How to choose your pregnancy vitamins?

A varied and balanced diet is the foundation of good health: taking capsules and supplements is simply a bonus. Food supplements are like a roof on a house — without a solid foundation, they cannot hold.

In theory, a food-first approach is sufficient to provide all the nutrients your body needs, and supplements are not essential for a healthy pregnancy in which all nutritional requirements are met.

During pregnancy, however, the need for vitamins and minerals increases to such an extent that it can sometimes be difficult to meet all your requirements through diet alone — all the more so given that today's fruit and vegetables contain significantly fewer nutrients than they did a few decades ago. Refining and industrialisation processes largely strip foods of their vitamins and minerals.

If you do not wish to take a prenatal vitamin, it is important not to eliminate any food group from your diet. Each food group (vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, starchy foods, fruit, and fatty foods) is important and provides vitamins and minerals that are essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. If you are not supplementing, seek advice from a nutrition specialist to ensure that your needs and your baby's needs are fully covered.

During pregnancy, your needs change — and so do your baby's. For certain vitamins and minerals, requirements can double or even triple! A tailored supplement is a reliable way to meet all your needs during this very sensitive period of pregnancy.

If you have ever heard that a supplement is the "best prenatal supplement", that is simply not true. There is no miracle supplement that will perfectly meet your needs.

We are all different when it comes to nutrition, depending on our diets and our bodies. It is therefore very difficult to make a general recommendation regarding the taking of prenatal vitamins. However, it is possible to choose a supplement with the most assimilable and bioavailable forms of vitamins and minerals, and with no side effects on the body.

Make sure the supplement is third-party tested

Third-party testing by external organisations is a mark of quality for a supplement. 

Make sure the B vitamins are in their active form.

For vitamin B9, opt for the 5-methyltetrahydrofolate or (6S) acid form. Not to be confused withfolic acid during pregnancy, a non-bioavailable form.

Also opt for methylcobalamin over other forms for vitamin B12.

For vitamin B6, look for the pyridoxal-5-phosphate form.

Opt for vitamin D in D3 form

Vitamin D3 is more effective than vitamin D2 at raising and maintaining vitamin D levels in the body [9].

Choose the right form of vitamin K

Vitamin K2 is much better absorbed by the body than vitamin K1, and it has a longer half-life. We also opt for the vitamin K2 MK7 form, which is the most bioactive [10].   

Watch out for iron
 

Iron requirements increase during pregnancy [11]. It is important to have an adequate iron intake to support the expansion of blood volume, thyroid and immune function, to help combat fatigue, and to allow for proper brain development in the baby [12].

However, many women do not need to supplement as they consume enough iron through their diet, and for those who do need to supplement, the amount of iron required varies considerably from person to person. Moreover, high doses of iron supplement can generate oxidative stress, which in turn disrupts the gut microbiome [11].
 

It is therefore important to have your iron status tested and to discuss this with a healthcare professional before starting any supplementation. Ideally, consult a healthcare professional specialising in nutrition, who will encourage you to run a comprehensive panel (ferritin, serum iron, transferrin, transferrin saturation, total iron-binding capacity, soluble transferrin receptor) and will be able to interpret the results in the context of your personal situation.

Also make sure to avoid pro-oxidant medicinal iron and opt instead for iron in bisglycinate form, which is the best absorbed and tolerated by the body [13].

Iron Mama, our iron supplement for pregnant women, covers 100% of the recommended daily intake of iron in just 1 capsule. Say goodbye to the discomfort associated with iron capsules — with our Ferrochel™ iron bisglycinate, our capsules combine optimal absorption with digestive comfort.

And don't forget: the best approach is to supplement according to your own needs. 

Calcium supplementation is not always necessary

Most women generally consume sufficient calcium through their diet, and during pregnancy the efficiency of intestinal calcium absorption doubles, which means supplementation is generally not necessary [14]. To find out more, read our article on calcium and pregnancy.

Make sure the oil providing the DHA is of high quality

Supplements that contain their omega-3 in the same capsule as other micronutrient powders should be avoided! These are particularly fragile fats, highly susceptible to oxidation — especially when in contact with other vitamins and minerals — meaning they can lose all their beneficial properties...

The Totox index is a good indicator of the quality and oxidation level of an oil. This value should be below 26, and the peroxide value should be below 5. Beware of fish oils that advertise an extremely low Totox index — these figures generally refer to the Totox measured on the crude oil before purification, or to the Totox measured just before the product is barrelled, both of which significantly understate its true value and are therefore not reliable.

If the oil is fish-derived, make sure it holds quality, purity, and pollutant-free certifications.

Be cautious with vegetable capsules containing omega-3. Vegetable capsules can be very interesting, but there is not yet enough reliable evidence to show that they form a sufficient protective barrier to guarantee the stability and absence of oxidation for omega-3, whoseomega-3 DHA. 

Our omega-3 oil is completely separate from the other active ingredients so that it retains all its properties and does not become oxidised. It is sourced from a very high-quality fish oil, guaranteed Qualitysilver® and certified Friend of the Sea®, extra pure and free from pollutants. Its stability is also guaranteed with an exceptionally low Totox index of 13 post-production, and a peroxide value of 0.7. 
Bonus: our amber glass jar protects them from light and therefore from oxidation.

Make sure the supplement contains choline

Choline is an essential nutrient that is very rarely found in prenatal supplements, despite the vital role it plays in baby's development. It helps, among other things, to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, much like vitamin B9. Our supplement choline pregnancy meets the needs of mothers and their babies. 

To find out more about choline, read our article on choline and pregnancy.

Avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful compounds

You will often find them listed as colourant, thickener, emulsifier, anti-caking agent, etc.

Among the worst: silicon dioxide E551 (anti-caking agent) and titanium dioxide E171 (used as a colourant).
These are nanoparticles — extremely fine particles that can become lodged in the body. Several in vitro studies point to a possible toxic effect (oxidative stress) of silica nanoparticles on certain intestinal cells. 
In June 2019, a team of French researchers published a study seeking to evaluate the impact on mice of repeated, long-term exposure to amorphous silica nanoparticles [17]. The exposure took place over 18 months via drinking water, at a dose comparable to the estimated exposure from the consumption of food additives in a typical diet. Abnormalities were detected in the kidney tissue of the exposed mice, along with inflammatory hepatic responses.

If you spot them, run a mile!

Check the nutrient doses

For a supplement to be effective, the form of the nutrients is not enough on its own. The quantities matter just as much. 

Make sure your supplement covers your needs and contains at least:

- 400 µg of folate

- 80 mg of choline

- 200 mg of DHA

- 150 µg of iodine

Be wary of food supplements that champion naturalness at every turn. In their natural form, most vitamins and minerals contain far fewer active ingredients than in their synthetic form. Natural forms are sometimes not sufficient to meet your needs.

The same goes for gummies — a supplement format that allows for very little active ingredient in its formulation and is often packed with sugar... So do pay attention to the quantity of nutrients your supplements contain!

As early as possible

First of all, know that it is never too late to start taking a prenatal supplement. Of course, the earlier you begin, the better for your pregnancy. Ideally, you should start taking supplements even before you become pregnant: to address any deficiencies you may have and to ensure you are in the best possible nutritional condition during conception. It is not strictly speaking a food supplement to help get pregnant, but it helps to support the body and its nutritional reserves. 

When should the supplement be taken during the day?
 

Taking a supplement too close to bedtime may affect sleep in some people. If this is the case for you, avoid taking your supplement in the evening. 
Other than that, there is no better time of day to take your supplement — some prefer to take it first thing in the morning, while others take it at lunchtime with their meal. What matters most is not so much the time at which you take your supplements during the day. What really counts is taking them regularly and consistently.

Don't worry if:
 

You forgot to take your supplements one day.
It is not the end of the world to forget to take your vitamins one day! If this happens, make sure to eat a varied and balanced diet in sufficient quantities and drink plenty of water. Do not forget that food is far more important than your supplements.

At Jolly Mama, we wanted to formulate our pregnancy food supplement to cover your essential vitamin and mineral needs, in the best forms and at the best doses. 

With just 2 capsules per day, Baby Bump covers more than 100% of requirements for all B-group vitamins, 500% of vitamin D3, nearly 100% of vitamin K and 200% of vitamin B9. It also covers more than 100% of iodine and selenium requirements, and 50% of zinc requirements. It does not replace a balanced diet, which should remain our primary source of nutrients, but it acts as an "insurance policy" during this particularly sensitive and special period.

A supplement with the most effective and bioavailable active forms

- the 5-MTHF form for vitamin B9,
- the methylcobalamin form for B12,
- the pyridoxal-5-phosphate form for B6,
- the D3 form for vitamin D,
- the K2 MK7 form for vitamin K,
- the bisglycinate form for zinc,
- the selenomethionine form for selenium,
- the bitartrate form for choline intake.
- DHA from high-quality fish oil (Qualitysilver®, a patented process that keeps the oil stable and long-lasting), made in France, free from pollutants and with a low TOTOX index (an indicator of total oil oxidation and therefore its freshness).

A carefully selected capsule
While most capsules found on the market do not allow good absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, E, D and K), Baby Bump enables optimal absorption of all vitamins and minerals, thanks to the fish oil. We chose a fish gelatine capsule as it provides the best protection against oxidation of the oil, which is not the case with vegan capsules.

A capsule without iron, but…
If our prenatal supplement does not contain iron, we offer other products that do. Our Jolly products contain iron in bisglycinate form, the best absorbed and most digestively comfortable form [15],[16], because we want the very best for you and your baby.

Just 1 capsule of Iron Mama covers 100% of daily iron requirements. 
Granochoc, our indulgent granola with cocoa and coconut and Croquantissime, our snack with delicious notes of almonds and hazelnuts, each helping to cover 50% of your iron needs.

And alongside that, don't forget your supplement magnesium pregnancy ! Mama-gnésium contains magnesium bisglycinate, the best-absorbed form to meet your needs. 

Can't digest fish oil? Are you vegan? Bump essentials is the ideal alternative for you, being the equivalent of Baby Bump but without fish oil. To stock up on DHA from a vegan, highly digestible source, our supplement omega 3 pregnancy Omega Mama helps to meet your needs.  

Can't tolerate capsules? Bump powder is the equivalent of Bump essentials but in sachet powder format! 

During pregnancy, the need for vitamins and minerals increases, and prenatal supplements help to cover the nutritional requirements of both your body and your baby.
Take care mama. Your diet should remain as balanced and varied as possible to provide you with the greatest number of nutrients.

Be careful not to self-supplement — food supplements are not without risks; they can interact with other supplements, foods and medications, or may not be suited to your personal situation, not to mention the importance of choosing them carefully and adjusting dosages accordingly. It is therefore preferable to seek advice from a healthcare professional specialising in nutrition (such as a naturopath or nutritional therapist), particularly if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.