Can Prenatal Vitamins Cause Nausea?

Prenatal vitamins are types of multivitamins specifically formulated for use by pregnant and nursing mothers. There are different formulations, containing various levels of necessary vitamins and minerals. The variety of formulas allows pregnant women to avoid vitamins that cause them bothersome side effects, such as nausea.

Purpose

Prenatal vitamins are taken by nursing mothers to keep up their nutritional levels, while breast-feeding. Pregnant women also take prenatal vitamins, in order to ensure that they remain healthy while the baby gets all of the nutrients it needs while developing. Prenatal vitamins are also a source of folic acid for women who are trying to get pregnant. Taking folic acid before and during pregnancy lowers the baby's chances of birth defects.

Sources

Women who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or who are breast-feeding, can ask their doctor for a prescription for prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins are also available over-the-counter in drugstores. Prenatal vitamin formulations are not subject to FDA approval, however, so a doctor-prescribed formula is less likely to contain incorrect levels of any vitamin or mineral.

Side Effects

Despite their benefits to the mother and the baby, there are some unfortunate side effects to prenatal vitamins. Nausea, in particular, is a common side effect of prenatal vitamins, along with indigestion and abdominal cramps. Constipation is a common side effect, also, which can add to the nausea already experienced by many pregnant women.

Causes

Many prenatal vitamins contain iron, which can cause digestive problems. There are prenatal formulations without iron, or with lower dosages of iron, but even these can cause nausea due to the extremely large size of prenatal vitamin pills and the tendency for pregnant women to have delicate gag reflexes.

Alternatives

Women who are made nauseous by the size of prenatal vitamins, or who are having trouble coping with the amount of iron in the formulation, can discuss alternatives with their doctor. Some common alternatives include taking children's chewable vitamins, or taking a smaller daily multivitamin and supplementing it with additional folic acid.