Women should be careful with any supplements including vitamins before and during pregnancy. Even more caution is required with taking medications.
Some medications are simply not safe during pregnancy and need to be either changed or discontinued. You should discuss with your doctor any vitamins, supplements or medications that you are using. Some vitamins can even be toxic in high doses, such as vitamin A and other nutritional supplements such as iron, chromium and selenium.
Prenatal vitamins are designed to provide additional important nutrients needed during pregnancy. These supplements can actually prevent or reduce the risk of certain birth defects. Good formulations of prenatal vitamins always include folic acid. We recommend that women use folic acid as a supplement even between pregnancies.
