Popular Prenatal Vitamin Brands
If you walk into your local pharmacy or the vitamin section of your grocery store, you will be inundated with different prenatal vitamin brands. If you’ve never shopped for prenatal multivitamins before, you may feel completely confused and overwhelmed with your choices. Popular prenatal vitamin brands that you may encounter include New Chapter Perfect Prenatal, Nature Made Prenatal Multivitamin, Rainbow Light Prenatal, Spring Valley Prenatal Multivitamin, and Prenatal Plus Prenatal Vitamins.
Here are a few factors to consider when choosing between the prenatal vitamin brands:
Different Forms of Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are available in different forms, including pills, softgel tablets, and liquids. The form that you choose depends on what’s easiest for you to take. Some women have a hard time swallowing pills and capsules, so taking their prenatal vitamin in liquid form is usually easier. Similarly, the taste and texture of certain prenatal vitamin brands bother some women. If this is the case for you, consider switching to another brand.
The packaging of the prenatal vitamin can also differ. Not all prenatal vitamin pills are the same size. Some are larger; others are smaller. For example, Rainbow Light Prenatal Petite is smaller than One A Day Women’s Prenatal Vitamins. In general, prenatal vitamins without calcium are typically smaller in size. (If you go this route, you’ll need to take an additional calcium supplement because calcium is essential to your baby’s bone growth.) If you don’t enjoy swallowing pills, you can also find chewable prenatal vitamins.
Prenatal Vitamins are Not Created Equal
When you choose a prenatal vitamin, don’t go by the brand name. Read the ingredients list. The March of Dimes recommends that pregnant women choose a prenatal vitamin that has 600 micrograms of folic acid (which helps prevent neural tube birth defects). Iron and calcium are two other important vitamins you need in the prenatal vitamin.