by Peggy McBee

Created on: October 22, 2008   Last Updated: October 28, 2008

When should I start taking prenatal vitamins? When you decide that you are ready to get pregnant you should start taking prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins are nothing more than very potent multivitamins that contain a high enough dose of vitamins for both mother and baby with specific attention to folic acid, calcium and iron. Proper nutrition is essential to a healthy pregnancy and can help prevent birth defects; prenatal vitamins provide enough nutrients to fill voids left from your diet.

Folic acid plays a major role in fetal development specifically for brain and spinal cord development. Proper doses of folic acid, 1000mg, will aide the baby's development in the first month, usually before you even knows you are pregnant which is why it is a good idea to start taking these vitamins when you first decide to get pregnant. In the cases of an unplanned pregnancy you should start taking prenatal vitamins as soon as you are aware that you are pregnant.

Calcium promotes strong teeth and bones in both you and your baby; it also supports the nervous, muscular, and circulatory systems helping them to run properly. Pregnancy takes a toll on your body and the more nutrients that are available mean that fewer nutrients are lost from your body to support your baby's growth.

Iron supports the development of blood and muscle cells and helps prevent anemia. Most prenatal vitamins contain 27 to 60mg. Proper amounts of iron are important as too little can lead to anemia and too much can have harmful effects which is why a prenatal vitamin is better than taking iron supplements in addition to your regular vitamins.

According to the Mayo Clinic these nutrients help prevent preterm labor and low birth weight. Prenatal vitamins are available over the counter in the vitamin section of most drug stores or by prescription from your doctor. While a well balanced diet is always recommended even the best diets tend to lack some vitamins and minerals and introducing a prenatal vitamin to your diet will fill in the gaps providing essential nutrients to support a healthy pregnancy.

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