Prenatal Vitamins - Prescription or OTC?
Prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) prenatal vitamins - that is the question! Many doctors prefer that their patients take prescription, while others agree that it is perfectly OK to take OTCs. The main difference seems to be that 1000 mg of folic acid requires a script, but you don’t really need that much. Most OTCs have about 800 mg and that seems to be the required amount for a pregnant or lactating woman.
Here is a comparison of an OTC vs Prescription Prenatal Supplement:
Ultra Prenatal by Nature’s Plus
Vit B12 - 20 mcg
Biotin - 600 mcg
Pantothenic Acid - 25 mg
Vit A - 10,000 IU
Vit C - 150 mg
Vit D - 400 IU
Vit E - 100 IU
Vit B1 - 15 mg
Vit B2 - 15 mg
Niacin - 40 mg
Vit B6 - 50 mg
Folic Acid - 800 mcg
Calcium - 600 mg
Iron - 36 mg
Phosphorus - 200 mg
Iodine - 225 mcg
Magnesium 225 mg
Zinc - 15 mg
Manganese - 6 mg
Potassium - 6 mg
Choline - 10 mg
Inositol - 10 mg
PABA - 10 mg
Prescription Prenatals - Embrex 600
Vit A - 3500 IU
Vit C - 60 mg
Vit D3 - 400 IU
Vit E - 30 IU
Vit B1 (Thiamin) - 2 mg
Vit B2 (Riboflavin) - 3 mg
Vit B6 - 3 mg
Vit B12 - 12 mcg
Folic Acid - 1 mg (1000 mcg)
Iron - 90 mg
Zinc - 20 mg
Magnesium - 25 mg
Copper - 2 mg
Dioctylsulfosuccinate Sodium - 50 mg
Calcium - 600 mg (comes as a second pill)
They both have the same amount of Calcium, which is VERY important for all women, especially pregnant ones. If you decide to save the $ and go with OTC, just make sure to check with your doctor first.
