Doctors recommend that women take prenatal vitamins throughout the entire course of their pregnancy.
When a woman is pregnant, her body requires more nutrients and vitamins to support the growing fetus’s healthy development. But if you’re not pregnant, can you still take a prenatal vitamin?
When it comes to prenatal vitamins, there are a lot of misconceptions.
Today, we will discuss when taking prenatal vitamins is safe.
We’ll also cover whether or not you should take this vitamin and clear up some of the misconceptions people have about prenatal vitamins.
Keep reading to learn more.
Can You Take Prenatal Vitamins Without Being Pregnant?
Before we determine whether you can have prenatal vitamins, you need to determine why you want to take one.
- Are you trying to get pregnant?
- Do you currently suffer from nutrient deficiencies?
- Do you want to make sure you get all of the essential nutrients?
Are you trying to get pregnant?
If you answered “yes” to the above question, it’s a good idea to start taking prenatal vitamins.
You don’t have to be pregnant yet to start taking prenatal vitamins. By taking these vitamins before conception, you will prepare your body for pregnancy and growing babies.
Prenatal vitamins ensure you get enough folic acid, vitamin D, calcium, and other essential nutrient that can prevent congenital disabilities and health complications, such as neural tube defects.
Taking the prenatal supplement beforehand creates a healthy environment for the growing baby to develop.
Are you NOT trying to get pregnant?
However, if you answered “yes” to the 2nd and 3rd questions but “no” to the first, a prenatal vitamin may not be the best option for you.
It can be a good choice temporarily to boost your nutritional intake. But a daily multivitamin is better if you don’t intend to become pregnant soon.
If you are considering taking prenatal vitamins because of a nutritional deficiency, speak to your healthcare provider first.
Vitamins and minerals are essential for your everyday health.
If you aren’t trying to get pregnant, you should be able to get all the vitamins you need through a well-balanced diet.
Taking a multivitamin or supplement is recommended if you lack key nutrients in your daily diet.
Side Effects Of Taking Prenatal Vitamins When Not Pregnant
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too many vitamins and minerals. This can leave you with awful side effects.
Before we get into the different side effects, we should discuss why this occurs.
Prenatal vitamins are developed for pregnant women. These vitamins contain more folic acid, calcium, and iron than regular multivitamins.
Women who aren’t pregnant can experience side effects from excessive vitamin intake. They are also at a higher risk if they take prenatal vitamins and other supplements. Taking one without consulting a doctor is not a good idea.
So, what are some of the side effects of taking prenatal vitamins if you’re not pregnant (or trying to get pregnant)?
1. Too Much Iron
The biggest problem with taking prenatal vitamins if you’re not trying to get pregnant is too much iron absorption.
Pregnant women need to increase their iron intake because it helps to increase the blood volume in their bodies. This is necessary to ensure the pregnant woman and the developing baby have enough nutrients and a healthy blood flow.
You won’t need extra blood in your system if you’re not pregnant. You should get enough iron naturally by eating a healthy diet or taking a supplement.
Getting your iron intake from a prenatal vitamin could lead to too high of iron absorption. This can lead to several unwanted side effects, such as:
- Stomach aches
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Iron toxicity
2. Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Prenatal vitamins contain a higher level of folic acid than what the average person needs. Pregnant women need to consume more folic acid because it can help to prevent neural tube defects, spina bifida, and other congenital disabilities.
If you eat a well-balanced diet, you don’t need to worry about not consuming enough folic acid.
People who aren’t pregnant don’t need extra folic acid. Taking too much can affect your vitamin b12 levels, leading to a vitamin deficiency.
3. Liver Complications
Liver complications from prenatal vitamins are rare. However, if a person takes prenatal vitamins long-term without getting pregnant, they are at risk of consuming excess vitamins.
A high level of vitamin A in your system can be toxic to your liver, among other health problems.
4. Organ Stress
Most people consume adequate folate, calcium, and other essential vitamins by eating a healthy diet.
Certain nutrients can put your organs (liver, kidneys, etc.) at stress risk if you consume too much.
Benefits Of Prenatal Vitamins While Not Pregnant
Prenatal vitamins typically don’t have harmful side effects if consumed responsibly.
All the abovementioned complications can occur if a person takes supplements and prenatal vitamins. We strongly urge our readers to consult a doctor before changing their vitamin routine.
If you aren’t pregnant, there may be a reason that you’re considering taking prenatal vitamins instead of regular dietary supplements.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of taking prenatal vitamins while not pregnant.
1. Preparing To Get Pregnant
You may not be pregnant now but want to conceive in the near future.
You should consider taking a prenatal vitamin if you’re already trying to get pregnant and at reproductive age.
There are a lot of physical demands that come along with being pregnant.
When you start taking prenatal vitamins ahead of time, you prepare your body for the demands of fetal growth.
Your body can benefit from an increased intake of calcium, folic acid, iron, and other vitamins.
2. Vitamin Deficiency
A doctor may recommend a prenatal vitamin to meet specific nutritional needs. This is sometimes recommended for patients with anemia or other conditions resulting in low nutrient levels.
This may be recommended because most prenatal vitamins contain higher levels of essential nutrients.
3. Your Body Faces High Demands
A regular multivitamin will contain all the vitamins and minerals needed for a nutritionally balanced lifestyle. However, one thing that needs to be put into the equation of multivitamins is how active the person is.
Multivitamins are an excellent choice for people who have normal activity levels.
However, if your body faces higher demands, you may need to increase your nutritional intake. This is for more than just people facing a lot of physical demands, such as intense workouts or training for a sport.
It can also be recommended for people that face a lot of mental demands as well.
With that being said, people who face high demands won’t need to consume prenatal vitamins every day. It’s only recommended to take them when you’re experiencing high demand.
If you take them when you’re not going through high demands, you can experience some of the side effects mentioned above.
4. Post pregnancy
It’s common for doctors to recommend mothers continue taking prenatal vitamins after they have given birth. Doctors may even recommend a postnatal vitamin.
Even though you’re no longer growing a baby, your body still needs increased vitamins and minerals to meet your nutritional needs.
After giving birth, your body will still face high demands during postpartum and breastfeeding.
How Long Can You Take Prenatal Vitamins If You’re Not Pregnant?
The length of time you consume prenatal vitamins while not pregnant will ultimately depend on your reason for taking them.
The primary reason to take prenatal vitamins instead of a regular multivitamin is to prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy. If this is your reason, taking them up to 3 months before getting pregnant is recommended.
However, if you’re taking prenatal supplements for other reasons, it’s best to speak with your doctor about how long to take them. There will likely be a specific time frame or only certain times when you’ll need to take them.
The Biggest Prenatal Vitamin Misconception
One of the biggest misconceptions about prenatal vitamins is that they aid in beauty.
Many women are under the impression that a prenatal vitamin supplement can result in clear skin, strong nails, and long luscious hair. But none of this is true.
Many pregnant women will indeed have glowing skin, beautiful hair, and be able to grow long nails. However, this has nothing to do with prenatal vitamins. The reason they are experiencing these changes is due to hormonal changes.
A healthy diet can support your hair and nails.
If you want to improve the health of your hair and nails, consuming more healthy fats and natural vitamins is recommended.
Some of the best foods to eat for your beauty are:
- Avocados
- Nuts & seeds
- Eggs
- Fish
There’s one more misconception about prenatal vitamins that we should clear up.
Some people are under the impression that they support weight gain.
If you’re trying to bulk up or have trouble maintaining a healthy weight, you may think prenatal vitamins can help you gain a few extra pounds. This isn’t true at all.
It’s normal for women to gain 25 to 35 during pregnancy. The weight gain has nothing to do with the supplements.
Final Words
Can you take prenatal vitamins without being pregnant?
Pregnant women need to take prenatal vitamins for optimal health.
If you aren’t pregnant, you should be able to get enough vitamins from eating healthy. You may need to take a supplement for certain nutrients.
However, you should only consume prenatal vitamins if you plan to become pregnant or a healthcare professional recommends it.
Do you have any more questions about prenatal vitamins? Let us know in the comments below.