Dietary supplements during pregnancy

Dietary supplements during pregnancy can be an important part of your health care routine in order to make sure that your baby and you are healthy, but you should never take dietary supplements during pregnancy without a doctor’s supervision. Here are some commonly prescribed dietary supplements during pregnancy and what you can expect from them.

One of the dietary supplements you absolutely should take during pregnancy is prenatal vitamins. Though there are over-the-counter versions of these, prescription versions are preferable, though you may want to start with over-the-counter if you find out you’re pregnant unexpectedly and it takes some time to get a doctor’s appointment. Prenatal vitamins present enhanced amounts of the vitamins and minerals you need. One of the most important of these is folate, a B vitamin; taking supplemental folate has been proven to reduce birth defects so all OBG-GYNs will want you to have this for your baby’s health.

Other dietary supplements during pregnancy that may not be so favorable include dietary supplements that are intended to promote energy, reduce appetite, or change your mood in any way. For example, Saint John’s Wort, an herbal treatment, is commonly used to treat depression in people who don’t want to take chemical antidepressants. Clinical studies have shown that Saint John’s Wort is safe and effective in non-pregnant people, but no one has studied its safety during pregnancy so if you’ve been taking it beforehand, discuss safe alternatives with your doctor. Appetite suppressants of any kind are dietary supplements during pregnancy that should absolutely not be used, and the same goes for herbal treatments that purport to improve your energy, because many of them contain caffeine or other drugs that can cause racing hearts and other side effects which are dangerous during pregnancy.

Another issue with dietary supplements during pregnancy is that not all of them are regulated by the FDA. You can’t be sure what you’re getting all the time, especially in herbal blends, so make sure that you check with your doctor before trying any of them, even if friends or relatives recommend them. Labeling requirements on dietary supplements are not even consistent; for example, ephedra, which was highly dangerous until the FDA went after it a few years ago, was sometimes labeled as ephedra, sometimes as ma huang (and that came in several different spellings), and sometimes was just listed as “proprietary blend of Chinese herbs.” You can’t be safe during pregnancy if you’re not informed, and unfortunately dietary supplements during pregnancy is an area where it’s better to be safe than sorry.