, it can be hard to know what you need in order to get the right amount of nutrients during pregnancy.
What are prenatal vitamins?
Prenatal vitamins contain higher doses of certain nutrients — such as folic acid, iron and calcium — than “regular” multivitamins. They’re designed to meet the needs of women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, which is why they’re often referred to as “mummy’s pills.”
What do they contain?
Prenatal vitamins usually contain more than just folic acid (a B vitamin that helps prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida). They may also include:
Calcium: Your baby’s developing bones need this mineral for growth and strength. It also helps your own bones stay healthy during pregnancy. You’ll find calcium in dairy products, leafy greens and tofu.
Iron: Pregnant women are at risk of iron deficiency because their bodies need extra iron to make more blood for their growing babies. Iron is found in meat, beans and some vegetables like spinach.
Folic Acid: This B vitamin helps prevent birth defects like spina bifida (where part of.
With that in mind, if you’re looking for a chewable prenatal vitamin with iron, here are our top picks:
These chewable gummy prenatal vitamins from Rainbow Light contain all the necessary folic acid, DHA omega-3s, iron, and calcium for pregnancy. They may be a bit on the expensive side for two months worth of vitamins (a little over $10 per month), but they’re meant to supplement your diet, not replace it. They’re tasty, vegan, non-GMO, and their ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides. If you’re looking for a supplement that gives you what you need without having to eat pills all day long (or without swallowing a horse pill), these chewable prenatal vitamins are probably the best choice.
Prenatal vitamins can help support a healthy pregnancy and fetal development by containing real nutrition critical for a baby’s growth and development. The most important ingredients in pregnancy vitamins are folic acid, iron, calcium, and most of all the extra dose of vitamins B6 and B12 that pregnant women need. There are other ingredients in prenatal vitamins but each is there for a specific reason to aid in making sure your baby is getting all the nutrients it needs from you during its development.
When taking prenatal vitamins, always read the label to see what each vitamin is supposed to do. Also, make sure the label does not have different effects on a fetus than it does an adult. If you are pregnant, your doctor will monitor your nutrients and other elements and make sure you are getting them all.
Our focus with this infographic was on providing a summary of information in a quick, easy-to-read format. My co-author and I researched our topic minimally—enough to be able to generalize the information we found and avoid primary sources. This kept us from getting bogged down in too much technical detail for a consumer audience. There was little room for interpretation or analysis, as all of our data was based on factual statements, but I feel as though it is well illustrated through the pie chart and simple icons. Each ingredient type is assigned its own icon, making the info graphic laid out very easily understandable by the public (which was our intention). We edited the length of the article to include only salient points, leaving out details that aren’t necessary for the casual reader. Our conclusion reiterates our main point—that less expensive prenatal vitamins can be toxic to a developing fetus—and summarizes some of the points we made that could help women make more informed decisions.