14 Best Prenatal Vitamins for Pregnancy in 2025

What are the best prenatal vitamins to take before pregnancy and while pregnant? I researched the top-rated prenatal vitamins and their reviews to find the best prenatal multivitamin for every specific need. These are the best women’s prenatal vitamins I’ve come across on my own over the years as well as new ones I’ve learned about since my pregnancies.

I’ve also spoken with a board-certified OB/GYN and another reproductive specialist doctor to provide some of the best information you’ll ever find about taking prenatal vitamins!

• Dr. Erica Louden, a reproductive endocrinologist with Vios Fertility Institute, goes into great detail on what to look for in a prenatal vitamin (including third-party certified labels; there’s no such thing as FDA-approved prenatal vitamins).
  
  
• Dr. Jane Van Dis, a consultant OBGYN of Milk Drunk, will discuss why taking any prenatal supplement is better than none, and what you can do to choose the best prenatal vitamins for you.

Below are my top picks of prenatal vitamins based on overall awesomeness as well as specific needs for different kinds of expecting moms.

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This article provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this article, or any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for specific professional medical expertise or treatment.

If you have a medical concern, consult your healthcare provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you’ve read on this website or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.

What to Look for in Prenatal Vitamins

When it comes to how to choose the best prenatal vitamin, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Some women are allergic to certain ingredients; some get severely constipated with iron supplements (which many prenatals contain); others can’t keep down traditional pills due to nausea and morning sickness.

Dr. Louden is very clear on what should be in a prenatal vitamin:

• Folic acid (400 mcg before pregnancy, 600 mcg once pregnant)
• Minimum of 150 mcg iodine
• Minimum of 18 to 27 mg iron
• Minimum of 600 IU (or 15 mcg) vitamin D
• Minimum of 220 to 300 mg DHA

She notes that the amounts and overall importance can vary based on a history of seizures, eating a plant-based diet, your risk of preeclampsia, and more, so it’s important to discuss these factors with your doctor.

Some women become severely constipated if their prenatal contains any iron, so you may need to experiment to find the right dosage for you. You also need the following amounts of these vitamins, though you could get enough from the foods you eat if you have an exceptionally healthy and varied diet:

• Calcium (1,000 mg)
• Choline (450 mg)
• Vitamin A (770 mcg)
• Vitamin C (85 mg)
• Vitamin B6 (1.9 mg)
• Vitamin B12 (2.6 mcg)

Calcium can prevent the absorption of iron – another critical nutrient during pregnancy – so it’s important not to consume too much calcium supplement (or any at all, if you eat a lot of dairy). A great way to balance these needs is to consume calcium in the morning (via milk or cheese) and eat iron-rich foods, like red meat and poultry, in the evening.

Not all top prenatal vitamins’ contents are the same. Your doctor should be able to point you to the safest prenatal vitamins available or help you compare prenatal vitamins that you’re interested in taking. Remember that there are no prenatal vitamin requirements by law. They fall under “dietary supplements” and thus are not reviewed and approved by the FDA.

What needs to be in prenatal vitamins is not, in fact, present in every vitamin on the market. So do not assume the latest and greatest prenatal vitamin ad you see on the internet will be a good option for you and your pregnancy. Dr. Louden recommends you look for one or more of the following third-party certification labels on whatever prenatal vitamin you choose:

• NSF (National Science Foundation)
• USP (United States Pharmacopeia)
• BSCG (Banned Substances Control Group)
• GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)
• Consumer Lab

Is it okay to take over-the-counter-prenatal vitamins?

There is no need for prescription prenatal vitamins (though a prescription could mean you pay zero out of pocket). Some of the top prenatal vitamins are available OTC, with the best prenatal vitamin brand (as recommended by us) included!

Most prenatal vitamin brands have the same ingredients, just in varying amounts or with a special ingredient or two different. Whether you’re getting your prenatal vitamins over-the-counter at Walmart, from your doctor’s office, or from the drugstore around the corner, the most important things you can do are check the ingredients and discuss the vitamins with your doctor.

How We Chose the Best Prenatal Vitamins

We rated the best prenatal vitamins for pregnancy on several factors, including:

• How easy it is to consume
• Affordability
• Critical ingredients, like folic acid and vitamin D
• Reported side effects and product issues

The best-rated prenatal vitamins based on existing verified reviews have been evaluated. We also asked several OB/GYNs and other doctors in reproductive health to provide an anonymous opinion on their recommended prenatal vitamins! While you should still discuss any supplement with your doctor before beginning to take it, we’re confident that these are the healthiest prenatal vitamins available for you to choose from.

A Note on Folate vs. Folic Acid

There’s a lot of controversy over whether prenatal supplements should contain naturally occurring forms of folate, pre-metabolized folate, or man-made folic acid. Many women with MTHFR (a genetic mutation that some studies have said makes it difficult to process folic acid) have been told they must take only folate, NOT folic acid, or it will make them sick, have no benefit to their baby, etc.

This. is. not. true. If you’re a woman who’s believed this for some time, you’re probably jaw-dropped and offended right now. This is nothing personal – it’s just a fact based on research and ever-changing science, and you need to know about it! According to the CDC – a government facility that most people consider reliable – people with the MTHFR C677T variant absolutely can process all types of folate, including folic acid. It is only women with more serious mutations of the gene (there are 34 in total!) that cannot adequately convert folic acid, and that is much, much rarer.

Whether you’re inclined to believe the CDC or not, there is something else extremely important you should know: folic acid, NOT natural folate, is the only form of folate that has evidence of preventing neural tube defects. So while it’s advisable to get plenty of natural folate from the foods you eat, you still need to take folic acid to help prevent NTDs like spina bifida. Keep in mind that absorbing enough folate before and throughout pregnancy still won’t provide 100% protection against your baby developing an NTD.

I have included the best prenatal supplements on this list, and that means including some that contain folic acid and some that contain various forms of natural folate. It’ll be up to you and your doctor to choose the one that’s best for you, but most women should not be hesitant to take one with folic acid regardless of MTHFR. For what it’s worth, a healthy amount of Vitamin B6 in conjunction with folic acid appears to help its absorption in all women, so keep an eye out for your B6, too.

Best Prenatal Vitamins of 2025

While it is large, and the omega-3s can make it smell a bit fishy, it is a soft gel pill and relatively easy to swallow. Very few women report issues getting it down, and even fewer report it causing any nausea.

It uses folic acid as well as natural forms of folate, with 95% of your recommended daily dose of vitamin B6 to go with it. This USP-verified prenatal vitamin is one of the most popular on the market, primarily because of its price. It just happens to contain a rockin’ combination of vitamins and minerals perfect for supporting you and your growing baby, too.

It’s one large tablet you’ll have to get used to swallowing, and you’ll want to take it with food or in the evening. (I found taking it right before bed was the best way to avoid nausea.)

While it does have iron, it also has a little calcium, so make sure your doctor is testing your iron levels regularly to ensure you’re absorbing enough (and don’t take this with a glass of milk). There’s no choline or DHA at all, which is perfectly acceptable in a prenatal vitamin that has everything else, but I strongly recommend picking up a separate DHA supplement to go along with it. Its vitamin D is a little on the low end, so be sure you’re getting plenty from your diet (or get plenty of sunshine).

The label of this bottle doesn’t boast any third-party verification, nor could I find any in my research, so please discuss this prenatal vitamin with your doctor before taking it.

You’ll need to chew four small gummies a day, and you can do them all at once or spread them out throughout the day (particularly excellent if you have a super-sensitive stomach). Fortunately, they taste excellent! (Note: these do have added sugar for flavor.)

The key nutrients are mostly here and primarily organic, but leave something to be desired. If you don’t need iron, that’s great, because these don’t have any!… But they also don’t have any calcium. You’ll want to make sure you’re eating plenty of dairy or taking a separate calcium supplement, as well as a separate iron supplement if you’re anemic. The DHA could be a little higher, but you may fill in the gap if you eat enough fish in your diet. These prenatal gummies use methylfolate instead of folic acid.

My only concern is that while they claim to submit their product for third-party lab testing, there’s no sign of which one. The only verification they clarify is that their fish oil is certified by IFOS. Their website, smartypantscorp.com, was also allowed to expire, so their claim of published lab reports can’t be verified. Still, this supplement has been around for a long time and has consistently received rave reviews.

If you just can’t swallow a pill, you’re subject to allergic reactions, and you have a sensitive stomach, this is a surefire way to get a prenatal supplement in you every day.

You’ll find it extremely easy to swallow two tiny soft gels each day, and you’ll have double the DHA and two-thirds the vitamin D recommended by doctors during pregnancy (your general multivitamin will likely cover the rest of your vitamin D). If you’re worried about the high concentration of fish oil in these little capsules, there’s no need – they are, in fact, naturally strawberry flavored to cover up the smell (and more importantly, the taste).

This is one of the highest doses of DHA I found in any prenatal supplement, and that’s a good thing. Just like Smarty Pants, they claim to be third-party tested without actually saying who’s doing it – just that certificates can be provided upon request. But if it eases your mind, this is the “official” omega-3 supplement of the American Pregnancy Association!

Quite frankly, I could not believe I hadn’t heard of this prenatal before doing research for this article. Extremely popular and highly rated, it also has a pretty great price point. It contains no synthetic binders or fillers and is made with all-organic ingredients!

This prenatal vitamin isn’t too difficult to swallow. It is a bit large, but not *quite* a horse pill. Most women have no stomach issues and some can even take it on an empty stomach. If that wasn’t awesome enough on its own, consider this: this vitamin contains everything recommended by doctors in a prenatal, all from organic sources, and that includes using getting folate from lemon peel. There is no calcium, but that’s to keep it from interfering with the iron absorption. Just be sure to eat plenty of dairy and green leafy vegetables the rest of the day.

The most common issue with this vitamin is what’s known as “niacin flush” where your face becomes red and inflamed. This is due to all the ingredients being completely organic and therefore more quickly absorbed by the body. If you have any history with a reaction to niacin in foods, you’ll want to choose a different prenatal vitamin.

The price is a little high and some of the vitamin counts seem a little off, but overall, if you’re anemic and in need of a lot of iron during your pregnancy, this prenatal vitamin fits the bill. If the vitamin D3 wasn’t sourced from sheep’s wool, it would also be vegan!

You’ll have to throw back three medium-sized capsules a day, and while you could split them up with all of your meals, that’s a lot to remember. I’d recommend getting it all over with at once, whether with breakfast or before bed. There’s no DHA in these pills, so you’ll need a separate supplement for that. But they more than make up for that in their methylated folate and vitamin D content, not to mention the 45 mg of iron!

While some women find that iron supplements upset their stomachs or cause constipation during pregnancy, I was not one of those women. I was so anemic I had to take 65 mg of iron three times a day in addition to my prenatal vitamin that contained iron, and I still never got constipated (and was only barely above anemia level). The Thorne Basic Prenatal is a great choice if you’re struggling to get enough iron in your body.

However, some customers have become concerned over the amounts of other seemingly innocuous vitamins. It contains over 7000% of the recommended daily value of vitamin B12 which makes some people nauseous, and extremely high B12 levels at birth have been linked to an increased risk of autism. You’ll also probably want to avoid this prenatal vitamin if you suffer from low blood pressure, due to the high amount of niacin present (which can also lower blood pressure).

As scary as those things sound, most women are very happy with the product and report very healthy pregnancies. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have, and know that taking a separate iron supplement in addition to a high-quality prenatal is always an option!

Unfortunately, you do have to take three large tablets a day with this prenatal vitamin – and you should spread them out between meals. The plus side of this practice is that these vitamins are very easy on your stomach and help keep your energy up all day long! Fermented iron also helps prevent constipation in women who are sensitive to it.

This prenatal has all the recommended nutrients except for DHA (and the calcium content is low to allow iron absorption). Some of the folate does come from folic acid, but most of it is natural. Among the vitamins is an herbal blend of organic superfoods that lend themselves well to a healthy pregnancy.

New Chapter is verified by several third-party organizations including the NSF, and is non-GMO certified.

There is just one large tablet a day to swallow, and a natural vanilla coating makes that task a tiny bit easier. Fruit enzymes are present to encourage better digestion and less nausea. That being said, it is huge and still difficult for some women to handle. On top of that, this pill doesn’t have DHA – Honest Co. made a separate pill for that – which is fine, but you’ll have to swallow two more soft gels on top of this behemoth to get all of your recommended nutrients.

Everything in this prenatal is truly organic though, and they don’t even push that point (though they do proudly display “non-GMO” everywhere, which is pretty close). Besides the DHA, every single nutrient you need during your pregnancy is in this big ol’ thing.

There are more than a few negative reviews of this pill, but most of them stem from its size and organic nature. It can be hard to get down, and it tastes nasty if you don’t knock it back ASAP. You might want to avoid this one if you’re not a professional pill-taker.

While this prenatal supplement is in the form of one large pill, most users find it easy to swallow with very little aftertaste or nausea. The list of other positives is long: it’s completely vegan/plant-based and vegetarian-friendly, all ingredients are organic, and it includes probiotics!

Another super-important note is that the folate content includes folinic acid, which is folic acid that’s already broken down. If your MTHFR gene prevents your body from converting folic acid properly, this is an excellent alternative that your body will be able to absorb!

There’s an article that claims Best Nest’s products tested for lead at levels much higher than allowed by the FDA, and this has a lot of users very upset. However, the article in question (which I’m not linking to and giving them any traffic – you can Google it) doesn’t provide any actual lab results.

Best Nest’s own released third-party lab results are far below the FDA’s “acceptable” amount of lead (it’s pretty much negligible). This Best Nest prenatal vitamin boasts the GMP stamp and is created in an NSF-certified facility, so I’m inclined to believe Best Nest. This is a quality supplement, and other than the fact that it’s one of the most expensive on the list, it’s one of my favorites.

The Movita prenatal comes in the form of two large tablets, and they can be taken at the same time or split throughout the day. The real benefit is that they can be taken on an empty stomach without making you sick! Movita makes this claim, and no users have disputed it yet.

Ingredient-wise, it’s truly luxury – everything is organic, whole food, and allergen-free. The blend includes probiotics as well. It does not include calcium, which helps ensure maximum iron absorption. It also doesn’t have DHA, so you’ll need a separate pill for that. Finally, it’s also missing choline, so if you’re vegan, make sure you’re eating plenty of broccoli and cauliflower to make up for it.

While the ingredients are certified organic, this company does not currently claim any third-party testing or verification of ingredients, so be sure to discuss it with your doctor before taking it.

One tablespoon a day is all you need, and it’s perfectly acceptable to mix this stevia-sweetened supplement into your favorite drink. Some like the flavor, some don’t. You might be fine with just a glass of water or you might need a giant bottle of juice.

The main caveat with an all-natural liquid prenatal is that the minerals tend to settle in the bottom of the bottle. Be sure to shake it vigorously before every dose to ensure you’re getting the right amount of vitamins and nutrients every day.

Believe it or not, this liquid prenatal is made with 100% organic whole foods – it even gets natural folate from spinach! The amount of calcium is very small (to allow for iron absorption). It also doesn’t have any DHA, but that’s a good thing in a liquid prenatal supplement; it would make it taste overwhelmingly like fish, and no one is about to drink that. If you genuinely can’t take a little pill for your dose of DHA, though, there are liquid omega-3 supplements available (just put it in something extra tasty to keep it down).

This product is made in the USA and is third-party tested with the cGMP seal on the bottle. Even if you are perfectly fine with taking pills, this is an excellent prenatal vitamin choice.

This prenatal is in the form of one large tablet, and some women find it difficult to swallow. It’s easy on the stomach and contains shelf-stable probiotics, though. 

This is one of the few prenatal vitamins that have every single doctor-recommended nutrient (minus DHA, which they’ve created separate soft gels for). The ingredients are certified clean, raw, and non-GMO, and are completely vegetarian. It even has zinc and selenium! The calcium content is low to improve your body’s absorption of iron.

There doesn’t appear to be any other type of third-party certification for this product. They did settle a huge class-action lawsuit for claiming their product contained NO heavy metals, though trace amounts were found to be present (but to be clear, trace amounts are considered safe by the FDA up to a certain amount). Either way, they appear to have changed their formula since then. As always, talk to your doctor before beginning a new supplement!

This prenatal supplement is great for morning sickness because it’s not likely to trigger any of the usual things that would make you throw up. The ingredients in this are excellent, if not completely organic. There is calcium alongside the iron, though, so you’ll want to keep tabs on your blood iron to make sure it’s being absorbed. You’ll also need a separate DHA supplement (because DHA in a chewable would be pretty gross).

This is a newer, lesser-known prenatal supplement and doesn’t appear to have any third-party certifications yet. The ratings from users are good, though a small number of women hate the taste (but most find it tolerable, and most actually like it). The price is really great for a chewable vitamin! Just be sure to talk to your doctor before ordering.

This prenatal is great for twins, but you don’t have to take two of them – just one medium-sized soft gel pill a day is all you need to get down. Most women feel it’s pretty easy to swallow, but the DHA content means you may end up with fishy burps afterward.

I want to be upfront and note that this supplement contains no vitamin A, calcium, or choline, things you will need to ensure you get either through your diet or other vitamins. The lack of vitamin A is likely to avoid providing too much vitamin A, which can be dangerous during pregnancy. Having no calcium is perfect for ensuring maximum iron absorption.

What this supplement does have, though, is all five of the essential nutrients for pregnancy as outlined by Dr. Louden at the beginning of the article, with amounts above and beyond the minimums (without overdoing it). In particular, iron and folate are crucial during a twin pregnancy, and this supplement provides them both in high amounts.

And while many supplements on this list require a separate supplement for DHA – which is most definitely important – this one doesn’t! You can also rest easy knowing this prenatal supplement is NSF-certified in a cGMP facility. The DHA ingredients are even MSC-certified for sustainability!

Before You Go…

I truly hope I’ve helped you find the best prenatal vitamins for your specific needs. A lot of time and research went into these decisions, and I feel very confident in these recommendations. While I may be beating a dead horse, I want to reiterate that you should always talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement!

Since you obviously care about your health, you should check out these pelvic floor exercises to do during pregnancy. They’ll lead to a healthier body and easier delivery!

I also have a great popular, free guide to pregnancy week-by-week.

And if you haven’t announced your pregnancy to anyone yet, be sure to check out these memorable pregnancy announcement ideas!