At Needed, we're known for developing supplements using optimal doses and forms of all nutrients needed during the perinatal life stages. We’ve also been vocal about how our Prenatal Multi is so comprehensive that it requires 8 capsules.
So as we launch a new 3-capsule option, you might be wondering why? Is a pared-down Prenatal Multi worth taking? Here’s what to know about our Prenatal Multi Essentials: why we made it, what it contains, and what it leaves out.
Why a Prenatal Multi Essentials is needed.
We know that 8 pills or a powder with even a light flavor can be hard to swallow (literally) when you’re dealing with pregnancy nausea. And, our Multi Powder works really well for some, but not all with nausea. Our Prenatal Multi Essentials includes just three capsules that can be taken any time of day, when you’re feeling your best. It still contains a full dose of Methylfolate and healthy doses of 18 other vitamins and minerals that are critical in the First Trimester. So while it may be less comprehensive than our Prenatal Multi Powder and Capsules, it provides excellent coverage in optimal forms for the early days of pregnancy when more just isn’t an option.
We know some mamas have diets that are quite dense in many of the nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy and who also get blood levels tested frequently throughout pregnancy to ensure they are within healthy ranges. For some women, it isn’t a big challenge to eat a few eggs daily and wild caught salmon and/or sardines weekly. Some women may already enjoy liver or sneak it into their burger patties while also piling their plates at each meal with plenty of fruits and veggies for Magnesium and Vitamin C. For others, it’s far too much to manage on top of the other demands of our personal and professional lives. If you know your levels are in an optimal range (more rare than you’d think!), our Prenatal Multi Essentials may be just the right nutritional support for you.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are the most nutritionally demanding times in a woman’s life. Many of us prioritize taking a multivitamin during this time period, but overlook the importance of a high quality multivitamin when we’re no longer in the thick of it. Our Prenatal Multi Essentials is a great option for the years after pregnancy and breastfeeding, when you are no longer trying to conceive and your nutritional needs aren’t quite as high. Sticking with a supplementation routine is key to feeling your best as a mama, including hormone balance, mood support, energy, and overall vitality.
We know that high quality supplements can be a big investment. Prenatal supplements can be part of your routine for years and the cost can really add up. While we believe from the bottom of our hearts that good nutrition for you and your babies is worth the investment, we acknowledge the price tag can be a challenge for some. Our Prenatal Multi Essentials offers optimal nutrient forms at a more accessible price. Yes, there will be gaps still to fill to hit optimal levels (for example our Prenatal Multi includes 150mg of Choline, a meaningful amount, but far less than our other Prenatal Multi options and the RDA), but this route offers the option to sacrifice some of the convenience of a comprehensive multi and fill some needs more affordably through diet and other supplementation as appropriate.
Be Mindful of What’s Missing
Our Prenatal Multi Essentials still uses the optimal forms of all nutrients included, but at reduced dosages for all nutrients except for Folate. Because some nutrients are “bulkier” than others, they simply take up more space in a capsule or powder, so we’ve especially pared these bulky nutrients (Choline, Calcium, Magnesium) back more than most. If you take our Prenatal Multi Essentials, here are the nutrients we suggest you focus on getting more of through food, to more completely meet your needs:
- Choline
- Food sources: egg yolks, liver
- Preferred form: Choline Bitartrate, Phosphatidylcholine
- Magnesium
- Food sources: pumpkin seeds, almonds, chia seeds, spinach, cashews, black beans
- Preferred form: Magnesium Bisglycinate is an optimal form. When supplementing with high doses of Magnesium, it can be beneficial to include a variety of forms (though some are far better than others).
- Calcium
- Food sources: dairy (choose grass-fed, pastured milk, cheese, yogurt), sardines and other fish with bones, sesame seeds
- Preferred form: Calcium Malate
- Vitamin C
- Food sources: strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, citrus
- Preferred form: Ascorbic Acid, ideally paired with antioxidants/flavonoids (found in our Multi, and in food-forms of Vitamin C)
- Vitamin D
- Food sources: Food sources are extremely limited and sunlight is often unreliable, but Vitamin D is found in cod liver oil and fatty fish
- Preferred form: Vitamin D3 paired with K2 - check out our at-home Vitamin D test to monitor your levels and our Vitamin D topper to add on if levels are low.
- Omega-3 (DHA+EPA)
- Food sources: Omega-3 is abundant in fatty fish and cod liver, foods that many avoid during pregnancy due to nausea, food aversions, or concerns over heavy metals.
- Preferred form: DHA and EPA are the critical forms of Omega-3 for perinatal health. The ALA form, found in chia, flax, and walnuts, inefficiently converts to the usable DHA and EPA forms. We offer an at-home Omega-3 test to monitor your levels and our Omega-3+ Capsules is a smart addition to your supplement routine as 95%+ of women are deficient in Omega-3.
It’s Not All or Nothing
Our Prenatal Multi Essentials is also a great option to cycle in with our Prenatal Multi Capsules or Powder. It can be a great stand-in for days (or months!) that you’re extra nauseous, or when you feel your diet was exceptionally complete. And on days that you feel you need the most complete support, or when a smoothie craving hits, our Prenatal Multi Powder is as comprehensive as it gets.
