Benefits of Taking Vitamins during pregnancy ...

Even if you eat a super healthy diet during pregnancy, you still need supplementary vitamins. It takes a lot of vitamins and minerals to grow a baby!

These supplementary vitamins give you extra amounts of these three key nutrients for pregnant women:
Folic acid helps your baby's brain and spinal cord develop correctly. This nutrient reduces the risk of serious birth defects called spina bifida and anencephaly.
Calcium protects your bones as your baby grows. Your baby takes this vital mineral from your bones and teeth. You could lose bone density if you don't take extra calcium as your baby develops.
Iron helps your blood deliver oxygen to your baby. It may also prevent your baby from being born early or too small.

When Should You Start Taking Your Vitamins?

Folic acid should be started at least one month prior to conception.

It's best to start taking prenatal vitamins while you're trying to get pregnant. The birth defects prevented by folic acid happen within the first few weeks of pregnancy -- before you even know you're expecting.

Don't worry if you didn't take prenatal vitamins before you got pregnant. Many women haven’t in the past, and they still had healthy babies. Just start taking them as soon as you know you're pregnant.

When you get pregnant, ask your doctor which prenatal vitamin is best for you. If you’ve been taking one already, bring the bottle in so your doctor can check its nutrients.

Take lots of fruits and vegetables, because aside the vitamins you get from them, the fibers derived from them help prevent indigestion and constipation, which is common during pregnancy.