at a glance
Why Most Prenatal Vitamins Fall Short — And What to Look for Instead
Table of Contents
- 01 - Nutrient Depletion During Pregnancy is More Common Than You Think
- 02- Why RDAs Aren't Cutting It for Pregnancy
- 03- What Makes Needed's Prenatal Multi Different
- 04- Clinically Studied Dosing - Not Bare Minimums
- 05- Nutrients Many Prenatals Underdeliver - or Leave Out
- 06-How to Choose a Prenatal Vitamin *What I Tell My Patients"
- 07 - DISCLAIMER
Many women come into pregnancy doing “everything right.”
They’re eating balanced meals, prioritizing protein, taking a prenatal vitamin daily and are still feeling depleted.
You know how that feels. Daily fatigue that doesn’t resolve with rest. Brain fog. Hair shedding. Mood changes that are brushed off as “just part of pregnancy .”
As a registered dietitian working in fertility and pregnancy nutrition, I see this pattern constantly. And more often than not, the issue isn’t effort. Part of the picture is the messaging that any prenatal works. That simply isn’t the case. It’s that most prenatal vitamins simply aren’t designed to meet the real nutritional demands of motherhood.
Nutrient Depletion During Pregnancy Is More Common Than You Think
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abj8016Pregnancy and postpartum are some of the most nutritionally demanding phases of life. A woman’s body is supporting her own nutrient needs and building another human at the same time.
Research has shown that many women remain low in key nutrients even while taking supplements. Nutrient depletion can show up as occasional fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, or mood changes, and these symptoms are often normalized instead of addressed nutritionally.
The state of dietary guidelines and how that gets filtered to most medical providers and then patients is not optimal. It creates a perfect storm for many women coming into pregnancy depleted.
Why Standard Prenatal Vitamins Don’t Meet Real-World Needs
Most prenatal vitamins are formulated around the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). While RDAs serve an important purpose, they were never meant to represent optimal intake — especially during pregnancy.
RDAs are:
~Designed to prevent deficiency in the general population
~Based largely on research that excluded (1) pregnant and breastfeeding women
~Focused on minimums, not therapeutic or restorative levels
To complicate things further, many leading prenatals don’t even meet those minimums for critical nutrients like choline, vitamin D, B12, zinc, and selenium.
Why RDAs Aren’t Cutting It for Pregnancy
RDAs don’t account for:
~Increased metabolic demand of pregnancy and breastfeeding
~Nutrient transfer from mother to baby
~Absorption differences
~Modern stress, environmental exposures, or soil depletion
Pregnancy requires more. The goal isn’t to just avoid deficiency, but enough to support normal physiologic function for both mom and baby.
This is where formulation matters.
What Makes Needed’s Prenatal Multi Different
When patients ask me what prenatal vitamin to take, I recommend Needed Prenatal Multi because it provides methylated folate (not folic acid), active nutrient forms for better absorption, and clinically studied dosages of vitamin D3, choline, and zinc that supports neural tube development, maternal health, and fetal brain health throughout pregnancy.*
Unlike many prenatals that rely on bare-minimum dosing, Needed Prenatal Multi is designed to support women through preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum with thoughtfully selected forms and amounts.
👉 You can view the full product details here: https://thisisneeded.com/products/prenatal-multi-essentials
Clinically Studied Dosing — Not Bare Minimums
Needed Prenatal Multi Essentials provides:
~Up to 5x more nutrition than outdated RDAs*
~8x more total nutrition than leading prenatals**
~Dosing designed to support nutrient repletion, not just maintenance
This matters because pregnancy isn’t a static state — nutrient needs evolve across each trimester and into postpartum.
**Based on Recommended Dietary Allowances, compared to leading prenatals as determined by IRI $ sales data, 09/2024-09/2025
Nutrients Many Prenatals Underdeliver — Or Leave Out
Some of the most commonly underdosed or missing nutrients in prenatal vitamins include:
- Choline, which supports fetal brain development and maternal liver function*
- Vitamin D3, which supports immune function and bone health*
- Vitamin B12 and folate, which support energy metabolism and healthy red blood cell formation*
- Zinc and selenium, which support immune and thyroid health*
- Chromium, which supports normal blood sugar metabolism*
Needed Prenatal Multi includes clinically meaningful levels of nutrients — in forms the body can actually use.
Thoughtful Formulation
Another reason I appreciate Needed’s approach is what they don’t include by default.
- No iron — so dosing can be personalized based on labs
- No omega-3s — allowing flexibility in sourcing and freshness
- Third-party tested for quality and purity
- Backed by over 15,000 practitioners
This allows women to customize their prenatal approach instead of being locked into a one-size-fits-all formula.
How to Choose a Prenatal Vitamin (What I Tell My Patients)
When evaluating a prenatal, I recommend looking for:
- Clinically meaningful doses — not just label claims
- Active, bioavailable nutrient forms
- Third-party testing
- Flexibility to personalize iron and omega-3s
- A formula designed for all stages of motherhood
Final Thoughts: Go Beyond the Bare Minimum
Pregnancy asks a lot of the body. A prenatal vitamin should reflect that reality.
Needed Prenatal Multi is designed to support normal, healthy physiologic function during pregnancy by going beyond outdated standards and focusing on optimal nourishment — for both mom and baby.
👉 Learn more here: https://thisisneeded.com/products/prenatal-multi-essentials
References
1- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abj8016
DISCLAIMER
This post is sponsored by Needed, a brand I genuinely recommend to my patients and use personally.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
I’M CAITLIN JOHNSON!
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