The Best Prenatal Vitamins (Cont.)

Chewable Prenatal Vitamins

The majority of women do not need a chewable prenatal vitamin, and many women do not like the taste of chewable prenatal vitamins. Some vitamins and minerals naturally have a strong or unpleasant taste and odor, which can be difficult to mask. However, prenatal vitamins are usually quite large, and some women may have trouble swallowing them. Also, some women feel that swallowing a large and bulky tablet makes their morning sickness worse. For these women, a chewable prenatal vitamin may be the best choice.
 
Some prescription prenatal vitamins come in chewable form (such as NataChew®). In many cases, healthcare providers simply recommend taking two children's Flintstones™ chewable vitamins a day, which is similar to taking one prenatal vitamin (and these vitamins actually taste fairly good).
 

Liquid Prenatal Vitamins

There are a few different types of liquid prenatal vitamins that are currently on the market. They are available without a prescription. However, because the liquid-vitamin trend is most popular in the herbal supplement/health food market, some of the liquid prenatal vitamins contain herbs or other supplements that may not be safe for pregnant women. If you are interested in a particular liquid prenatal vitamin, compare it to a well-established prenatal vitamin (such as Stuart Prenatal®), and make sure there are no extra active ingredients or herbs. Also, because the FDA is not required to regulate vitamins and supplements, it is a good idea to make sure the manufacturer of your liquid prenatal vitamin is respected and reputable.
 

Organic Prenatal Vitamins

Some women are interested in organic prenatal vitamins. As with liquid prenatal vitamins, it is important to make sure an organic prenatal vitamin has only the usual vitamins and minerals (no extra herbs or supplements). Pregnancy is not a good time to be experimenting with herbs and supplements -- just because a substance is "natural," it does not mean that it is safe. Many poisons and toxins are "natural."
 
(The Best Prenatal Vitamins Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;