The best vitamins for pregnant women in the 3rd trimester

Rational, nutrient-rich nutrition for a pregnant woman is one of the important conditions for healthy gestation. However, experts are convinced that the consumption of vitamins and other nutrients in expectant mothers in our country does not reach the recommended norms, which is fraught with a number of malformations in the fetus. (one)

Even if a young mother eats very well, her diet includes vegetables, fish, and other foods rich in vitamins, the body still needs additional support.

To make up for the deficiency and minimize the risks for the development of the fetus, pregnant women are prescribed vitamin complexes with fatty acids and other beneficial substances. In particular, in the second half of pregnancy, as a rule, the need for iron, choline, cysteine, manganese, copper, vitamins A, B1, B2, B12 increases, but the need for synthetic folic acid and iodine decreases by the third trimester. (2)

Rating of the top 10 vitamins for pregnant women in the 3rd trimester according to KP

1. Solgar Prenatal Nutrients

A vitamin-mineral complex for expectant mothers, which, according to distributors, is suitable for use during pregnancy and can be continued after. The supplement contains calcium, iron, folic acid and antioxidants, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E. Consult your doctor, including the number of tablets that you can take per day: somewhere they write that two tablets are enough, other sources recommend double the dose. 

2. “Elevit Second and third trimester”

A dietary supplement that can be used from the 13th week until the very birth. Acts as an additional source of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A, C, D, E, vitamins B group, which save from the development of late toxicosis; contains niacin, folic acid, biotin, iron, copper, iodine, zinc, selenium and magnesium.

The drug is convenient to take – just one tablet a day with meals. And contraindications are minimal: only individual intolerance. However, remember that before buying vitamins, it is better to consult a doctor.

3. Vitrum Prenatal Plus

The vitamin-mineral complex contains essential vitamins and microelements, including: vitamins A, C, E, B vitamins, folic acid, zinc, iodine, iron and selenium. Often, doctors recommend taking this drug from the very beginning of pregnancy. The composition is selected in such a way that the risk of an overdose of vitamins is minimal.

It is necessary to take one tablet per day, and since there are 100 pieces in the package, one pack will last for a long time. The only thing that many women find it difficult to control daily intake, since all the pills are in one bottle. You can solve this problem if you take vitamins strictly at the same time.

The drug is popular because it is well absorbed, and users note a noticeable effect.

4. Femibion ​​Natalcare II

Vitamin and mineral cocktail suitable for women from 13 weeks of pregnancy. The manufacturer indicates that they can be used after childbirth, during lactation. The complex is an additional source of folic acid, vitamins C, E, group B, biotin, nicotinamide, pantothenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, iodine. 

The package contains 30 tablets and 30 capsules, take one of both once a day. It is convenient that the blister is perforated, which means that you can take only the required number of tablets and capsules on a trip for a couple of days, and not carry the entire package.  

5. “Complivit trimester 3 trimester”

A vitamin-mineral complex that will help pregnant women compensate for the deficiency of vitamins A, E, C, D3 and B vitamins. Also contains lipoic acid, folic acid, nicotinamide, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, selenium, copper, iodine. Rutin in the composition will help reduce swelling, and pantothenic acid plays an important role in metabolism.

You can use this drug from the 28th week of pregnancy, the manufacturer also notes that vitamins are also useful for the period of breastfeeding.

But it is worth paying attention to the list of contraindications, among which not only hypersensitivity to the components is highlighted, but also an excess of vitamin A, D, an increased content of calcium and iron, B12-deficiency anemia and urolithiasis.

6. “Minisan Mama Complex”

Vitamin-mineral complex, which doctors often prescribe in the second half of pregnancy. The drug will help replenish or maintain the balance of vitamins D3, E, C, B1, B2, B6, B12, and there is also niacin, folic acid, biotin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium and the daily intake of iodine. If you have been taking iodine since the beginning of pregnancy, you should be more careful.

Users note that soon after the start of taking the drug, an effect is noticeable. And the complex is convenient to use: one tablet a day, the tablets themselves are small in size, which is a significant plus for many women.

The composition does not contain omega-3 acid and vitamin A, therefore, these nutrients may have to be taken additionally.

7. “Gendevit”

Yes, yes, those very “Soviet” vitamins are also suitable for pregnant women – this is reported by a manufacturer from the Republic of Mari El. A jar of yellow dragees is a source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, E, C, D, and also contains pantothenic acid, folic acid and nicotinamide.

Tiny dragees are convenient to take, and many have loved their taste since childhood. During long-term use of a multivitamin complex, urine may turn bright yellow – but this is not dangerous.

An important advantage for many will be the price, which is seriously different from other vitamin complexes for the better. However, regarding the composition, it is worth consulting with your doctor.

8. “AlfaVit Mom’s health”

These popular vitamins are often prescribed to pregnant women in the 3rd trimester. However, it is also indicated before conception and in the early stages of gestation. 

Here, the manufacturer has “sorted” all macro- and micronutrients into different tablets that differ in color. The pink tablet contains vitamins B1 and C, as well as folic acid, beta-carotene, copper and iron. Inside blue – vitamins B2, B6, E, nicotinamide, manganese, magnesium, iodine, zinc. In a cream-colored tablet – vitamins K1, D3, B5 and B12, calcium, phosphorus, chromium, biotin, folic acid.

Taking them with a time interval, a woman gets the maximum benefit with minimal risk. But not everyone will be comfortable swallowing pills three times a day.

9. “Fortamine for pregnant and lactating women”

A drug that can be used both during gestation and lactation. In the composition, in addition to the “classic” set of vitamins and minerals, there is choline, which contributes to the proper development of the fetus, and in particular, the formation of its nervous system. Among other things, a balanced composition affects the well-being and mood of the expectant mother.

There are only 30 tablets in the package, but the price is an order of magnitude lower than other well-known vitamin complexes.

10. “Miteravel plus with Omega-3, vitamins and minerals”

A source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid. Also in the composition there are vitamins A, C, E, D3, B1, B2, B6, B12, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, nicotinamide, folic acid, molybdenum, selenium, iodine.

All the benefits are “packed” in capsules with a black liquid center. The color and the presence of flavors in the composition can scare away. However, on the network you can find a lot of positive feedback, especially from those who did not fit the “dry” multivitamins.

Caution should be taken in diseases of the thyroid gland and an imbalance of iodine in the body.

How to choose vitamins for pregnant women in the 3rd trimester

Experts say that a deficiency of vitamins and other nutrients can have a detrimental effect on the fetus at the beginning of pregnancy, but in the later stages, hypovitaminosis cannot become a factor in the development of obvious anomalies of intrauterine development. And yet, the risks remain. In particular, a deficiency of nutrients can lead to disruptions in the work of the cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine and digestive systems of the fetus. (3)

When using nutritional supplements, you need to be guided by a number of simple principles:

• vitamins should not be too much,
• vitamins and minerals should make up for the identified deficiency in the body,
• Vitamin and mineral complexes do not replace a complete healthy diet. (four)

And, of course, it is critically important not to prescribe vitamins on your own and be sure to consult with your doctor before taking them.

Expert Commentary

We asked obstetrician-gynecologist, nutritionist, doctor of the highest category Natalya Belyaeva to give some advice to expectant mothers on choosing vitamins.

– According to clinical guidelines, pregnant patients at low risk of beriberi are not recommended to routinely prescribe a multivitamin. Pregnant women at high risk of beriberi may be advised to take an oral multivitamin throughout pregnancy. The high-risk group for vitamin deficiency includes women of low socioeconomic class, with an unhealthy lifestyle, malnutrition, and dietary habits (eg, vegetarians). In any case, vitamin complexes should be prescribed by a doctor. Independently, guided by advertising or the advice of friends, it is definitely not worth “prescribing” one or another dietary supplement for yourself.

Popular questions and answers

What is the difference between multivitamin supplements and is it harmful to try different ones? Our expert, obstetrician-gynecologist, nutritionist, doctor of the highest category, Natalya Belyaeva, answers our questions, which many mothers are sure to ask.

Sources of

1. Kodentsova V.M. Vitamins and minerals as a factor in preventing fetal developmental defects and pregnancy complications // Medical Council. 2016. – No. 9. pp. 106-113. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vitaminy-i-mineraly-kak-faktor-preduprezhdeniya-defektov-razvitiya-ploda-i-oslozhneniy-beremennosti/viewer
2. Serov V. N., Gromova O. A., Torshin I. Yu. Trimester approach to prescribing vitamin-mineral complexes based on a systematic analysis of the biological significance of vitamins and microelements in the mother-placenta-fetus system // Gynecology. 2010. – No. 6. pp. 24-34
3. Kasumov R.S., Zhegalov A.A. The role and importance of vitamins and antioxidants during pregnancy: an analytical digression // Fundamental aspects of mental health. 2018. – No. 2. pp. 19-21
4. Pestrikova V.Yu., Yurasova E.A. Vitamin-mineral complexes as a protector of obstetric and perinatal complications // Gynecology. 2019. – Volume 21. – No. 4. pp. 44-49. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vitaminno-mineralnye-kompleksy-kak-protektor-akusherskih-i-perinatalnyh-oslozhneniy-obzor-literatury/viewer