How to Manage Prenatal Vitamin Side Effects
Medically Reviewed By Margaret Etudo, BPharm. Written By The Vitamins For Woman Team.
Are you popping prenatal pills yet? Here are some of the best ways to get ahead of prenatal vitamin side effects.
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We all know that you should take prenatal vitamins during pregnancy to provide nutrients for the body and the unborn baby. Just like any medication you put into your body, prenatal vitamins also come with some side effects.
There are cases where these supplements may cause side effects such as nausea, itching, and constipation. Although these symptoms can also result from the pregnancy itself, it may be difficult to pinpoint whether the supplements are responsible. For some women, these symptoms may be mild or even get worse within a short time.
You may wonder – what’s in prenatal vitamins that sometimes cause these annoying side effects? If I experience any unusual symptoms, how do I control them? This article gives you insight into how to manage prenatal vitamins side effects.
What are Some Prenatal Vitamin Side Effects?
You should know that some prenatal vitamins’ side effects are also common side effects of pregnancy. Sometimes, you may not know if your prenatal vitamins cause the hiccups you may or may not feel when vomiting. On the other hand, prenatal vitamins may worsen some of the symptoms your body is already facing during pregnancy.
Examples of these prenatal vitamin side effects and their causes include:
Digestive Discomforts
Constipation is one of the most common side effects of pregnancy, which may be a result of the iron in prenatal vitamins. Your body needs this mineral to make many red blood cells that transport oxygen to you and your baby. However, iron can also clog up your intestinal pipes, slowing digestive processes to a halt.
Other gut-related side effects you may experience during constipation are:
- Gas
- Bloating
- Stomach cramps
- Upset stomach
- Hard or small bowel movements
- Strange-colored bowel movements
Bloating and Gassiness
While it may be challenging to know if these symptoms are from pregnancy or prenatal vitamins, some pregnant women react to the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or fish oil in prenatal vitamins. Gassiness may come from what you are before or while taking prenatal vitamins.
Allergic Reaction
If you experience belly discomfort, nausea, or vomiting after taking prenatal vitamins, it may be that you are allergic to something in the supplement. It may be uncommon to react to certain micronutrients. However, the ingredients causing a reaction may be unique and could be used to make your prenatal pills. For this reason, it is always advisable to check the supplement labels for ingredients that may trigger a reaction.
Hair loss, Bruising, and Dry or Itchy Skin
It is easier to get enough vitamin A for your pregnancy through foods like eggs, milk, carrots, sweet potatoes, and cantaloupe. So, you may not need to take prenatal supplements. However, if you are taking these vitamins, hair loss, itchy skin, and bruising are common signs that you are getting too much.
Other Aches, Pains, and Changes
Prenatal vitamins contain minerals such as iron, calcium, and iodine, which may sometimes cause specific side effects:
- Muscle weakness
- Teeth staining
- Stomach bleeding
- Hives
Note that these minerals may also cause side effects that are also common to pregnancy side effects such as:
- Confusion and lack of focus
- Appetite loss
- Sore teeth and gums
- Frequent urination
- Stomach irritation
- Fast or uneven heart rate
Some side effects that can worsen as a result of taking these pills during pregnancy, and these prenatal vitamin side effects include:
- Dry eyes
- Blurred vision
- Headache
- Back pain
- Muscle pain
- Dizziness
- Strange taste in your mouth
- Unusual tiredness
- Managing Constipation and Digestive Discomfort
Managing Constipation and Digestive Discomfort
Whether as a pregnancy symptom or one of the prenatal vitamins’ side effects, constipation is not easy to deal with. However, there are some ways to manage it.
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- Eat fiber-rich foods daily: If you are experiencing digestive discomfort or construction, you are most likely not eating enough fiber. Fiber-rich foods can help soften your stools during pregnancy. You can get fiber from whole grains, beans, peas, veggies, and fruits.
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- Drink 8 to 12 cups of water daily: As a pregnant woman, eight cups is the least you can drink daily. It would be beneficial to support your pregnancy and assist your stools to become softer if you drank more water than usual. If you do not enjoy drinking water, try these other healthful beverages. Healthy beverage options include tea, low-fat milk, smoothies, and juices without added sugar.
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- Engage in three times a week of moderate exercise: Your increased weight during pregnancy may force you to exercise less. Your pelvic region and joints may get strained by this weight, making mobility difficult. Find out from your healthcare professional which workouts are the safest for relaxing your colon’s muscles.
- Talk to your physician about your options: A doctor could advise you to take less iron-containing supplements if you take prenatal vitamins. Because they make going to the bathroom more convenient and comfortable, laxatives are also excellent options for treating constipation during pregnancy.
Managing Aches, Pains, and Changes
Keeping an active lifestyle and reining in your pregnancy weight gain are two of the best strategies to prevent pregnancy-related symptoms. Nonetheless, there are easy workouts that have been shown to lessen bodily aches and back pain during pregnancy. Pregnant women can safely exercise to reduce pain by walking, riding, or swimming.
Medication for aches and pains may put you and your unborn child at risk. It is best to speak with your doctor before using any medications or painkillers while you are pregnant. The benefits and drawbacks unique to you may also be taken into account by the physician when recommending a painkiller.
Other Potential Risks
As the famous saying goes, “excess of every good thing could harm your health”. Taking a high dose of prenatal vitamins can also pose a risk to you and your baby. Such risks may come from certain nutrients and minerals in each supplement or prenatal product.
For example, pregnant women shouldn’t take too much vitamin A as it can be toxic for you and your baby. Excess of this vitamin can harm your liver and may lead to some congenital disabilities in your baby.
Before using any medication or creams while pregnant, check for vitamin A ingredients like tretinoin, retin-A, and isotretinoin. Overdosing on vitamins like A, D, E, or K in your body can be severe for you and also harm your developing baby.
If you have taken various supplements or are experiencing significant side effects, consult a doctor to receive urgent medical attention. You can also tell your doctor about some medications you may take alongside your vitamins. Prenatal vitamins may interact negatively with various prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs, such as:
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- Pain relievers or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil or Motrin
- Diuretic or water pills
- Heart prescriptions
- Blood pressure medications
- Trimethoprim
- Sulfamethoxazole
Why Do You Need Prenatal Vitamins?
It’s true that, as humans, our bodies get various kinds of nutrients from diets. However, not everyone can eat the best variety of food or the freshest foods daily. Besides, when you are carrying a baby and experiencing symptoms like nausea, it becomes harder to eat your veggies and fruits every day.
Your pregnancy is a delicate journey. From the first months of your pregnancy, your baby’s brain and spinal cord are developing. Prenatal vitamins contain the recommended daily minerals an expecting mom needs before and during pregnancy. These vitamins also provide your growing baby with the necessary nutrients.
For example, vitamin A in prenatal supplements is required for healthy eye development in your baby. Also, folic acid is needed to help your baby grow a healthy spinal cord and nervous system.
One more benefit of prenatal vitamins is to keep you healthy after your delivery, especially for your breastfeeding plans. However, not all prenatal vitamins on the market are the same. Each product has different formulations and dosages of specific nutrients, and you need a doctor to choose the best one for you.
Some of the nutrients in prenatal vitamins essential for pregnant women include folic acid, vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B12, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium.
How Can You Manage Prenatal Vitamin Side Effects?
As long as you take the recommended prenatal vitamins, the benefits exceed the drawbacks. What prenatal vitamins are best for you and your unborn child? Feel free to ask your doctor.
Here are some tips you can try to manage prenatal vitamins side effects from prenatal vitamins:
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- Take your prenatal vitamins following the doctor’s regular prescription.
- When taking prenatal vitamins, avoid taking other multivitamins, vitamins, supplements, or herbal medicines.
- Do not take your prenatal vitamins on an empty stomach. You can take them with food or right after a meal.
- Pour a full glass of water and take a prenatal vitamin with it.
- Completely swallow the prenatal vitamin without breaking, crushing, or chewing the prenatal vitamins.
Frequently Asked Question
A lot of healthcare providers will recommend that expecting mothers should take prenatal vitamins throughout their pregnancy journey. In cases where you are also breastfeeding, you must take your vitamins throughout your breastfeeding period.
When taking specific prenatal vitamins, certain nutrients are unsafe for your pregnancy. You need to avoid taking products with these nutrients in high quantities. These nutrients include vitamins A and E, black cohosh, doing quai, goldenseal, Yohimbe, and other herbal supplements..
In general, prenatal vitamins are safe to take. You need to avoid taking some of these prenatal vitamins in higher quantities of its daily dosages.
Final Thoughts For You
For a healthy pregnancy and newborn, prenatal vitamins are essential. Doctors will always advise that you take them far in advance of your intended pregnancy.
As stated earlier, minor yet bothersome side effects can come from using specific prenatal vitamins. Some of these may be more severe during pregnancy as they share similarities with common pregnancy side effects.
The mild prenatal vitamins side effects are typically manageable with lifestyle adjustments and home remedies. If you choose to take a pill, make sure you talk to your doctor about which vitamins you should take and how much you should take each day. Never use more prenatal vitamins without first consulting your physician.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2023). Office of Dietary Supplements: Thiamine.
- Ge Y, Huang S, Li Y, et al. Pregnancy thiamine and riboflavin intake and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: A prospective cohort study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023;117(2):426-435.
- Wacker J, Frühauf J, Schulz M, Chiwora FM, Volz J, Becker K. Riboflavin deficiency and preeclampsia. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2000;96(1):38-44.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2021). Office of Dietary Supplements: Niacin.
- Palawaththa S, Islam RM, Illic D, et al. Effect of maternal dietary niacin intake on congenital anomalies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Nutr. 2022;61(3):1133-1142.
medically reviewed by margaret etudo, BPharm. written by the vitamins for woman team.
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hey, just read about the bloating and gassiness part. im kinda worried cuz ive been having that a lot. is this normal or should i talk to my doc about it? thanks, Margaret Etudo for the info.
Margaret, your section on managing constipation and digestive discomfort is enlightening. I’ve found that incorporating more natural fibers into my diet greatly alleviates these symptoms. Sharing for those who might benefit.
not sure if my wife should keep taking these if there are so many side effects. anyone knows if theres an alternative to prenatal vitamins?
interesting read, didn’t know prenatal vitamins could cause hair loss. has anyone tried natural supplements instead? wanna avoid those side effects if possible.
hey everyone, read about the allergic reaction part. how do u know if its an allergy or just a normal side effect? kinda worried for my partner.
Mike, it’s best to consult with a healthcare provider to distinguish between an allergy and a side effect. Better safe!
read the part about aches and pains. i workout a lot, wondering if prenatal vitamins will mess with my routine cuz of the side effects.
The information regarding managing aches, pains, and changes is quite accurate. However, it’s critical to emphasize that personal medical history should guide vitamin intake, not just generalized advice.
loved the part on why we need prenatal vitamins. it’s like a little reassurance that im doing something right for my baby. thanks, Margaret Etudo!
It’s fascinating to consider the biochemical implications of prenatal vitamins on both the mother and child. This article prompts a deeper dive into the research behind these effects.
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