Prenatal vitamins with iron is one of the important nutritional needs supplier during and after pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins are supplements that provide the body of the pregnant mother and the child she carries with important micro-nutrients that are not easily gotten from the meals she consumes daily.
Prenatal vitamins usually contain a host of nutrients such as Folate, the vitamin Bs, zinc, calcium, copper, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, magnesium, and many more. While the nutrient constitution of these prenatal vitamins may vary, we will focus on the ones that have iron as one of their nutrient constituents.
In this article, we will discuss about the importance of prenatal vitamins to the mother and child. We will also look at the importance of iron in the development of the child and finally, at the best prenatal vitamins with iron.
What are Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are dietary supplements that are sometimes recommended by doctors and are available over the counter for the use of pregnant women. Prenatal vitamins help to fill in the insufficiency that exists in the nutrients consumed by the pregnant woman, consequently helping her improve her health and aid the baby’s development.
The nutrient profile of prenatal vitamins varies from one product to another. While some give importance to uncommon nutrients such as Cholate, others give importance to such nutrients as Folate, iron, magnesium and other common ones.
Prenatal vitamins are suitable for use before pregnancy, postpartum, and lactation. They contain certain ingredients that make them improve the health of pregnant women such as ginger for morning sickness. There are also prenatal vitamins with probiotics that help to improve gut health and inoculate the child with live bacteria and yeast in order to build its immunity.
Since there are different prenatal vitamins with focus on different nutrients, we are focusing on ones with Iron.
Importance of Iron to Your Baby
Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in infants. Adult humans have lesser need for iron compared to infants. This is because the development of the brain, muscle cells, and red blood cells are rapid in infants.
For the fetus, the need for iron is most important in preparation for the severance from the mother’s supply. Considering the fact that iron is not adequately supplied through breast milk, it is important that the mother be fed a high amount of iron to aid the child’s development while in the womb.
In infants, 30% of iron need has to be gotten from diet. A contrast to how adults gets 5% their fix of iron from diet and the remaining part from recycled red blood cells. Therefore, the mother must consume as much iron as she can to share with her child during pregnancy and lactation.
Some of the important roles of iron in infants are as follows:
- Impacts Neuro-development
- Strengthens immunity
- Strengthens aerobic metabolism and reduces fatigue.
Best Prenatal Vitamins with Iron
To help your baby develop better in the cognitive department and have stronger immunity, the need for you, as the mother, to consume prenatal vitamins with iron is pertinent. For this reason, we have come up with the best prenatal vitamins with iron.
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Ritual Essential Prenatal
This is a vegan-friendly diet supplement that provides pregnant women with micro-nutrient needs that are difficult to satisfy through meals alone. Essential prenatal is gluten free and contains no artificial sweeteners or colorants.
It contains iron, and together with other nutrients such as omega-3, Choline, and Folate, it helps in brain development. It also contains Folate and vitamin B12 that is important, in collaboration with iron, in the production of red blood cells.
With two pills a day, you have all the benefits of the supplement.
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MegaFood Baby & Me
MegaFood Baby and Me is a product directed at expecting mothers as well as lactating mothers. It provides them with a wide range of vitamins and minerals that might be lacking in their meals. These nutrients improve the health of the mother and as expected, that of the baby.
It is vegetarian-friendly, gluten, soy, and dairy free.
It is particularly high in iron that it is recommended that mothers take only four tablets daily. The 18mg of iron it contains, together with folic acid help in the development of the brain and formation of new red blood cells.
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Nature Made Prenatal Multi + DHA
This supplement is specially made for improved brain, bone, eyes, and nervous system development of your baby.
Iron, folate and DHA combine to help improve the growth and development of your child’s brain and at the same time ensure the rapid and healthy production of red blood cells.
It also ensures, through the aid of iron, that oxygen is transported to the cells in adequate quantity.
Apart from Iron and folate for brain development, it also contains all B vitamins, DHA, and other vitamins; A, C, D, E, and K.
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Perfect Prenatal Multivitamin
Perfect prenatal multivitamin, produced by New Chapter, employs a different approach to supply vitamins and minerals to the mother and child. The vitamins are fermented for easy absorption.
It can be used since before conception till after lactating.
Nutrients such as methylfolate (an active form of folate) help in the development of the child’s brain, a function shared by iron. The iron it contains does not cause constipation and transports oxygen to the cells without hiccup.
For best result, it is recommended that you take three tablets throughout the day.
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Actif Organics Prenatal Vitamin
This is a loaded supplement. It contains a lot of vitamins and minerals when compared to other prenatal vitamin supplements. Actif prenatal vitamis with iron helps with nausea, a common symptom of morning sickness in pregnant women by using a blend of herbs and extracts.
The presence of Folate and iron helps in the development of your baby’s brain and the formation of red blood cells.
However, the size of the soft gel can be intimidating and hard to get down the throat. It is recommended that you take one tablet daily, preferably in the morning.
Conclusion
The development of every part of your child is of importance. However, the cognitive development that influences the ease of learning may be regarded as one of the most important parts to develop in a child. Iron is one of the important nutrients that does this.
It is also important in the formation of red blood cells in the body, a shortage of which leads to anemic conditions.
As a mother, it is your responsibility to provide your child with adequate amount of iron while it is in the uterus or as an infant. You can stock up on the amount of iron you pass onto your young one by consuming prenatal vitamins with iron.