The Best Time to Start Prenatal Vitamins: What Experts Recommend

Pregnancy is a beautiful journey filled with joy and laughter. However, it is not always unicorns and rainbows. Pregnancy demands extra effort and care for your and your baby’s well-being. It is common knowledge that the regular diet fails to provide all the required nutrients to the body, leading you to consider taking pregnancy supplements. Antenatal supplements are enriched with essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, such as folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, vitamin B complex, and more that your body needs to look after your and the baby’s well-being. However, what worries most mothers is when to start prenatal vitamins.

This blog will guide you out of the woods and explain the best time to start prenatal vitamins. Also, we will mention the best prenatal vitamin in the Indian market for you to consider.

Best Time to Start Taking Prenatal Vitamin Tablets

According to top medical experts, ideally, you should start taking pregnancy supplements at least 2 to 3 months before conceiving. Let‘s understand the different phases in which you should consume antenatal tablets:

• Preconception: Doctors usually advise starting prenatal vitamins at least 2 to 3 months before trying to conceive. You must be thinking about the reason behind beginning pregnancy supplements too early. The reason is that these months and the early few weeks of the pregnancy are some of the critical stages of your baby’s development. One such concern is Neural Tube Defects (NTDs), which can form within the first 28 days of pregnancy, often before a missed period or any pregnancy symptoms appear. Starting prenatal supplements helps your body build up a reserve of essential nutrients, like folic acid, ahead of time. This way, you’re giving your baby a healthy head start and significantly lowering the risk of early developmental complications. 
• After Learning About Pregnancy: If you haven’t started prenatal vitamins before conception, there is no need to panic. It’s never too late to start. As soon as you know about your pregnancy, you can start taking prenatal supplements. The early weeks of pregnancy are crucial for the baby’s organ development, and supplements help provide essential nutrients to support the process.
• During Fertility Treatments: When you're trying to get pregnant, especially if you're undergoing fertility treatments, healthcare providers suggest starting prenatal vitamins early. It helps keep your body perfectly ready for conception and a healthy pregnancy. Taking prenatal vitamins even before you’re pregnant helps create a reserve of essential nutrients like folic acid, iron, and vitamin D, crucial for both fertility and fetal development. So, boosting your nutrient levels during fertility treatments can improve your chances of conceiving and support a smoother pregnancy journey.

Nutrients To Look for In a Prenatal Vitamin

Folate: Folic Acid or Folate is one of the essential nutrients in prenatal vitamins for pregnancy. During the early stages of pregnancy, often before you know you are expecting, the baby develops its spine and brain. Folate or folic acid helps prevent the development of neural tube defects (NTDs), which affect the brain and spine of the baby. Moreover, folate or folic acid is also required for the healthy heart, neural, and facial development of the baby.

Iron: Did you know that during pregnancy, your body’s iron demands increase suddenly because the developing baby requires blood volumes for receiving oxygen and optimal well-being. Another reason why iron becomes a vital nutrient during pregnancy is that it helps prevent maternal anemia.

Vitamin B Complex: Vitamin B is an essential nutrient that promotes the well-being of the mother and the baby. Taking pregnancy supplements helps create a reserve of Vitamin B complex in your body while promoting a healthier pregnancy.

Vitamin C: It is a derivative antioxidant that helps the growth of strong teeth and bones. Vitamin C also supports a good, healthy immune system and prevents preeclampsia. Taking pregnancy supplements helps create an appropriate Vitamin C reserve in your body while promoting a healthier pregnancy.

Omega 3 (DHA: EPA): Omega 3 fatty acids support the baby's brain development while boosting the mother's mood throughout the pregnancy. Therefore, it is essential to maintain adequate amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids in the body and prenatal tablets help doing it.

Zinc: This plays an important role in cell division, protein synthesis, and growth. Prenatal supplements that contain zinc help deliver an adequate amount of zinc to your body, meeting the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and supporting a healthy pregnancy.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is used in healthy bones, the immune system, mood, and health. Choosing a prenatal supplement with an adequate Vitamin D dosage ensures positive maternal and fetus outcomes. 

Vitamin E: Supports brain health, egg quality, and eye health. Choosing a prenatal supplement with an adequate Vitamin E dosage ensures positive pregnancy outcomes.

Iodine: Helps maintain thyroid hormone production; thyroid hormones, in turn, control ovulation.

Trimacare, the Best Prenatal Multivitamin

Trimacare is renowned as the best prenatal multivitamin in the Indian market because it contains 20+ essential nutrients that the body requires during pregnancy. It is packed with nutrients that support a healthy and stress-free pregnancy. Trimacare is formulated by a team of highly skilled medical experts specially for Indian pregnant mothers to bridge the dietary gaps. It includes folate and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA: DHA) to initiate early embryo development and for healthy neural tube and brain development. Additionally, its formulation has iron, calcium, vitamins B2, B6, K, C, E, and B12, zinc, iodine, antioxidants, etc.

Trimacare is a trimester-specific prenatal vitamin tablet tailored to provide support during each stage of pregnancy. Additionally, it is a 100% vegetarian formula to suit all dietary preferences. It's a gentle and easy-on-the-stomach formula that minimizes nausea, morning sickness, and constipation. Formulated using only the highest quality ingredients, Trimacare is backed by science and provides nutrition to expectant mothers for a healthy pregnancy.

Conclusion

As per healthcare professionals, the best time to start taking prenatal vitamins is a few months before conception. However, if you have missed taking supplements before conception, you can start taking them as soon as you find out that you are expecting. Prenatal vitamin tablets help provide essential nutrients and support early fetal development. However, before starting any prenatal vitamins, consult your doctor.

FAQs

When is the best time to take prenatal multivitamins?

Doctors recommend starting prenatal vitamins at least 1-3 months before conceiving.

Can I start prenatal supplements after getting pregnant?

Yes. If you didn’t start taking prenatal supplements before conceiving, then you can start taking them as soon as you find out that you are expecting.

Why is folic acid important?

Folic acid helps reduce the risk of developing neural tube defects (NTDs), which often occur in the first 28 days of pregnancy.

Do I need a prescription for prenatal vitamins?

Generally, prenatal supplements are available over the counter, yet it is recommended to consult a doctor before starting any supplement.

Pro Tip: Always consult your healthcare provider before choosing any supplement.