My Prenatal Supplement Guide: What to Look For and Why It Matters

Prenatal nutrition is one of the most important — and most overwhelming — topics for expecting and soon-to-be-pregnant women. Walk into any pharmacy and you'll find dozens of prenatal vitamins, each claiming to be the best. The reality is that not all prenatals are created equal, and many fall short on some of the most important nutrients for a healthy pregnancy.

As someone who is deeply passionate about evidence-based women's health, I put together this guide to help cut through the noise. Whether you're actively trying to conceive, newly pregnant, or just planning ahead, here's what I look for when evaluating a prenatal vitamin — and why each nutrient matters.

The Key Nutrients to Prioritize

Folic acid — 400 mcg/day from prenatal | 600+ mcg/day total intake during pregnancy

Folic acid is arguably the most well-known prenatal nutrient, and for good reason. It plays a critical role in preventing neural tube defects, which develop in the first few weeks of pregnancy — often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. This is why folic acid supplementation is recommended for all women of childbearing age, not just those who are actively pregnant.

Importantly, many prenatal vitamins now include methylfolate, the bioactive form of folate, rather than synthetic folic acid. This is often thought to be a better option as it is more readily used by the body, especially in mammas with an MTHFR mutation. Approximately 700 mcg of methylfolate provides just over 400 mcg of folic acid equivalents — though exact conversion studies are still quite limited.

Choline — 450+ mg/day

Choline is arguably the most underappreciated prenatal nutrient. It plays a critical role in fetal brain development, neural tube formation, and placental function — yet less than about 12% of pregnant women meet the recommended daily intake of 450 mg. To make matters worse, many popular prenatal vitamins contain little to no choline.

Eggs are one of the best dietary sources of choline, providing approximately 125 mg per egg. However, diet alone is rarely sufficient during pregnancy, making supplementation important. When evaluating a prenatal, choline content is one of the first things I check because what’s more important than supporting your growing baby’s brain!

DHA — 200–300 mg/day (minimum)

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid essential for fetal brain and eye development. The current recommendation is a minimum of 200–300 mg per day during pregnancy, with some emerging evidence suggesting higher doses may offer additional benefits — particularly for reducing the risk of early preterm birth. If your diet is low in fatty fish, supplementation becomes even more important. Note that not all prenatals include DHA, so you may need to add a separate omega-3 supplement that is pregnancy safe.

Iodine — 220 mcg/day during pregnancy

Iodine is essential for thyroid function and fetal neurodevelopment, yet it is frequently overlooked in prenatal discussions. The recommended intake increases to 220 mcg per day during pregnancy. Many prenatals provide around 150 mcg of iodine — sufficient for some women, but worth paying attention to if your dietary iodine intake is low.

My Prenatal Vitamin Comparison

To make things a little easier, I put together a comparison of five commonly recommended prenatal vitamins across the four key nutrients I prioritize with my TTC mammas. Feel free to download this and keep it for your reference — my little gift to you as you embark on this exciting journey! Each prenatal has its strengths and gaps — there is no single perfect prenatal for everyone, and everyone has different dietary patterns and nutrient gaps in their diets. This is why I always recommend reviewing your specific needs with your healthcare provider. If you are looking for a doctor who offers individualized care on important topics such as this, join my growing waitlist to be the first to join my clinic in 2027!

Also, the prenatal companies listed above can of course alway change their formulations, so definitely check for yourself to make sure you’re looking at the most recent nutrient breakdowns.