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A daily prenatal vitamin is essential for anyone hoping to conceive, who's already pregnant, or who's trying to stay healthy while breastfeeding. It can act as the perfect "insurance policy" that you and your baby get the nutrients you need, said Sheryl A. Ross, MD, OB-GYN, and author.

They're crucial for things like supplementing levels of folic acid which helps prevent neural tube defects, something most at risk early in a pregnancy, often before a woman discovers she's pregnant. Prenatals contain specialized nutrients important for your health and for properly developing a baby in vitro.

Although most medical experts recommend all women of childbearing age (18 to 44) who could get pregnant take a daily prenatal, they're not FDA regulated to confirm their safety or efficacy. Not all prenatals contain the number of nutrients they claim and there's a pervasive issue of heavy metal contamination, especially lead.

That's why we've done extensive research into the best prenatals verified by third-party labs like LabDoor or Consumer Labs. We've also provided insight into how we chose each vitamin, as well as what to look for when shopping, at the end of this guide.

Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and researches health products.

Best overall: Deva Prenatal One Daily, $12.01 on Amazon The Deva Prenatal One Daily has all the proper nutrients moms and a growing fetus need (minus DHA) in just one pill a day, with quality verified by third-party testing.

Best budget: Nature Made's Prenatal Vitamins with DHA, $12.88 on Amazon Nature Made Prenatal Multi +DHA vitamins offer all the vitamins and minerals one needs while pregnant in just one pill per day, while keeping costs low.

Best organic: New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Multivitamin, $38.24 on The Vitamin Shoppe New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Multivitamin has all the nutrients you need in a prenatal, sourced from organic, whole foods.

Best gummies: SmartyPants Prenatal Formula, $27.36 on Amazon SmartyPants Prenatal Formula is a gummy prenatal vitamin that delivers all your nutrients, including some vitamins missing from other formulas, and is easier on the stomach than others.

The Deva Prenatal One Daily has all the proper nutrients moms and a growing fetus need (minus DHA) in just one pill a day, with quality verified by third-party testing.

Pros: Accurate nutrient amounts, features choline, one pill a day, vegan

Cons: Niacin might cause skin flushing for some, will require additional DHA supplements, riboflavin makes your urine bright yellow

In 2020, Consumer Labs tested 27 multivitamin supplements including three prenatals and Deva Prenatal One Daily came out as their top pick.

Deva features all the nutrients a prenatal should — vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, iodine — and in the amounts purported by the label.

It is, however, missing DHA, which is helpful for a baby's neurological development, so you'll want to supplement with an additional 200mg DHA, our medical reviewer Regina Cardaci, PhD, RN, a clinical assistant professor of midwifery at NYU Meyers College of Nursing pointed out.

But unlike many others, Deva Prenatal contains choline which studies show may help with a fetus' neurodevelopment and placental functioning, as well as reduce the risk of birth defects. 

Consumer Labs does point out this prenatal contains more B vitamins than the daily requirement, including 45 mg of niacin, which sometimes causes the skin to feel hot and look red. The form in Deva is niacinamide, which is less likely to cause flushing, but it's still something to be aware of.

The supplement has no gelatin casing so it's vegan. It comes in average-sized pressed pills, which does give a rather earthy smell and, to a milder degree, a slight taste. Those with very sensitive stomachs might have a hard time. 

Also, because of the riboflavin, these will make your urine (and breast milk if you're post-partum) bright yellow — which isn't dangerous but can definitely be alarming.

Nature Made Prenatal Multi +DHA vitamins offer all the vitamins and minerals one needs while pregnant in just one pill per day while keeping costs low.

Pros: All the essential and specialized nutrients you need for child-bearing years, all-in-one multivitamin, inexpensive

Cons: Not vegetarian, some users report a fishy odor

Nature Made Prenatal Multi +DHA vitamins meet the standards recommended by the ACOG for prenatal vitamins and minerals. The pills are free of artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, yeast, or gluten, and are USP-verified for quality and safety. 

You can score all your vitamins in just one softgel, which is about the size of a penny — so while it's not "small," most people shouldn't have trouble getting one down every day.

This vitamin has 1.5 mg of vitamin B1, which is important in brain development. Though Nature Made does offer the prenatal without added DHA, we recommend the option with, as this is a particular omega-3 fatty acid that's helpful in pregnancy.

Some users do report a fishy taste or odor with these pills, but after one of our reviewers took them every day for three months, she didn't experience any "fish burps." The pills are large, but also gel-coated for easier swallowing. 

To top it off, at $27 for 60 softgels, this prenatal is the most budget-friendly on our list.

One note: Nature Made Prenatal is lower in calcium and vitamin D than some of the others on this list, so you may want to supplement if you don't already get enough from your diet.

This vitamin was a contender for our best overall pick thanks to its ideal nutrient levels, cheap cost, and availability at most every drug store, grocery store, and health food store. However, we ran into conflicting information regarding how reliable the label is:

On the one hand, this prenatal is USP-certified, which is reassurance from one of the most reliable third-party testers that this formula contains the ingredients listed on the label, in the declared potency and amounts. 

But at the same time, LabDoor, a trustworthy company that also ran independent testing on the formula, found that six key nutrients measured at least 10% over the label value. The worst offenders were vitamin B6 which was 73% over its 2.6mg label claim, and EPA, which was 285% over its 28mg label claim. Dr. Cardaci pointed out that this is not a big deal since B vitamins are water-soluble so any excess will easily be excreted, and the 108 mg of EPA is still within recommended amounts.

Additionally, Lab Door does state the product did meet purity standards. This vitamin has not been tested or evaluated by Consumer Labs, though the brand has not had any recalls since 2016.

So, even though our experts and medical reviewer deemed this vitamin to still have safe and effective amounts of the essential nutrients for child-bearing women, the simple fact of the label being inaccurate slightly tarnishes the vitamin's trustworthiness.

New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Multivitamin has all the nutrients you need in a prenatal, sourced from organic, whole foods.

Pros: High-quality, specialized nutrition formulated from whole food sources

Cons: Serving is three pills per day; synthetic folate; brand promotes unverified claims surrounding topics like breastfeeding which may or may not be true.

Like all the best prenatal vitamins, New Chapter's Perfect Prenatal Multivitamin contains folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin A, B-complex, C, D, zinc, and omega-3-fish oil. But uniquely, it sources ingredients from organic, whole foods, which can be important to people who prioritize an organic, whole-foods diet. 

The prenatal is also fermented — a component that, in theory, makes the nutrients more bioavailable and absorbable, Miranda Hammer, R.D., a dietician who lists her practice on Robyn, a database for prenatal practitioner, told Insider.

New Chapter is also one of Dr. Ross's favorite brands. One of our reviewers, who was particularly prone to nausea during pregnancy, took these vitamins every day for a month, and she felt that taking the Perfect Prenatal Multivitamins in three small doses throughout the day (as recommended) helped stave off the discomfort.

Some of the doctors interviewd for this piece agree: Taking medications before you go to bed could also help stave off nausea, Dr. Jill Rabin, vice chair of education and development of OB-GYN at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center told Insider. "If you have any nausea, you may be sleeping through it."

Of course, the fact that you have to remember to take this prenatal three times a day could be a drawback for some — and you need all three doses to hit those nutrient levels.

New Chapter's prenatal also includes methylated folate (MTHF), which is a more bioavailable form of folate, allowing some people to utilize the crucial nutrient better, says Hammer.

This vitamin is also NSF-certified and third-party tested.

One note: A 2020 analysis from Consumer Labs did find that New Chapter Perfect Prenatal had slightly less vitamin A and slightly more iodine than listed on the label. Many staple healthy foods (including sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, peppers, and dairy like Greek yogurt) are rich in vitamin A, so your levels will most likely be compensated if you're focused on a whole-foods, organic diet as this category denotes.

And it's better to have less vitamin A than too much, as it's not water-soluble so extra can be stored in the body, Dr. Cardaci pointed out. (In rare instances, this can cause toxicity, she added.) 

The Consumer Labs analysis also found the Perfect Prenatal had more iron than listed, although they simultaneously point to a 2019 report in JAMA Open that showed even with taking supplements, 36% of pregnant women still get too little iron, so that may not be a bad thing (unless you're experiencing nausea).

SmartyPants Prenatal Formula is a gummy prenatal vitamin that delivers all your nutrients, including some vitamins missing from other formulas, and is easier on the stomach than others.

Pros: Great taste, methyl folate for more available folate, good for those who have difficulty swallowing pills

Cons: Serving size is four gummies, doesn't contain iron

"Nausea is, by far, the most common issue when taking prenatal vitamins, especially in the first trimester," said Dr. Brain Brimmage, an obstetrician who delivers babies at UNC REX Healthcare in Raleigh, NC. Sometimes, switching to a gummy prenatal vitamin can help with that, as does cutting back on iron.

SmartyPants Prenatal Formula is a gummy prenatal vitamin that does not contain any iron — which is okay as long as you aren't already significantly anemic, Dr. Brimmage says. "Even if you are [anemic], keeping down a gummy prenatal vitamin without iron is better than not keeping down your prenatal vitamin with iron at all," he added. 

And because iron taste bad, SmartyPants' prenatal is likely much more tolerable if you've been suffering nausea and upset stomach, particularly in the first trimester, he added.

One of our reviewers, who suffered from extreme nausea and vomiting in her pregnancy, had no trouble keeping these vitamins down.

SmartyPants' prenatal also includes methylated folate (MTHF), which is a more bioavailable form of important folate.

These vitamins don't have any artificial coloring, and they deliver the right levels of recommended nutrients including folic acid, omega-3 EPA and DHA fatty acids, B vitamins, plus it has iodine.

This prenatal hasn't been tested or evaluated by Consumer Labs or LabDoor, but the brand does do third-party testing on all their formulas, and its prenatal received the Clean Label Project's Purity Award, the highest overall rating for product purity and value.

MyKind Organics Prenatal Multivitamins: These are another great option if you're looking for a multivitamin that is certified organic, GMO-free, and vegan. A few added ingredients such as palm oil, along with a slightly higher price tag let New Chapter edge this brand out for a daily organic pill.

Vitafusion PreNatal Gummy Multivitamins: Vitafusion's gummies deliver good nutrition while being easy on the taste buds and wallet, but they don't include vitamin B1 (thiamin).

Ritual Essential Prenatals: These vitamins seem like a great option with the brand's commitment to transparency and the prenatal's vegan omega-3s, bio-available folate, and delayed-release capsules. However, its formula doesn't include calcium or vitamin C under the claim that most adults get enough of both. Our medical reviewer Dr. Regina Cardaci flagged this as inaccurate, adding that most women do not get enough calcium and both this mineral and vitamin C are especially important during pregnancy to build strong bones and teeth and, in the case of vitamin C, help the body absorb iron.

We personally tested many brands of different prenatal vitamins throughout various stages of conception and pregnancy. We also drew on past personal experiences with issues such as nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and investigated common concerns and complaints with prenatal vitamins among pregnant women, like bad taste and smell. 

We read the current scientific literature and consulted with medical professionals as well. The doctors quoted throughout this piece include three different OB-GYNs as well as a registered dietitian who reviewed product selections and consulted with us on what to look for, as well as what to avoid, in prenatal vitamins.

When considering various options, we looked for:

"Women who are trying to get pregnant [or are pregnant] need additional folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin A, B-complex, C, D, zinc, and omega-3-fish oil," Dr. Ross said. Our medical reviewer Regina Cardaci, Ph.D., RN, a clinical assistant professor of midwifery at NYU Meyers College of Nursing pointed out that thiamine is also crucial in any prenatal for brain development.

Folic Acid: The synthetic form of naturally-occurring folate, folic acid is the most important nutrient in your prenatal. "For most women, you want 400 micrograms (mcg) per day, though 600 to or 800 mcg per day is fine," Dr. Brimmage said. If you're at an elevated risk of neural tube defects — you have a personal history of them, a family history, genetic variations, are obese, for example — you'll need slightly more, around 1,000 mcg per day for medium risk and 4,000 mcg per day for high-risk women through the first trimester. Then you can drop to 400 mcg per day, Dr. Brimmage explained.

Iron: Iron is needed to help bring oxygen to the fetus and support the extra blood flow that's required for the placenta, Dr. Brimmage said, and many women become anemic during pregnancy so it's extra important. During pregnancy, it's recommended women get 27 mg of iron a day. However, iron can cause constipation and is notorious for worsening nausea or upsetting the stomach, he added. Switching to a prenatal with lower iron may help with bowel movements, but if you're suffering extreme nausea or vomiting, talk to your doctor about switching to an iron-free supplement and how to get the appropriate amount of iron through your diet or other supplements.

Omega-3 fatty acids: "There's some evidence to suggest that DHA [a form of omega-3s] may be beneficial when taken prenatally for a baby's neurological development and some evidence that it may reduce the risk of preterm birth," said Dr. Brimmage.

Plus, he notes most women in the United States don't eat enough fish, which is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. The exact dosage is up for debate, but most experts recommend at least 200 mg of DHA daily. If you're vegan, you want to look for a vegan-specific DHA.

Thiamin/Vitamin B1: This oft-overlooked important prenatal vitamin is crucial in healthy brain development of the fetus. This is especially important in a supplement if you have bad nausea or vomiting in pregnancy (particularly a condition like Hyperemesis gravidarum) since levels of the vitamin can become depleted if you can't eat or keep down vitamin B1-rich foods or supplements. Look for 1.5mg per serving.

Otherwise, doing your own research — on a company's website or by contacting a company in question — can pay off as well. Companies should be forthcoming about the testing they do, the ingredients in its products, and its manufacturing processes.

During the research process for this article, we spoke with:

A medical review of this piece was completed by Regina Cardaci, Ph.D., RN, a clinical assistant professor of midwifery at NYU Meyers College of Nursing.

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