These gummy prenatal vitamins make your daily dose less of a pill.
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Prenatals are necessary for a healthy pregnancy. But, if the thought of swallowing a giant pill that tastes like fish when you can barely keep down water doesn’t exactly sound appealing, we get it. Making it through the first trimester is tough.
Add in all those weird cravings that come in later trimesters and it’s safe to say eating a balanced diet isn’t always feasible. The best prenatal gummies are chocked full of nutrients you and baby both need, are easy to take, and don’t taste terrible.
We talked to three dietitians, who have experience working with pregnant women, to discover exactly what to look for in the best prenatal gummies, plus their favorite brands. Add these to your newborn checklist now, and don’t forget to purchase a good pregnancy protein powder too to help supplement your diet.
“Gummies can make the process of taking a supplement more enjoyable, which may impact a person's compliance,” says Charleston-based Prenatal Registered Dietitian Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, CLEC. “A supplement is only effective if a person actually takes it consistently! For people who experience morning sickness, a gummy may be easier to tolerate too,” she notes.
Whenever someone is choosing a supplement (no matter what the purpose is), Manaker highly advises opting for one that is third-party verified to ensure the brand follows Good Manufacturing Practices.
Cesar Sauza, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at ehproject.org, also recommends looking for an option that contains folic acid, iron, iodine and DHA (Omega-3). DHA supports fetal brain development.
“Some prenatal gummies lack iron and DHA, which is why it is important to shop around to find the best option.” Otherwise, you’ll need to supplement separately.
He suggests avoiding prenatal gummies with ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, aspartame, or saccharin, and seeking out an option with lower amounts of added sugar. Taste is, of course, super important too. Look for a flavor you like and read reviews to see if it actually tastes good.
These gummies are so good you'll never forget to take them. With over 15,000 rave reviews and an average 4.5-star rating on Amazon, SmartyPants Prenatal comes highly recommended by real moms and experts alike.
"They have an agreeable taste and provide you with many valuable nutrients your body needs in pregnancy in just 4 gummies per day," says Registered Dietitian Alyssa Pacheco.
In addition to essential, high-quality ingredients like vitamin D3, vitamin B12, choline, iodine, DHA from fish oil, and vitamin K to help support normal fetal development, bone health, immunity and energy.
"SmartyPants also includes a methylated form of folic acid, which may be easier for some women to absorb," notes Pacheco.
These popular prenatal gummies are third-party tested so you can feel safe taking them and are free of milk, peanuts, shellfish, gluten, soy, wheat, plus more common allergens. They're also free of artificial sweeteners and flavors. We believe these are good option for all types and stages of pregnancy.
This brain-boosting vegan gummy is whole food-based and formulated by a neurologist (who is also a mom) with smart nutrition for you and your growing baby. We love the simple and clean ingredient list and the fact that it's third-party lab-certified so you can trust the ingredients.
It contains the active methylated forms, which are naturally found in our bodies. The formula also includes zinc and selenium to support thyroid health, along with biotin for beautiful locks.
The natural strawberry flavor is quite good too without being overly sweet, according to many reviewers. Some pregnant women even reported a difference in their energy levels. That's significant when you consider how just moving off the couch during those early days can take all the energy you can muster.
"They are GREAT," writes one reviewer, who also likes how easy on the stomach they are. "The ingredient list has all the vitamins my midwife recommends (I take a separate iron supplement) and doesn't include the things she says to look out for like artificial colors/flavors."
These bestselling and budget-friendly prenatal gummies have racked up over 20,000 positive reviews on Amazon with an almost perfect 4.6-star rating. They're gentle on the stomach, which is great when the food aversions and nausea are real. These are also chock full of good ingredients like folate, DHA, biotin, zinc, iodine and loads of vitamins.
There's no high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, or synthetic dyes, and the delicious natural raspberry lemonade fruit flavor and satisfying chewy texture will actually have you looking forward to taking these each morning and night.
"Not only did they not make me queasy, I would take them during my first trimester before I would even leave bed and they helped ease my initial bout of morning sickness," writes one mom. "They taste SO good. I'm trying to regulate my blood sugars and have been staying away from candy, and these are like a little treat I get to have every day."
The best prenatal gummies contain iron, but actually finding one that has it can be tough because iron can taste bad and cause an upset stomach, which is the whole point of taking a gummy (as opposed to a pill) in the first place so you can avoid feeling any worse than you already do. Fortunately, reviewers report that these organic, sugar-free gummies are surprisingly good and good for you.
In addition to iron, these boast over 30 important nutrients, including folic acid, choline and Vitamin B,C and E to support a strong immune system, bone health, and healthy fetal, brain and eye development. Some reviewers report a slight boost in energy after consuming, while others rave about the great taste.
As one reviewer puts it, "These are the best-tasting prenatal vitamins I’ve ever had and the healthiest. These are the first all-natural ingredients that aren’t terrible tasting, they include iron and are not packed with sugar," she says. They have a pleasant apple flavor and don’t stick to your teeth. They’re also surprisingly inexpensive, which is great."
In addition to being a trusted and affordable brand with stringent quality standards, Nature's Bounty Prenatal Gummies taste so good you'll want to take more. They contain 13 key nutrients to support you and your baby's health.
Expect 100% of the daily recommended value of iodine and folic acid, omega-3s DHA and EPA derived from natural fish oil triglycerides, and Vitamin A, C, D and E, plus zinc, to keep your immune system strong. In a yummy mixed-berry flavor, many moms-to-be can't get over how these good-for-you gummies taste. These make choosing the best prenatal gummies a cinch.
"These taste great—almost like a berry-flavored fruit snack," raves one mom. "I take two of them every day, and I have no bad side effects!"
Manaker is a fan of these vegan Herbaland Prenatal Gummies. "They provide 17 vitamins and minerals, along with a boost of ginger to help combat nausea," she says. "They're sugar-free, derived from plant-based ingredients, and are non-GMO and gluten-free."
Key ingredients include essential B vitamins, like Vitamin b6 for healthy brain development, mood regulation and mom's immune system, as well as methylated folate to give you an energy boost and help support a healthy pregnancy. There's iodine, choline, calcium, and Vitamin K2 too.
Compost the plant-based pouch your gummies come in when you're done. This option is super cool if you're looking for a plastic-free alternative with zero waste.
Taking a prenatal is important, but so is eating a healthy diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables and protein. Of course, that's not always easy, which is what makes Mykind Organics Prenatal so appealing. It's chock full of nutrition from nine real organic whole foods.
Feel content knowing you're reaching 100% of your daily value of folate from organic lemon peel and 800 IU of Vegan D3 from lichen. Each berry gummy is coated in organic rice meal, not sugar, to prevent them from sticking together, and contains natural sugar from whole fruits, plus 2g of fiber.
While some reviewers don't love the taste, most agree it is easy on the stomach. "I threw up every single prenatal to the point that I stopped taking them. Then I found these, organic, clean ingredients, and literally did not make me sick," writes one Amazon reviewer. "First I started taking them in pill form and then switched over to gummies once my stomach could handle them."
“Prenatal gummies are effective and necessary for patients who may have severe nausea or are unable to swallow the standard prenatal vitamins,” says Sauza. “Many of my patients rely on prenatal gummies during the first trimester and sometimes beyond, as the gummies provide a better option than not taking prenatal vitamins at all.”
It can vary. “The number of gummies people should take daily is the amount indicated as a ‘serving size’ on the nutrition label,” explains Manaker. “Each brand requires consumers to take a specific amount of gummies to provide the nutrient quantities listed on the nutrition label.” Generally speaking, serving sizes typically range from 1-4 gummies per day.
Experts:
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