Your Guide to Incorporating Prenatal Vitamins Into Your Maternity Routine

If you plan to get pregnant, or you’re carrying a future family member already, you may not know how to change your routine so it’s optimized for maternity needs. Do you know when to start taking prenatal vitamins? How should you add them to your daily routine? And are there other steps you should add to your day to ensure the overall health of you and your newest family member? These are all questions that require answers for a smooth pregnancy.

If you want to learn about the best possible maternity routine, when to start taking prenatal vitamins, and a few other tips, you’re in the right place. We know how vital your and your family’s health is for everyone involved, and we want to make it as easy as possible for you to develop the routine you need. If this sounds useful and interesting, please continue reading to hear our top tips, insights, and a full breakdown of what to consider.

Learn When to Start Taking Prenatal Vitamins

Do you know when to start taking prenatal vitamins to ensure you and your baby are healthy and happy? Many experts recommend that you start taking prenatal vitamins approximately three months before you intend to get pregnant, and this is for several important reasons. Prenatal vitamins are essential for filling in the gaps in your diet, allowing your baby to get the nutrients it needs to thrive and meet you at their strongest and healthiest.

And while you know when to start taking prenatal vitamins, you should also learn when to stop. Most doctors and health professionals recommend you take prenatal vitamins and folic acid supplements through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, or the first trimester. However, depending on your personal medical needs and doctor recommendations, you may be asked to start taking prenatal vitamins earlier, stay on them longer, or take higher doses or specific supplements.

Prenatal vitamins and supplements ensure both you and your baby get the nutrients you need, prevents potential issues during pregnancy or birthing processes, and make your independent life far more accessible. While it’s possible to get the nutrients you need from diet alone, prenatal vitamins make it more accessible to the vast majority.

If you are already pregnant and have not started taking prenatal vitamins, we strongly recommend you start taking them as soon as possible. While not ideal, this may not be reason enough to panic. If you’re concerned, please consult your doctor for their insights and additional changes you may need to make.

What Time Should You Take Prenatal Vitamins?

If you need to start taking prenatal vitamins, health professionals recommend taking them with your most fat-dense meal. For many people, this might be breakfast. Most prenatal vitamins are best taken with food because their nutrients are water- and fat-soluble.

If you are struggling to decide whether to take prenatal vitamins in the morning or at night, try to consider which meals are typically the most fat-dense. However, if your prenatal vitamins make you consistently feel nauseous, you may want to take them later in the day. This might mean taking your prenatal vitamin with dinner or before bedtime snack. Taking your vitamins later in the day makes you less likely to deal with nausea while you’re awake.

What Other Steps Should You Add to Your Pregnancy Routine?

In addition to taking prenatal vitamins, we have a few other suggestions if you would like to optimize your pregnancy routine. What should you add to your routine? We have a few things you should consider.

Eat Breakfast Every Day

If you don’t currently eat breakfast every day, we strongly recommend you start adding the most important meal of the day to your routine. This will help you ensure you and your baby get the necessary nutrients for the duration of your pregnancy. Eating regularly and taking in enough food will also help you feel sustained and maintain your energy levels throughout the day.

Exercise Regularly

We suggest you also make time to exercise regularly throughout your entire pregnancy. Medical health professionals will recommend you get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week, or slightly more than 20 minutes every day, during pregnancy. This may feel difficult during pregnancy because your body is experiencing a few different changes, but this will ultimately boost your mobility and flexibility and give you the independence you will crave.

Conclusion

If you plan to make an addition to your family, congratulations on taking this next step in your life. Whether you’ve been pregnant before, it never hurts to research and learn the best possible steps to ensure you and your baby are healthy. If you needed help finding useful information about prenatal vitamins and other pregnancy routine steps, we hope you found our suggestions helpful. Good luck on this next step in building your family!