Before your delivery, you’re advised to take prenatal vitamins to nourish your body and your baby, providing a proper supply of all the essential nutrients for the baby’s growth and nourishment. After the birth of your baby, you are suggested to take post-natal vitamins, but how are these different from pre-natal ones?
We will discuss the difference between the two, the importance of post-natal vitamins, and some options for post-natal vitamins.
Post-natal vitamins are actually designed for postpartum nourishment. The nutrients these supplements provide can be passed down to your little one through breastfeeding. We did a little research regarding post-natal vitamins and have compiled it for you to go through.
Why is it Important to take Post-natal Vitamins:
Several nutrients in your body are depleted after pregnancy. Although you’ve successfully brought another human to the world, it would’ve drained you of your nutritional storage, such as Vitamin D, folate, calcium, selenium, iron, and fatty acids. It’s important to keep your nutritional level balanced after your delivery for a comfortable life and energetic enough to take care of your little baby.
Some nutrients are advised to take even higher doses due to breastfeeding than during pregnancy. This is because your body has higher demands for nutrients as they are passed down to your baby, so you have a higher chance of developing deficiencies in these nutrients.
For lactating moms, many nutrients are used up in the making of breast milk. These are choline, iodine, DHA, Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B12, and Vitamin D. These nutrients are essential for the optimal growth and development of the baby as well as the mother to provide enough energy to take care of herself as well as the baby. However, this does not mean that you should depend solely on these nutritional pills. Adapting a healthy lifestyle and having a healthy diet is much more essential, but your doctor prescribes the vitamins to keep the nutritional level optimal in your body.
How to Choose Post-natal Vitamins:
Obviously, you would go for vitamins that are free of artificial flavors and colorings and would support healthy hair growth. It is only natural to avoid supplements that do not contain essential nutrients. When keeping these things in mind, you should always opt for vitamins that are trusted by professionals and have maintained a reputation among new moms. Good supplements contain all the vital nutrients and minerals, which some are as follows:
- Choline
- Omega – 3s
- Folates
- Selenium
- Iron
- Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B12 and D
It is possible that all of these may not be present in a single supplement, and you might have to take different types of supplements to make up for the body’s requirements.
Good Post-natal Vitamins follow the following Criteria of Constituents:
Nutritional Content:
The formula of the product should meet the nutritional requirements of breastfeeding women.
Ingredient Quality:
The product should be free of artificial additives and produced from high-quality ingredients. For purity and accuracy of the product, it must be third-party tested.
Price:
The supplements should not be heavy on the pocket and suit the budget.
Reviews:
The product should, as mentioned before, have a good reputation among new moms and be trusted by professionals.
How Should you take your Post-natal Vitamins?
If you just got your vitamins but have no idea how to take them, you should go for the mentioned dosage on the product package. A better option would be to consult your doctor about your body’s dosage. The requirement level may vary from 1 to 4 doses, so it’s better to take professional advice. Some tips for taking post-natal vitamins are as follows:
- Try and take your vitamins at the same time every day
- In cases of nausea, try taking your vitamins with food
- If you’re a person who finds it difficult to swallow pills, go for gel tablets or smaller tablets
- You can take liquid, chewable, or gummy tabs
- Keep your body hydrated.
What are Essential Nutrients required for Breastfeeding Moms?
While other nutrients are important for new moms, lactating mothers need higher amounts of choline and iodine. Generally, 290 mcg of iodine and 550mg of choline is recommended for the first year of postpartum. There are many other nutrients required which are present in post-natal supplements.
The Difference between the Post-natal and Prenatal Vitamins:
Other than the targeted audiences, there are a few differences between the two. Post-natal vitamins have higher nutrient content than pre-natal, depending on what kind of deficiencies women face post-delivery. Post-natal vitamins keep optimal energy levels in mothers and provide a nutrient supply for lactating moms that may be passed down to the baby. Pre-natal vitamins are for the growth and development of the baby in the mother’s body.
Are Using these Post-natal Vitamins Worth it?
While some vitamins consist of key vitamins, others contain nutrients, whole-food ingredients, and herbs. These vitamins, upon consultation, meet your body’s needs, especially if you’re a lactating mother. The optimal amount of nutrients keeps the number of nutrients in your body at an optimal level.
What are Some of the Best Post-natal Vitamins?
We have gathered some of the best post-natal vitamins that you might want to check. These are as follows:
- Generally best post-natal vitamin: https://fullwellfertility.com/collections/all-products-excluding-route/products/fullwell-prenatal-multivitamin?correlationId=f29bb269-2412-475c-9482-079d2f282023
- Best vegetarian-based post-natal vitamin: https://megafood.com/products/baby-me-2-postnatal-multi?correlationId=ef2f61b3-47b8-4836-9379-81274d1156e0&sscid=21k7_7dt3e&utm_campaign=314743_1272543&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_source=ShareASale
- Best post-natal vitamins that are chewable: https://www.seekinghealth.com/products/prenatal-essentials-chewable-60-tablets?rfsn=4075664.c34ec5&subid=120561330&utm_campaign=4075664.c34ec5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=refersion&correlationId=76824f4b-2793-4c7f-b2b1-320148f4c8ec
- Best post-natal supplement consisting of omega 3: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015TQ7X3Q?&=&_encoding=UTF8&&linkCode=ll1&tag=vms-postnatal-vitamins-20&linkId=cd6881bf3825f91eec7481cb149f2f32&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&ascsubtag=1c363790-04ad-491a-8304-cfa2db647156&correlationId=1c363790-04ad-491a-8304-cfa2db647156
- Best post-natal supplement consisting of iron: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KYBTSQQ?tag=healthline-subtag-20&ascsubtag=f8a9d772-d992-44a4-bb5b-c4be70a713b2&correlationId=f8a9d772-d992-44a4-bb5b-c4be70a713b2
- Best post-natal supplement in the gummy form: https://www.amazon.com/SmartyPants-Prenatal-Complete-Daily-Vitamins/dp/B00VFYYAC4?&linkCode=ll1&tag=vms-postnatal-vitamins-20&linkId=5a80c9affd34cd0eced57cf4f8c28551&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&ascsubtag=1e8eb3df-ce83-43ab-9de4-0342e0a57e2d&correlationId=1e8eb3df-ce83-43ab-9de4-0342e0a57e2d
- Best post-natal supplements that are cost-friendly: https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Made-Postnatal-Multi-Vitamin-Softgels/dp/B00OA7VTBS?&linkCode=ll1&tag=vms-postnatal-vitamins-20&linkId=04800c5055f4f64607d8cb599bf17fd8&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&ascsubtag=e6ef53cc-df78-4d25-bb61-82a3726110aa&correlationId=e6ef53cc-df78-4d25-bb61-82a3726110aa
The Takeaway:
The article was to provide information regarding the consumption of post-natal vitamins that you might wonder about. It is important to take these supplements so you can be energetic enough to take care of yourself as well as your baby. No matter how well organized, sleepless nights and constant feedings can mess you up. It is also true that you should not be dependent on these vitamins only.
Natural source of nutrients is the best way of consumption of nutrients. Adapting a healthy lifestyle is also important, including a healthy diet for proper nourishment of the body, both of your and your breastfed baby.
