Important Supplements During Pregnancy: What’s Safe?

Written By Tanya Khanna - January 10, 2025

Read Time - 4 min read

We hope you're eating a healthy and balanced pregnancy diet to ensure that your body is loaded up with all the essential vitamins and minerals. However, we’re aware that during pregnancy, not many moms are a fan of eating, mostly due to morning sickness! And that's where the role of having supplements during pregnancy comes in. Since you may not feel your best self every day when it comes to enjoying a hearty diet to fulfill your body's nutritional needs, having supplements during pregnancy can be a lifesaver for many moms!

Did you know that getting the right nutrients (like protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, and others) can help you feel your best, maintain a healthy weight, and support your baby's growth and development? ^1,²

Why Take Supplements During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a time of rapid changes and growth wherein your body’s nutritional demands are heightened to support both you and your baby. Prenatal supplements can bridge the gap between your regular diet and the extra nutrients your body requires.¹

While a balanced diet is the building block of a healthy pregnancy, it's often difficult to meet all nutritional requirements through food alone. This is especially true with challenges like fluctuating appetites, morning sickness or food aversions. Supplements such as folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, DHA, iodine, etc., provide the necessary nourishment to your baby and aid their overall growth and development. They can also help prevent nutritional deficiencies that may lead to complications for both the mother and the baby.

Now, let’s take a closer look at what these prenatal supplements are and how they support a healthy pregnancy

What Are Prenatal Vitamins?

Prenatal vitamins are important nutrients or supplements, which are essential for an expectant mother to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Consuming vitamin supplements during pregnancy can help expectant mothers to meet their body's nutritional needs that a pregnancy diet may not always provide. Unlike vitamin D (which your skin gets from sunlight), most of the vitamins are derived from the food you eat.³ As per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), your body needs folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin C to fulfill all nutrient requirement for a healthy pregnancy.^1,3

Let us discuss them in detail.

1. Folic Acid

Folic acid, or folate, is an essential B vitamin supplement during pregnancy. It helps promote the production of red blood cells and prevents birth defects that can cause poor brain or spine development in babies.^4,⁵

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women take at least 600 micrograms of folic acid daily. This amount can be difficult to get from diet alone, so doctors suggest taking a prenatal vitamin that contains 400 micrograms of folic acid in addition to eating folate-rich foods.^6,⁷

2. Iron

When you're pregnant, your body needs more iron to optimize your blood supply in order to support the growing baby. That's why it's important to get at least 27 milligrams (mg) of iron per day.¹ You can get iron from both food and supplements. Good food sources of iron include:^3,⁶

Meat
Chicken
Fish
Eggs
Dried beans
Fortified grains
Dark green leafy vegetables

Also, if you think that you're not getting enough iron from food then you may need to take a supplement. Talk to your doctor about the best way to get the iron you need.

3. Calcium

Calcium is another essential mineral on the list that plays a significant role in the growth and development of your baby. Not only does it help in building teeth and bones, but it also aids in the development of your baby’s heart, nerves, and muscles. As per ACOG, it’s recommended that a pregnant woman take at least 1,000 mg of calcium per day.¹

To meet this requirement, it is recommended to take a calcium supplement during pregnancy along with a well-balanced diet that includes calcium-rich food items. These may include milk, dairy products, broccoli, and fortified foods such as cereals, bread, juices, almonds, and sesame seeds.³

It's important to note that calcium deficiency can have long-term effects on your health. Insufficient calcium intake can lead to your body extracting it from your bones and transferring it to the baby. This may cause several health conditions such as osteoporosis - a serious condition where bones become thin and weak. Therefore, it's crucial to make sure that you get enough calcium in your diet and take necessary supplements to support a healthy pregnancy.⁷

4. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential supplement during pregnancy, which helps absorb calcium in the body. It helps develop the fetus’s bones and teeth and is equally important for the skin and eyesight. ACOG recommends, whether pregnant or not, you need 15 micrograms of vitamin D daily. Additionally, it helps your body's nerves, muscles, and immune system to function properly.^1,³

Vitamin D-rich food items include fortified milk and breakfast cereal, fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, fish liver oils, and egg yolks.

5. DHA

DHA, also called Docosahexaenoic acid, is an omega-3 fatty acid crucial for the development of your baby's brain and eyes. Research suggests that pregnant women should consume at least 200 mg of DHA per day.³

You can add DHA-rich food items like Herring, salmon, trout, anchovies, catfish, and shrimp to your diet to meet your daily DHA needs. Eating 1-2 servings of seafood per week can also fulfill your DHA requirements. ⁸

If you are a vegetarian, munching on nuts or seeds like walnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds might be a good idea! Moms who are unable to fulfill their ideal DHA intake through diets can switch to DHA supplements as advised by their doctor.⁹

6. Iodine

Iodine is another vital mineral required for the development of the baby’s brain and nervous system. It is also necessary for our body to make thyroid hormones, which control the body's metabolism. Additionally, this essential mineral helps your body use and store energy from the food you eat.²

As an expectant mother, it's recommended that you consume 220 micrograms of iodine daily. You can include iodine-rich food items such as fish, milk, cheese, and yogurt in your diet to meet your iodine requirements.^3,¹⁰

Supplements To Avoid During Pregnancy

While supplements can be a lifesaver, some are not safe during pregnancy and should be avoided to protect both you and your baby. For example:

Vitamin A In High Doses:

Vitamin A is essential for fetal development. However, excessive intake, particularly from supplements (such as retinoid-based vitamin A), can lead to birth defects. High doses of vitamin A can cause malformations in the baby’s brain, heart, and face. It is advisable to avoid supplements containing more than 2250 to 2310 IU (International Units) of vitamin A, as it increases the risk of toxicity.

Excessive Iron

Iron too is an important supplement for preventing anemia during pregnancy. But consuming too much iron can cause constipation, nausea, and other gastrointestinal issues. In extreme cases, excessive iron intake can lead to iron toxicity, which can harm the liver and other organs.

Unregulated Or Contaminated Supplements

Some supplements, especially those bought from unreliable or non-regulated sources, may contain harmful ingredients such as heavy metals, toxins, or undisclosed substances that can be harmful during pregnancy. Always choose supplements that are certified by reputable organizations and approved for use during pregnancy.

The Final Note

Being pregnant is one of the most beautiful experiences in a woman's life. But it's also a time when you need to be extra careful about your health, as you're not only responsible for yourself, but also for the little one growing inside you. Apart from eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, taking prenatal supplements during pregnancy is also crucial. These supplements provide your body with the essential nutrients that it needs to support the growth and development of your baby.

We hope this blog has helped you understand the importance of supplements and inspired you to be mindful of your nutritional needs. And lastly, we'd like to add that when you're confused about what to take or avoid during pregnancy, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor! Happy pregnancy!