The deeper I go into vitamin and mineral research, and the more I understand a woman’s needs during pregnancy, the more unsatisfied I become with Prenatal Vitamins. Yes, women are advised to eat well during pregnancy and depend on this for the majority of their nutritional needs, yet women are also universally reminded to “make sure to take a good prenatal vitamin” to ensure they aren’t missing something vital. However, I have yet to find a “good” prenatal, for the most basic reason that the needs of a woman and fetus in the 3 trimesters of pregnancy and the “4th trimester” of post-partum each have different needs.

If you want to see my main criticisms of prenatals, look at my post Problems With Prenatals. Read below for my recommendations on a sensible approach to nutrition in pregnancy.

Prenatal supplementation protocol

The needs of a pregnant woman develop as each trimester brings new areas of growth for fetus and mother, therefore this protocol is broken into trimesters. 

Supplements should all be taken with meals, and may be split up over the course of a day.

Pre-conception through First trimester (week 13)

Eat well!

What this means: before conception (or between nursing and conception in subsequent pregnancies), a woman may focus on internal detoxes, such as short juicing cleanses, carbon based binders, cleansing enemas, and cleansing herbals, alternated with dense nutritional days/weeks of eating, including grass fed meats, eggs, bone broths, and raw dairy, and fruits, veggies, and whole grains and legumes. Avoid all processed foods, foods with preservatives, dyes, synthetic sweeteners, toxic oils such as canola, soy, cottonseed, and anything fortified with “vitamins” as these are universally synthetic and a nutritional negative. After conception, she will want to avoid the intentional detoxes, and stick to fueling well with the above foods.

Daily Supplements:

  • 1 tablet YL Super B (half-serving as listed on bottle), provides good forms of folate (folinic acid) which is vital from conception onward, as well as good amounts of the other B vitamins, in a tablet that goes down fairly easily.
  • 1 capsule Thyromin, daily until conception, then every other day alternating with Vitamin E below. Thyromin supplies iodine in a whole food form along with other mineral dense superfoods/herbs/glandulars, and vitamin E.
  • 1 capsule Vitamin E, by Dr. Mercola Premium Products, alternating every other day after conception, which provides the spectrum of vitamin E. This is a delicate fat-soluble vitamin which aides in tissue growth and may help in placental growth and implantation. Many brands only include alpha tocopherol, and from soy. This one uses palm and rice as better sources of E and include the spectrum of tocotrienols as well.
  • 1-4oz YL Ningxia Red (or as desired) to manage energy and nausea, provides blood sugar support and high antioxidants for early fetal development and placental growth.
  • Optional: 1-2 servings Jigsaw MagSoothe (May increase to manage constipation or nausea)
  • Optional: 6 capsules Enviromedica Beef Liver (or 4 capsules Smidge brand. Environmedica has less smell/flavor to it which may be desirable!) may be taken before pregnancy to rebuild mineral stores, however, this is fine to drop while pregnant, as it may be difficult to swallow while experiencing morning sickness.
  • Note: morning sickness in the first trimester may make pills hard to take. Do what you are able, but rest assured that skipping supplements won’t harm your baby. It is true that folate (on off the b vitamins) is needed for neural tube development, however, this is already developed in the baby before a woman even knows she is pregnant. The time before conception is the crucial time for nutrition for this concern.

Some helpful remedies for getting through morning sickness: keep your blood sugar up with snacking, including a snack by your bed before you rise. Ningxia Red is helpful in this regard, as well as crackers, and a bit of protein like yogurt or cheese. Peppermint oil (or tea) or the oil blend AromaEase can help calm an upset stomach: sniff of rub on wrists. I have heard rave reviews about “peace leaf tea” but don’t have direct experience with this.

Second trimester weeks 14-26

Eat well!

What this means: similar to the foods you want to eat during the first trimester, but you’ll now have more appetite and can enjoy more. Strive for over 100 grams of quality protein each day. Meats are an obvious source for protein, but don’t forget these other great sources: cottage cheese, yogurt, beans, hummus, lentils, broccoli, green beans, snap peas, whole wheat/barley/rye/brown rice, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pistacios, quinoa, bone broth.

Daily Supplements:

  • 1 serving Jigsaw MagSoothe
  • 6-9 capsules Enviromedica Beef Liver (or 4 capsules Smidge brand. Environmedica has less smell/flavor to it which may be desirable!), the BEST all-around supplement for building blood and nourishing baby with zinc, copper, and retinol
  • 1 tablet Super B
  • 3 capsules Complete Mineral Complex by Designs for health (bone building, iodine for thyroid support)
  • 3 capsules Jigsaw Cod Liver Oil (EFAs for brain development, vitamin D, vitamin A)
  • 3 capsules Multigreens (for additional bioavailable copper, folate, greens fiber for regularity and to avoid water retention)
  • 1 tablet C400 by Innate (whole food vitamin C for placenta health, tissue building)
  • 1 capsule Vitamin E, by Dr. Mercola Premium Products, which provides the spectrum of vitamin E. This is a delicate fat-soluble vitamin which aides in tissue growth and may help in placental growth and overall tissue growth. Many brands only include alpha tocopherol, and from soy. This one uses palm and rice as better sources of E and include the spectrum of tocotrienols as well.
  • YL Ningxia Red as desired to manage energy and increased blood volume

Third trimester weeks 27-40

Eat well!

What this means: build upon your healthy diet in the 2nd trimester, but add onto this probiotic foods such as kefir, live yogurt, kombucha, kimchi. (Sourdough is a great food too, but after being baked it has little to no live probiotic bacteria to offer, so don’t count on it for this purpose.) The probiotic bacteria is not just for making your gut healthy in these last months of pregnancy, but also for re-establishing good bacteria in your vagina which will be the first cultures which your baby is exposed to at birth (and subsequently jump-starts their immune system training). Also in the last trimester, your baby’s brain is growing significantly in size, and this means you should not shy away from fats; both saturated and unsaturated alike. The brain is mainly made from fat.

Daily Supplements:

  • 1 cup of Red Raspberry tea
  • 1 serving Jigsaw MagSoothe
  • 9 capsules Enviromedica Beef Liver (supplies copper and vitamin A in their most usable forms, for building your ceruloplasmin and transferring a whopping 80mg copper to baby in these months, and to supply iron for building your blood)
  • 1 tablet Super B
  • 6 capsules Complete Mineral Complex by Designs for health (bone building, iodine for thyroid support)
  • 3 capsules Jigsaw Cod Liver Oil (EFAs for brain development, vitamin D, vitamin A)
  • 3 capsules Multigreens (for additional bioavailable copper, folate, greens fiber for regularity and to avoid water retention)
  • 1 tablet C400 by Innate (whole food vitamin C for placenta health, tissue building)
  • 1 capsule Vitamin E, by Dr. Mercola Premium Products, for placenta health, tissue building, skin stretching. Around 34 weeks, discontinue taking internally and begin breaking open the capsule to massage into belly skin.
  • YL Ningxia Red as desired to manage energy and increased blood volume, and as a prebiotic (fibers which feed probiotic bacteria in the gut)
  • Optional, if you are not getting enough fermented foods: 1 YL Life9 Probiotic, or daily fermented food with live bacteria, to keep your micro biome healthy which baby is born into

Week 37

In preparation for birth:

  • Discontinue Vitamin E
  • Reduce Cod Liver Oil to 1 capsule
  • Increase Red Raspberry tea to 2 cups

“Fourth trimester” (post-partum 3-12 months)

Eat well! 

~90oz water, herbal teas, and broths (hydrate for milk supply and flushing pregnancy hormones/edema)

Daily Supplements:

  • 1 serving Jigsaw MagSoothe
  • 6-9 capsules Enviromedica Beef Liver (to rebuild your mineral stores)
  • 1 tablet Super B
  • 3 capsules Complete Mineral Complex by Designs for health (bone building, iodine for thyroid support, minerals for breast milk)
  • 2-3 capsules Jigsaw Cod Liver Oil (EFAs for brain development, vitamin D, vitamin A)
  • 3 capsules Multigreens (for additional bioavailable copper, folate, greens fiber for regularity)
  • 1 tablet C400 by Innate (blood building, repair of tissues)
  • YL Ningxia Red as desired to manage energy and increased blood volume, and as a prebiotic (fibers which feed probiotic bacteria in the gut)
  • 1 YL Life9 Probiotic, or daily fermented food with live bacteria, to keep your micro biome healthy, especially if you had any antibiotics during labor
  • YL Progessence Plus, bioidentical progesterone, 3-10 drops starting 2-3 days following birth to lighten baby blues
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