The Best Prenatal Vitamins: Tested by Moms and Approved by Doctors

A 2023 Mom Must-Have Award winner, Nature Made Prenatal Multivitamin Folic Acid + DHA vitamins are packed with all the nutrients you need for an affordable price. They're especially rich in the essential nutrients of folic acid, iron, calcium and vitamin D, plus they contain DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, without a fishy taste.

What our community members love most about the Nature Made prenatals is how gentle they are on the stomach — and you won't be left with any bitterness. Many moms also praised the softgel capsules for being easy to swallow, and free from both the chalky aftertaste of uncoated pills and the excess sugar of gummy vitamins. Plus, you'll only need to take one a day, so the bottle will last up to three months depending on what size you buy. Overall, the Nature Made Prenatal is a solid multivitamin that will deliver the nutrients you need at a good price and sizeable amount of pills in each bottle.

Can't stomach a horse-sized prenatal vitamin? A gummy might help. Vitafusion Prenatal Gummies pack many of the essential nutrients you need (including DHA) into a lemon- or raspberry lemonade-flavored chew. Plus, they also contain 800 IU of vitamin D, which is more than the daily value for pregnant women and aids in bone growth and could help your immune system. Just note that you'll need to ask your practitioner if you should supplement with calcium and iron separately because this option lacks both. And, because you'll need to take two gummies a day, each bottle contains only a 45-day supply. However, for those who can't swallow the large size of many prenatal vitamins or who have a sensitive stomach, this flavorful, easy-to-take gummy option will be a great alternative.

The Theralogix TheraNatal Core Preconception Vitamin contain nutrients designed to give your body what it needs to prepare for pregnancy. This includes methylated folate, a natural form of folate that is easier to absorb, which helps support baby's brain development. If you're trying to conceive, taking a vitamin high in folate up to six months before conception can help set an important foundation for both your body and baby's development.

Additionally, Theralogix's preconception vitamins contain 2,000 IU of vitamin D, which is more than double the daily amount, in order to aid in bone growth, immunity and even mood. It also contains plenty of calcium and iron, which are crucial for your bones and blood cell production, respectively. And, it notably includes choline, which is not always found in prenatals but can help with fetal brain development and may decrease the risk of neural tube defects.

However, talk to your doctor once you’re pregnant to ensure that the higher level of certain nutrients is still safe for a developing baby.

New Chapter's kosher prenatals are International Certification Services (ICS) organic certified and verified non-GMO. We like how they contain 27 mg of iron (which is your entire daily value during pregnancy), but are gentle enough to take on an empty stomach, which is likely due to the addition of ginger. They also contain a modest amount of calcium (about 6 percent percent of the RDA during pregnancy) which is great if you need a boost in addition to what you consume in your diet. Just keep in mind that they don't contain DHA, so you'll need to get that elsewhere with a supplement.

If your prenatal vitamin doesn't contain DHA, ask your doctor if you should take an additional omega-3 supplement, like this Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA. The brand's prenatal softgels contain an impressive 480 mg of DHA, with an overall total of 830 mg of omega-3s. DHA has been found to be important for a baby's nervous system, while omega-3 fatty acids in general help with brain and visual development. What sets this DHA supplement apart from others is that it has a strawberry flavor option to offset the infamous fishy taste, which can be especially helpful for preventing nausea. So, anyone struggling to incorporate fish into their diet or who can't stand the fishy aftertaste of multivitamins with omega-3s might want to try this option instead. It also contains 400IU of vitamin D3 for added bone, mood and immunity support, and the softgel capsule will be easy to swallow.

Remember, however, that this isn't a full-spectrum prenatal vitamin, so it will need to be taken with a multivitamin to ensure you're meeting all your nutritional needs. And, because of its high quantities in DHA and other omega-3s, you should check with your doctor before taking to make sure it's the right option for you.

Plant-based parents-to-be will love these vegan Naturelo Prenatal Multivitamins, which contain essential nutrients such as folic acid, calcium and iron and vitamins A, C and D. Unlike many capsules or softgels, each pill is gelatin-free and sources vitamins and minerals from plant-based ingredients: vitamin D3 from lichen, vitamin E from sunflower and calcium and magnesium from marine algae, to name a few. It also contains chelated iron, an altered form of the mineral that some feel is easier to digest without causing constipation. While some multivitamins lack choline, this one contains 100 mg of it, plus easy-to-absorb methylated folate, both of which will help with baby's brain development.

Although you have to take three capsules per day, you can actually open the capsules and add the powder to food or drink if you'd prefer that route.

For moms-to-be experiencing nausea or hyperemesis gravidarum (or for those who simply don't enjoy taking pills), Pink Stork Liquid Prenatal is a great option to consider. Widely loved by expectant moms in the What to Expect community, this liquid prenatal packs in tons of the nutrients you need, like folic acid, iron and zinc, plus full daily values of vitamins including C, D, B6, B12 and more. It also includes 100 mg of choline, which is good for baby's brain development.

What sets this prenatal apart from pills or gummies is its liquid formula which can be mixed with your favorite beverage to make it even easier to ingest. (You can, of course, take the one tablespoon dose daily by itself — but some reviewers note it has that standard vitamin taste, so adding it to another beverage may be ideal.) Note, though, that this prenatal doesn't include DHA, so you may need to look for a supplement option to add on.

Ritual is a subscription-based service, so you'll never have to remember to grab more prenatal vitamins when you run low. The brand is big on only including ingredients that you can trace right to the source, with detailed descriptions about where each vitamin and mineral comes from to help you know exactly what you're putting in your body during this important time. Included in each serving is vital nutrients for you and baby, including folate and iron, plus choline and DHA, all which aid in neural tube, brain and blood support. Choose from mint- or citrus-essenced pills for a nice taste that makes these pills more palatable than most.

It's important to point out that the supplements don't contain zinc or vitamins A or C, so talk to your doctor to see if you should be supplementing separately with these nutrients or if your regular diet includes enough of each naturally.