Vitamins A, C, and D
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is very important for the baby’s development, helping with development of the baby’s organs and organ systems. A toxicity of vitamin A (exact amount unknown) can be very harmful to the baby and can lead to congenital malformations. However, a deficiency in vitamin A can do the same. It’s important to note that there are 2 forms of vitamin A: preformed and provitamin A carotenoids. Preformed is found from animal sources, while carotenoids are found from fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A from animal sources can be toxic in high doses, however, toxicity from fruits and vegetables is highly unlikely.
Best Food Sources
Best food sources of vitamin A are well, everything. Best to get it from fruits and vegetables.
Supplementation
All values are based on daily serving size.
| Thorne | 5000 IU |
| SmartyPants | 3000 IU |
| Kirkland | 3500 IU |
| VitaFusion | 4000 IU |
| NatureMade | 2567 IU |
| Metagenics | 5500 IU |
| Klaire | 1500 mcg RAE |
Needed during pregnancy – 770 mcg RAE
Our Take: Wait, what? Why do some present in IU and others mcg RAE? Apparently, it is very difficult to convert IU to mcg RAE because it depends on the amount and type of vitamin A. This is tough, and without doing much more research into vitamin A, it’s hard to tell. So, vitamin A is good, and these all have vitamin A.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important for development of the baby’s immune system, as well as all of the collagen formation.
Best Food Sources
Best food sources of vitamin C come from broccoli, cabbage, citrus fruits (especially oranges), and red peppers. Vitamin C is water soluble, so boiling could decrease the Vitamin C content.
Supplementation
All values are based on daily serving size.
| Thorne | 150 mg |
| SmartyPants | 60 mg |
| Kirkland | 85 mg |
| VitaFusion | 30 mg |
| NatureMade | 85 mg |
| Metagenics | 500 mg |
| Klaire | 100 mg |
Needed during pregnancy – 85 mg
Our Take: 2000 mg is the upper limit of vitamin C. The gummy vitamins have the least amount of vitamin C, so additional vitamin C may be needed if taking those. When breastfeeding, you may need even more vitamin C (recommended 120 mg), it may be better to get that during pregnancy as well, so Thorne and Metagenics are the best choices in my opinion.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important for bone and teeth development of the baby, as well as their eyesight and skin. Vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus all work together. It is important to note that vitamin D is a common deficiency during pregnancy. Deficiency in Vitamin D could lead to gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm birth. However, these have not been proven and are awaiting more research.
Best Food Sources
Best food sources include canned pink salmon and fortified foods
Best vegan sources include mushrooms and fortified food.
Sunlight is the absolute best source!
Supplementation
All values are based on daily serving size.
| Thorne | 1000 IU |
| SmartyPants | 1000 IU |
| Kirkland | 400 IU |
| VitaFusion | 400 IU |
| NatureMade | 1000 IU |
| Metagenics | 1000 IU |
| Klaire | 2000 IU |
Needed during pregnancy – 600 IU
Our Take: Additional research is coming out, saying that the recommended amount of Vitamin D may be a lot lower than we think. The Linus Pauling Institute has come out to say it may be more like 2000 IU needed. There is no toxic level of Vitamin D, so get as much as you can. Klaire labs seems to have the edge here, but additional Vitamin D supplementation may be recommended as well.
We have two more vitamins to look at. They are Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
These blogs will be posted on Tuesday & Friday throughout the month of July. Click here to subscribe so you don’t miss a post!
Click here to read the first blog of the series: Why should I take a prenatal?
Click here to read the second blog: Prenatal Vitamins: Overview
Click here to read the third blog: Prenatal Vitamins: Calcium and Iron
Click here to read the fourth blog: Prenatal Vitamins: Folate or Folic Acid