Women often ask about prenatal vitamins and birth control. Some wonder if they can take prenatal vitamins while on birth control. As physicians, our answer is an emphatic “yes”.
Why is this a question? We all know that prenatal vitamins are important to take when you are pregnant. They provide important nutrients to both mom and baby. Some of the most important ones to consider are folic acid, iron, iodine and omega 3s. See more here on the value of prenatal vitamins and the role for personalized prenatals. As important is these nutrients are when pregnant is actually just as important to start them before conception. It turns out that many of the key nutrients are important to take before you even star trying to get pregnant. Folic Acid is a great example as starting it months prior to conception helps prevent possible neural tube defects in the baby. Likewise, starting Omega3s prior to getting pregnant helps your body store up on these vital fats that then are used to help the baby’s brain develop optimally.
Another reason to start prenatal vitamins while you are on birth control pills is to start getting your body ready to get pregnant once you stop the pill. It turns out that taking the right vitamins while you take birth control pills can help prepare your body and optimise fertility. Taking the right vitamins to replete any vitamin deficiencies will help your body get healthy in order to then help with trying to get pregnant. Certain vitamins for fertility may include vitamin D, iron, B vitamins, iodine and iron. Since we each have unique vitamin needs based on our individual diet, lifestyle and health concerns, a personalized vitamin is the best way to get the right nutrients for your individual vitamin needs.
How do vitamins help your body prepare even when you are on birth control. For example, the iodine found in high quality prenatal vitamins is essential to support your thyroid. The thyroid regulates metabolism and is important in regulating fertility and helping to establish and maintain pregnancy. Getting the right amount of iodine, as found in a personalized multivitamin or prenatal is essential as too much or too little can be harmful. This is just one way vitamins can benefit you while still on birth control pills.
Vitamin D has been shown to be an important vitamin in all stages of a woman’s life. It can be helpful when still on birth control, trying to conceive and during the postnatal period. Of course exactly how much each woman should take varies greatly, depending on the individual.
Another scenario where we see women wondering about what vitamins to take when on birth control, is when women resume the pill after pregnancy. Many women may be breast feeding, others are just recovering from pregnancy and delivery. Either way, taking the right vitamins when you start birth control is essential. The best approach is a personalized multivitamin to help meet your individual needs. Many women are iron deficient after pregnancy. This is in part due to the baby taking a lot of the mother’s iron stores in addition to blood loss during pregnancy. Breast feeding also takes away from a mother’s total body iron stores.
Other women wonder about what vitamins affect birth control pills or if vitamins do in fact effect birth control. They typically do not. Birth control remains effective. It is important to consider that most women who take birth control have specific vitamin needs based on their stage of life. Finding out that exact blend of which vitamins to take and in the exact right doses, is essential to getting a medically appropriate vitamin. Take our vitamin quiz at Vousvitamin.com to get the right daily vitamin to fit your unique needs at any stage of life.
Romy Block specializes in Endocrinology and Metabolism and is mother to three active adolescent boys. Arielle Levitan is a Doctor of Internal Medicine with a special interest in Preventive Medicine and Women’s Health. She is a mother of three teenagers. As professional women with active family lives, they recognize that people often neglect their own health needs and are uncertain about what vitamins to take. Each person is different in her diet, exercise and health history, and will benefit from different nutrients. After years of advising their patients about the proper vitamins to take, Drs. Block and Levitan created Vous Vitamin® to provide people everywhere with quality vitamins that are suited to their individual needs. They are authors of the award winning The Vitamin Solution: Two Doctors Clear Confusion About Vitamins and Your Health (She Writes Press, 2015). Take your vitamin quiz now to get exactly the right vitamins for your needs.
The statements made in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products offered by Vous Vitamin® are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Nothing contained herein is intended to be a diagnosis or constitute medical advice. The symptoms described in this Blog may be a result of a serious medical condition which requires medical treatment. You should consult with your doctor if you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in this Blog and before beginning any vitamin or supplement regimen.
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