The Best Prenatal Vitamins, Tested by Expectant Moms

In a nutshell:
Based on expert medical advice, a survey of 200 members of The Bump community, in-depth expert interviews and rigorous product testing, we chose TheraNatal Complete Prenatal as the overall best prenatal vitamin. It stood out for its comprehensive ingredient list, meeting (and exceeding) ACOG’s benchmarks with 25 essential vitamins and minerals plus separate DHA/EPA capsules.

As soon as you get that positive pregnancy test, chances are you’ll start looking for a prenatal vitamin (if you aren’t taking one already). When I got pregnant with my first baby, I knew that regular prenatal supplements would be crucial to my health as well as baby’s. As Dr. Irogue Igbinosa, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn and a maternal-fetal medicine physician at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health tells us, “Daily prenatal vitamins supplement a balanced and nutritious diet as your body evolves during pregnancy to accommodate a growing fetus.”

But not all supplements are developed equally and not all good prenatal vitamins are easy to swallow, easy to stomach or easy to understand. To save you endless Google searches and fishy burps, I, along with my colleague and fellow expecting mom Janelle Leeson, personally tested 16 prenatals from leading brands. We included capsules, liquid and powdered vitamins and solicited feedback from real-world testers.

After compiling testing data, we narrowed down our top picks for the best prenatals for every expecting parent. Read on for our choices, as well as our complete, expert-backed guide on the types of prenatal vitamins, the right ingredients to look for and how to understand the label so you can make the right choices for your pregnancy.

What’s Your Ideal Prenatal Vitamin Match?

“A prenatal someone can keep down beats the perfect formula they never take,” Dr.Sina Haeri, MD, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist and CEO of Ouma Health tells us. So before you even consult the shortlist of top tested prenatals, step back to your needs and take it from there:

How We Tested and Chose the Best Prenatal Vitamins

To help you narrow down the better prenatal vitamins to meet your specific needs, we took the following steps:

• We performed extensive market research, analyzing the needs and pain points experienced by real moms who personally used prenatal vitamins throughout their pregnancy.
• We consulted five ob-gyns, a certified nurse midwife, a prenatal nutritionist and a molecular biochemist with eight years in pharmaceutical manufacturing to understand essential nutritional factors, certifications and safety considerations to keep top of mind. Following their advice, we prioritized vitamins that get at least half their vitamin A content from beta carotene.
• We followed nutritional recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Mayo Clinic and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• We reached out to The Bump community and surveyed almost 200 people who were either currently expecting or had recently given birth and asked for their recommendations and experiences with specific prenatal multivitamins.

We used this information to shortlist 16 top-rated prenatal vitamins to test. From there:

• The editors enlisted my colleague and me to each test prenatal vitamins throughout our second and third trimesters.
• We supplemented robust research and expert insight by evaluating the ingredients list, ease of use, taste, side effects, dosage, value for money and overall quality of the vitamins.
• Because no two pregnancies are the same, we scoured forums and message boards and read user reviews to find out how these prenatal vitamins performed for expectant moms across the country.

Editorial integrity is at the heart of everything we publish. Read more about how The Bump develops our product reviews.

Interested in becoming a product tester for The Bump? Head here to apply.

The Best Prenatal Vitamins

Types of Prenatal Vitamins

The virtual vitamin aisle is an exhausting place to browse. Before we get down to the ingredients, let’s get you grounded in the land of liquids, capsules, and gummies (to name a few):

Prenatal tablets

Likely the first form that comes to mind when you envision taking your daily prenatal. These are your old-school solid, compressed pills that have been the medical standard for over a century.

Tablets tend to be more affordable, but they do have a trade-off: “Tablets are usually the most complete and the least pleasant,” explains Dr. Haeri. “They’re also the ones most likely to carry iron, which is what makes people nauseated or constipated.”

Prenatal capsules or softgels

The two most common forms of prenatal vitamin you’ll spot in our guide. Capsules are basically powdered nutrients housed in a dissolvable gelatin (or vegan) shell, while softgels deliver liquid-based nutrients like DHA (Omega-3) in a similar gelatin-based layer.

The practical pro? “Capsules and softgels go down easier,” says Dr. Haeri. What’s more, “a lot of the DHA on the market lives in a softgel.” And because the nutrients inside are not bound by a chemical binding agent, they allow for quicker digestion and absorption.

That said, because they’re not as compressed as a traditional tablet, they tend to be less complete. “The tradeoff is that she may need more than one,” adds Dr. Haeri.

Prenatal gummies

A popular form for regular vitamin takers, gummies are chewable, candy-like supplements typically sweetened with sugar, sweeteners or fruit extracts. Gentle on the stomach, gummies are the go-to for those who find most prenatal pills too hard to swallow in the throes of pregnancy nausea.

“Gummies are the ones people actually take, and that counts for a lot,” says Dr. Haeri. “They’re also the ones that quietly drop the iron. If she picks a gummy, I want her to know that going in, not find out at 28 weeks when her hematocrit comes back low.”

Prenatal liquids and powders

Exactly what they sound like, powders are loose, finely ground nutrient formulas designed to be stirred or blended into your liquid of choice.

Prenatal liquids are pre-mixed, highly concentrated fluid supplements designed to be dissolved directly into your morning smoothie, favorite juice or even straight by the tablespoon.

“Liquids and powders help when [you] can’t face a pill at all,” notes Dr. Haeri. “The downside is measuring, taste and how easy it is to end up with less than the label says, because it’s mixed into a smoothie [you] might not finish.”

Choosing the Right Prenatal Vitamin for You

So which type of prenatal vitamins is the best out there? “There isn’t one ‘best’ prenatal vitamin,” says Twogood. As with most things related to pregnancy and parenting, what works for one person may not be a great fit for another.

Dr. Haeri puts it in no uncertain terms: “I wouldn’t start with the pretty bottle. I’d start with two questions: can she actually swallow this, and does it have folic acid in it?” In line with our experts, here’s exactly what’s worth asking when making your choice:

What can you actually stomach?

“Some patients may have their nausea alleviated by using gummies, while another may feel more nauseous because of the smell or taste of the gummies,” Twogood says. Women respond to supplements differently. As for the medical community’s leanings, that largely comes down to you.

“Depending on a variety of individual factors—or just good experience—your doctor may recommend one in particular,” Twogood adds. As for Dr. Haeri, his position is simple: “I don’t have a favorite form, but rather a favorite outcome, which is a complete prenatal she can keep down.”

It may take a little trial and error, but you’ll likely have a good sense of which form works best for your body.

Are the bare-minimum nutrients covered?

We’ve enlisted experts to give you the clearest ingredient breakdown below, but for Haeri, folic acid is an essential starting point. “Flavor, one pill versus three, gummy versus tablet, ‘food-based’ on the label: that’s all preference,” he tells us. “None of it matters if the folic acid isn’t there, or if she won’t take it.”

No prenatal necessarily provides every nutrient you need in the ideal amount, so check the formula against your individual needs. Never assume a longer ingredient list is automatically better.

What is the full daily serving?

“Serving size is the one people miss,” notes Dr. Haeri. “If it takes three gummies to hit the number printed on the front, she isn’t taking what she thinks she’s taking.”

As molecular biochemist Mena-Schneller tells us, “The front of the bottle is marketing.” Flip the label around and check exactly how many tablets, capsules, gummies or scoops make up the complete serving—and whether you can realistically take that amount every day.

Need help reading the label? Skip to our guide down below.

What else are you already taking?

“The other question I’d want her asking herself is whether she’s already on a separate iron or fish oil pill,” Dr. Haeri says. His advice? Do a first pass at home.

“Write down everything [you] swallow, including the gummy, the hair and nail pill (we see a lot more of these now), the protein powder, the extra vitamin D. Then add up the folic acid and the iron across all of it. If two bottles both have iron in them, stop and call. That’s not one to play pharmacist with.”

Prescription vs. over-the-counter prenatal vitamins

Weighing up over-the-counter versus prescription prenatal vitamin? Keep in mind that the essential ingredients are usually the same in each—though prescription prenatal vitamins sometimes contain extra nutrients, such as additional omega-3s or iron.

“An over-the-counter whole-food multivitamin is a wise choice for the vast majority of pregnant women,” says Carley Mendes, a prenatal nutritionist and founder of the website Oh Baby Nutrition. “Further supplementation is best advised on an individual basis, as everyone’s needs are unique,” she adds. “Your healthcare provider may advise prescription supplementation if you have specific deficiencies or disorders.”

Ingredients to Look for in Prenatal Vitamins

With a nutritious diet, you’ll likely already be getting a lot of the vitamins and minerals necessary during pregnancy. That means that you shouldn’t have to depend on your prenatal vitamins to provide 100 percent of the daily recommended allowance for these nutrients—after all, the best over-the-counter prenatal vitamins are meant to supplement, not substitute, healthy eating habits.

Prenatal vitamins also aren’t legally required to provide a minimum level of those nutrients either, since they aren’t regulated by the FDA. “The doses may vary, but the key ingredients won’t vary drastically,” notes Twogood.

So what should the best prenatal vitamins include? The most important nutrient in a prenatal vitamin, according to Twogood, is folic acid, which has been shown to dramatically decrease the risk of neural tube defects defects like spina bifida.

Understanding folic acid

You may have heard two terms come up when it comes to prenatal vitamins: folic acid and folate. Both are forms of vitamin B9, but folate is a naturally occurring form of vitamin B9, commonly found in foods like asparagus, leafy greens or lentils. Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate commonly used in supplements.

Simple, right? Get your folate from food, and look for folic acid in supplements.

Well, hang on: when you digest folate, it turns into a form called 5-MTHF. Some supplements use 5-MTHF instead of folic acid, because it’s more readily available for the body to use, and because a common genetic variation known as MTHFR may mean some people convert folic acid more slowly, though folic acid still works for them. Common MTHFR gene variants are widespread, but they are not routinely tested because they usually do not change pregnancy care.

Which one should you use? Chapin recommends 5-MTHF, telling us “it’s what I personally took as a pregnant midwife.” She acknowledges, however, that there’s debate on the subject and that the CDC and ACOG still recommend folic acid. “ I presume everyone will be recommending methylfolate in the years to come. Clinical guidelines often take time to catch up with research!”

If you do choose folic acid, look for a minimum of 600 micrograms (0.6 milligrams) per ACOG, though Twogood recommends a slightly higher dose of 800 micrograms (0.8 milligrams) or 1,000 mcg (1 milligram) for overweight or obese patients. Igbinosa adds, “For people with a previous pregnancy affected with a neural tube defect, additional folic acid—often 4,000 micrograms (4 milligrams)—is suggested. Please talk to your doctor if you have questions or concerns.”

Other nutrients to look for

In addition to folic acid, Twogood recommends that you look for DHA and EPA in your prenatal vitamin. These omega-3 fatty acids help brains develop and function at their best. “Omega 3 also has been shown to reduce the risk of preterm birth,” comments Twogood. To support a baby’s healthy neurodevelopment, look for 200 to 300 milligrams of DHA a day, either in your prenatal or as a separate pill, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. DHA and EPA come mainly from low-mercury fatty fish like salmon and sardines, or from algae oil if you don’t eat fish.

Moreover, there are nine more essential vitamins and minerals that ACOG says you need during pregnancy, which are listed below. (Aim for the minimum levels included here, but if your vitamin falls short, plan accordingly to get the rest from your diet.)

• Choline. “I love that more prenatal vitamins are adding this critical nutrient into their formulas!” says Chapin. Choline is key for development of baby’s brain and spinal cord as well as helping the placenta function properly. “Experts recommend that you get 450 milligrams of choline each day during pregnancy”, according to ACOG. Depending on the prenatal vitamin you pick, you can always introduce more choline into your diet through beef liver, eggs, cow’s milk, soy products and peanuts.
• Iron. Iron helps red blood cells deliver oxygen to your fetus. It’s also used to supply extra blood that you and baby need during pregnancy. But anemia is very common in pregnancy. “The maternal and fetal iron demands are high,” Chapin tells us. You can find it in meat, fish, poultry and milk but “it is rare that someone is able to get enough iron from diet alone, especially in the third trimester, and especially for a vegan or vegetarian…. iron in a pill form can help fill that gap.” During pregnancy, ACOG recommends an extra dose for a total of 27 milligrams a day, which is present in many prenatal vitamins (with the exception of prenatal gummies).
• Calcium. Calcium helps support baby’s bone and teeth development (and prevents osteoporosis for you). Most prenatal vitamins contain 200 to 300 milligrams of calcium, according to the Mayo Clinic, but you’ll need to get more from your diet for a total of 1,000 milligrams for moms between the ages of 19 and 50. Other sources include cow’s milk, cheese, yogurt, sardines and dark green leafy vegetables.
• Vitamin D. Vitamin D works in tandem with calcium to help baby’s bones and teeth develop. It’s also essential for healthy skin and eyesight. “Vitamin D can be very difficult to get from food alone,” says Chapin. “And unless you are getting daily adequate sunshine, which can be hard at certain latitudes, you may need to supplement.” The ACOG daily recommended amount for adults is 600 IU, but most prenatal vitamins have about 400 IU. To help you boost your levels to the recommended daily amount, fortified milk, fatty fish such as salmon and sardines are all good food sources.
• Iodine. This mineral is essential for the development of a healthy brain and nervous system. Iodine is also critical for the production of maternal and fetal thyroid hormones too. The ACOG recommends 220 micrograms per day. You can also consume iodine from iodized salt, dairy products, seafood, meat, fortified bread and eggs.
• Vitamin C. To promote healthy gums, teeth and bones in baby, the ACOG recommends taking 85 milligrams of vitamin C a day. Many of the prenatal vitamins in our list meet this, but citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes and strawberries are reliable food sources.
• Vitamin B6. In addition to helping form red blood cells, vitamin B6 is great for the nausea that can plague moms to be. ACOG recommends 1.9 milligrams a day.
• Vitamin B12. For a healthy nervous system and red blood cells, expecting moms should consume 2.6 micrograms of B12 a day, according to the ACOG. This is covered by most prenatals, and you can eat your B12 in the form of meat, fish, poultry and dairy products.
• Vitamin A. Last but not least, vitamin A is another key component when it comes to prenatal supplements. “[It’s] essential for fetal skin, vision (eyesight) and [the] immune system,” says Igbinosa. She advises pregnant women between the ages of 19 and 50 to consume the daily recommended amount for adults, which is 770 micrograms. You can also find vitamin A naturally in carrots, sweet potatoes and dark leafy greens.

These are the biggies for prenatal vitamins. “For specific scenarios, like vegetarians, vegans or patients with certain medical disorders, ob-gyns may recommend specific doses of other vitamins,” Twogood adds.

Shouldn’t I Avoid Vitamin A During Pregnancy?

You may have been warned against vitamin A during pregnancy only to find that many top prenatal vitamins contain exactly that. We asked Weiss to weigh in.

“Vitamin A plays a vital role in numerous bodily functions, including cell growth and differentiation, immune function and vision,” Weiss tells us. “It is especially crucial for the development of the fetus, particularly during [organ formation] in the first trimester.” What matters is the form of vitamin A:

• Provitamin A (such as beta carotene), found in plant-based foods, is converted by the body into the active form.
• Preformed vitamin A (such as retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters), found in animal-based foods, is readily absorbed by the body.

“Beta carotene is generally considered a safer option, as the body converts only what it needs into the active form of vitamin A,” explains Weiss. Unlike preformed vitamin A, the risk of toxicity is low since you can’t over-convert.

Most prenatals with vitamin A contain beta carotene, while some may include preformed vitamin A. Weiss tells us a balanced combination of both can help meet the nutritional needs of you and baby “while minimizing the risk of vitamin A toxicity.” That said, you want to avoid taking too much during pregnancy. Out of an abundance of caution, we only recommend prenatal vitamins that are either free of vitamin A or that get at least 50% of their vitamin A content from beta-carotene.

How to Read a Prenatal Vitamin Label

From the certifications to the triple digits and cascading lists of nutrients, reading a prenatal vitamin label can feel like taking a chemistry pop quiz you absolutely didn’t sign up for. But relying on the packaging alone isn’t quite going to cut it.

We asked molecular biochemist Mena-Schneller for an easy-to-swallow crash course in label reading. “The information that matters is in the supplement facts panel, and specifically the chemical form of each nutrient,” she affirms. “Almost nobody is taught to read that, so here’s the order I use.”

Start with the folate

“Look for the word, not just the number,” advises Mena-Schneller. As mentioned in our ingredients breakdown, folate and folic acid are not the same. “Even if you don’t have the gene variant, the methylated form is simply fewer steps for your body to do,” Mena-Schneller adds. “You’re handing it the finished product instead of the raw material. So the microgram number tells you less than the form does.”

Check the iron

For iron, look at both the amount and the form supplying it. “The amount on the label is not the amount your body absorbs,” reminds Mena-Schneller. “The cheap forms like ferrous sulfate are the ones most likely to make an already-nauseous person quit, and a gentler chelated form like ferrous bisglycinate tends to sit far easier.”

Ultimately, it’s about choosing the best form of iron your stomach can tolerate and absorb. “The best iron is still the one that actually gets taken,” she adds.

Look for choline and DHA

Don’t assume every prenatal includes choline and DHA. With DHA especially, “many prenatals leave it out or sell it as a separate softgel,” says Mena-Schneller. The label should also indicate whether it comes from fish oil or algae, which is particularly relevant for vegetarians and vegans.

“That algae-versus-fish distinction can [also] matter for some people, because EPA and higher-dose omega-3s can have a mild blood-thinning effect, so anyone with a bleeding concern or on a blood thinner should let their OB choose the source and the amount,” she adds. “I’d frame that as a doctor conversation, not a rule.”

Pay close attention to the ‘Other Ingredients’ list

“First, look for the words ‘proprietary blend,’ and if you see them, be skeptical, because a blend hides how much of each thing is actually in the capsule,” advises Mena-Schneller.

Second step? Check the fillers. “Most are boring and harmless; they’re just what holds a capsule together, like cellulose,” she notes. “The ones I’d personally skip are artificial dyes and titanium dioxide, and I’d rather see a short, recognizable list than a long one.”

When ‘organic’ matters

“If a prenatal uses whole-food or plant-derived ingredients, or adds botanicals like ginger for nausea, that’s exactly where I’d want to see the word ‘organic,’” explains Mena-Schneller. The reason? “Plants concentrate whatever they’re grown in, including pesticide residue.”

Synthetic vitamins made in a lab are by their nature isolated, so pesticides aren’t the concern there. “It’s the food-derived and botanical pieces where organic actually earns its place,” she confirms.

Confirm the third-party testing

Finally, check whether the prenatal carries a credible third-party certification, such as USP Verified or NSF certification. “USP Verified, from the United States Pharmacopeia, is the one I’d prioritize,” shares Mena-Schneller. “It’s the closest thing to a gold standard for supplements,” followed closely by NSF and ConsumerLab.

Here’s your trusted (biochemist-approved) supplement certification cheat sheet:

USP (United States Pharmacopeia). “It checks that what’s on the label is actually in the bottle—both identity and amount—that the product is free of harmful contaminants like heavy metals within set limits, that the pill will actually break down and release and that it’s made under good manufacturing practices,” explains Mena-Schneller.

NSF International. “NSF runs a similar program, and its Certified for Sport version also screens for banned substances, which is less relevant for a prenatal but tells you it’s a serious testing operation.”

ConsumerLab. Another independent tester whose seal means a product passed its testing…

It’s worth keeping in mind what these certifications can and can’t do. While they can help verify that the product contains what its label claims and meets specified standards for contaminants and manufacturing quality, they don’t tell you whether that nutrient combination is right for your pregnancy or guarantee a particular health outcome.

“Seals verify quality and honesty, not health outcomes,” says Mena-Schneller. “And one honest caveat: a missing seal doesn’t automatically mean a bad product. Certification costs real money and time, and plenty of good brands skip it. So treat a seal as a strong green flag, not the only flag, and still read the panel.”

About the writer:
Lizzy Briskin is a freelance writer and product reviewer focused on parenting, food, wellness, and travel. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Women’s Health, Shape, Self, Good Housekeeping, and other outlets. She’s thrilled to be expecting her first baby (a daughter) this year.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.