The Average Cost of Prenatal Vitamins

Prenatal vitamins are key to the health of a pregnant woman and her unborn child. However, taking them from before conception to well after birth can be an expensive undertaking. Knowing the most important elements of prenatal vitamins and purchasing options can help women spend smarter.

Time Frame

Physicians suggest that women of childbearing age take a vitamin with folic acid in it every day; women trying to become pregnant should start taking a prenatal vitamin three months before conception and continue to take it while breastfeeding.

Significance

The average cost of prenatal vitamins can be $.30 per day, as of September 2009. If the vitamins are taken from three months before pregnancy through a year of breastfeeding, that can add up to about $220. Buying prenatal vitamins in bulk at a warehouse instead of in small jars can bring the price down.

Function

Make sure that all prenatal vitamins include 400 mcg of folic acid to lower the risk of birth defects. Prenatal vitamins should also include at least 200 to 300 mg of calcium and 30 mg of iron. Talk with your doctor about your diet to identify possible deficiencies that prenatal vitamins may help cover.

Considerations

Many doctors give extensive samples of prenatal vitamins to women during the initial prenatal care appointments. Women can save money on several months worth of prenatal vitamins and identify the one that they can best tolerate by trying samples.

Types

Most women can take over-the-counter prenatal vitamins. Should the vitamins worsen nausea or create other symptoms, you should ask your doctor for a prescription for prenatal vitamins.

Fun Fact

Women often find that their hair grows quicker and becomes thicker and that their fingernails get stronger while taking prenatal vitamins, but this anecdotal evidence has not been proven.

References

• Prenatal Care
• How Much Do Prenatal Vitamins Cost?
• Prenatal Vitamins: Give Your Baby the Best Start