Type five lines from a prenatal vitamin’s Supplement Facts panel — folate, choline, iodine, iron and vitamin D — and leave empty any the label leaves out. Each one is placed against the National Academies’ RDA (or AI) and upper limit for pregnancy or breastfeeding, with ACOG’s and NIH’s own words beside it. The sample below is a typical label. Your doctor or midwife has the last word.
A sample prenatal label
2 of 5 reach the RDA or AI on this label alone · 1 not on it · none over an upper limit · Pregnant, 19 and older
Folate 800 mcg folic acid = 1,360 mcg DFE 222% of the RDA · 80% of the upper limit
The RDA for pregnant, 19 and older is 600 mcg DFE: the day’s 1,333 mcg DFE taken with food (the FNB’s 1 mcg DFE = 0.6 mcg folic acid) is 222% of it. The upper limit is 1,000 mcg of folate from supplements and fortified foods — in mcg, not mcg DFE: the day’s 800 mcg folic acid is 80% of it.
- ACOG: “Because it’s hard to get this much folic acid from food alone, you should take a daily prenatal vitamin with at least 400 micrograms starting at least 1 month before pregnancy and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.”
- NIH ODS: “The FNB increased the folate RDA from 400 mcg DFE/day for nonpregnant women to 600 mcg DFE/day during pregnancy”
- NIH ODS: “The fortification program increased mean folic acid intakes in the United States by about 190 mcg/day”
Choline Not on this label The AI is 450 mg
This label leaves it out; food counts toward the AI, and it may come in a separate supplement — a question for your doctor or midwife.
- ACOG: “It’s important to get choline from your diet because it is not found in most prenatal vitamins.”
- NIH ODS: “Prenatal dietary supplements typically contain little if any choline”
- NIH ODS: “Approximately 90%–95% of pregnant women consume less choline than the AI”
Iodine 150 mcg 68% of the RDA · 14% of the upper limit
The RDA for pregnant, 19 and older is 220 mcg: this label gives 68% of it, and food counts toward it too. The upper limit is 1,100 mcg from food, water and supplements together: this label alone is 14% of it.
- NIH ODS: “The American Thyroid Association recommends that women who are planning a pregnancy, currently pregnant, or lactating should supplement their diet with 150 mcg/day iodine in the form of potassium iodide”
Iron 27 mg the RDA itself · 60% of the upper limit
The RDA for pregnant, 19 and older is 27 mg: this label gives exactly that. The upper limit is 45 mg from food, water and supplements together: this label alone is 60% of it.
- NIH ODS: “Fortunately, elemental iron is listed in the Supplement Facts panel, so consumers do not need to calculate the amount of iron supplied by various forms of iron supplements.”
- ACOG: “In addition to taking a prenatal vitamin with iron, you should eat iron-rich foods such as beans, lentils, enriched breakfast cereals, beef, turkey, liver, and shrimp.”
Vitamin D 10 mcg (400 IU) 67% of the RDA · 10% of the upper limit
The RDA for pregnant, 19 and older is 15 mcg (600 IU): this label gives 67% of it, and food counts toward it too. The upper limit is 100 mcg (4,000 IU) from food, water and supplements together: this label alone is 10% of it.
- ACOG: “Whether you are pregnant or not, you need 600 international units of vitamin D a day.”
Every RDA and AI counts food too: a label under one is not a shortfall by itself. The National Academies: “An RDA is the average daily dietary intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97–98 percent) healthy individuals in a group.”
The upper limits of choline, iodine, iron and vitamin D count food, water and supplements together (the National Academies: “Unless otherwise specified, the UL represents total intake from food, water, and supplements.”); folate’s counts folic acid from supplements and fortified foods. This checks one label.
ACOG: “Eating healthy foods and taking a prenatal vitamin every day should supply all the vitamins and minerals you need during pregnancy.”
What you take, and how much, is a conversation with your doctor or midwife — this places what one label says against the National Academies’ lines; it is not a dose.
This is not medical advice, it is not a dose and it diagnoses nothing. It places what one label says against the lines the National Academies set; what you take, and how much, is for you and your doctor or midwife.
In pregnancy (19 and older) the National Academies set 600 mcg DFE folate, 450 mg choline (an AI), 220 mcg iodine, 27 mg iron and 15 mcg (600 IU) vitamin D a day, from food and supplements together; the upper limits are 1,000 mcg folic acid, 3,500 mg, 1,100 mcg, 45 mg and 100 mcg. Many prenatal labels leave out choline, some leave out iodine.
How to use it
Pick who takes it — pregnant or breastfeeding, 14–18 or 19 and older — and how many servings a day. Then type five lines from the Supplement Facts panel, per serving as printed: folate (and whether the number is the folic acid, the mcg DFE or methylfolate), choline, iodine, iron and vitamin D in mcg or IU. Leave empty any line the label does not have. Each line is placed against its RDA (or AI) and its upper limit, with ACOG’s and NIH’s own sentences beside it. It places what one label says; it is not a dose.
The five lines, by who takes it
| Who | Folate | Choline | Iodine | Iron | Vitamin D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pregnant, 19 and older | 600 mcg DFE · limit 1,000 mcg | 450 mg (AI) · limit 3,500 mg | 220 mcg · limit 1,100 mcg | 27 mg · limit 45 mg | 15 mcg (600 IU) · limit 100 mcg (4,000 IU) |
| Pregnant, 14–18 | 600 mcg DFE · limit 800 mcg | 450 mg (AI) · limit 3,000 mg | 220 mcg · limit 900 mcg | 27 mg · limit 45 mg | 15 mcg (600 IU) · limit 100 mcg (4,000 IU) |
| Breastfeeding, 19 and older | 500 mcg DFE · limit 1,000 mcg | 550 mg (AI) · limit 3,500 mg | 290 mcg · limit 1,100 mcg | 9 mg · limit 45 mg | 15 mcg (600 IU) · limit 100 mcg (4,000 IU) |
| Breastfeeding, 14–18 | 500 mcg DFE · limit 800 mcg | 550 mg (AI) · limit 3,000 mg | 290 mcg · limit 900 mcg | 10 mg · limit 45 mg | 15 mcg (600 IU) · limit 100 mcg (4,000 IU) |
Folate’s upper limit counts folic acid from supplements and fortified foods, in mcg (not mcg DFE). The other four count everything: the National Academies, “Unless otherwise specified, the UL represents total intake from food, water, and supplements.” The RDA counts food too: “An RDA is the average daily dietary intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97–98 percent) healthy individuals in a group.” So a label under an RDA is not a shortfall by itself, and a label near an upper limit has the rest of the day on top of it.
ACOG prints the same pregnancy numbers in its own table, “Key Vitamins and Minerals During Pregnancy”: Folic acid (600 micrograms), Iron (27 milligrams), Iodine (220 micrograms), Choline (450 milligrams), Vitamin D (600 international units).
Folate
A panel prints folate in mcg DFE with the folic acid in parentheses — “1,360 mcg DFE (800 mcg folic acid)”. The checker uses the Folate DFE calculator‘s arithmetic: folic acid taken with food counts 1 mcg DFE per 0.6 mcg toward the RDA (the label’s own × 1.7 is for the Daily Value), and methylfolate is “up to” in DFE, because no factor is established. ACOG: “Because it’s hard to get this much folic acid from food alone, you should take a daily prenatal vitamin with at least 400 micrograms starting at least 1 month before pregnancy and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.” NIH ODS: “the FNB increased the folate RDA from 400 mcg DFE/day for nonpregnant women to 600 mcg DFE/day during pregnancy”.
Choline
The line most labels leave out. ACOG: “It’s important to get choline from your diet because it is not found in most prenatal vitamins.” NIH ODS: “Prenatal dietary supplements typically contain little if any choline” and “Approximately 90%–95% of pregnant women consume less choline than the AI”. The AI is 450 mg in pregnancy and 550 mg while breastfeeding — an Adequate Intake, not an RDA; the National Academies: “Although AIs have been set for choline, there are few data to assess whether a dietary supply of choline is needed at all stages of the life cycle, and it may be that the choline requirement can be met by endogenous synthesis at some of these stages.”
Iodine
NIH ODS: “some, but not all, prenatal supplements contain iodine” — “Of 59 best-selling prenatal multivitamin supplements on the market in 2016–2017, only 34 contained iodine”. And: “The American Thyroid Association recommends that women who are planning a pregnancy, currently pregnant, or lactating should supplement their diet with 150 mcg/day iodine in the form of potassium iodide”. “The Supplement Facts labels on dietary supplement products will indicate whether iodine is present and at what dose.”
Iron
NIH ODS: “Fortunately, elemental iron is listed in the Supplement Facts panel, so consumers do not need to calculate the amount of iron supplied by various forms of iron supplements.” So the panel’s mg is the number to type, whatever the form. The pregnancy RDA is 27 mg; while breastfeeding it drops to 9 mg (10 mg at 14–18). The upper limit is 45 mg; NIH ODS: “High doses of supplemental iron (45 mg/day or more) may cause gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea and constipation”. ACOG: “In addition to taking a prenatal vitamin with iron, you should eat iron-rich foods such as beans, lentils, enriched breakfast cereals, beef, turkey, liver, and shrimp.” For when to take iron apart from calcium and coffee, see the Iron Timing Planner.
Vitamin D
NIH ODS: “RDAs for vitamin D are listed in both micrograms (mcg) and International Units (IU); 1 mcg vitamin D is equal to 40 IU”, and “FDA requires food labels to list vitamin D content in mcg per serving.” An older label may print IU only: pick IU and the checker divides by 40. ACOG: “Whether you are pregnant or not, you need 600 international units of vitamin D a day.” — 15 mcg.
One serving a day
A serving is what the panel’s amounts are for, and it can be two or more pills. ACOG: “Take only one serving of your prenatal supplement each day. Read the bottle to see how many pills make up one daily serving.” And: “No, do not take more than the recommended amount of your prenatal vitamin per day. Some multivitamin ingredients, such as vitamin A, can cause birth defects at higher doses.” Type more than one serving and the checker multiplies every line and shows those sentences.
Worked examples
- The sample label (800 mcg folic acid, no choline, 150 mcg iodine, 27 mg iron, 10 mcg vitamin D), pregnant, 19 or older: 2 of 5 reach the RDA or AI. Folate 222% of the RDA and 80% of the upper limit; choline not on the label; iodine 68% of the RDA; iron the RDA itself and 60% of the limit; vitamin D 67% of the RDA.
- The same label while breastfeeding (19 and older): still 2 of 5 — folate 267% of the 500 mcg DFE RDA, iodine 52% of 290 mcg, iron 300% of 9 mg and 60% of the 45 mg limit.
- Two servings of it by mistake: 1,600 mcg folic acid (160% of the folate limit) and 54 mg iron (120% of the iron limit) — 2 over an upper limit, with the National Academies’ “Members of the general population should be advised not to routinely exceed the UL.” and ACOG’s one-serving sentences.
- A methylfolate prenatal with 600 mcg methylfolate, 18 mg iron and 25 mcg vitamin D, no choline or iodine: folate up to 1,020 mcg DFE (up to 170% of the RDA, if the maker used 1.7), iron 67% of the RDA, vitamin D 167% of it — 1 of 5 reach, 2 not on the label.
- A label printing vitamin D as 1,000 IU: 25 mcg, 167% of the RDA and 25% of the 100 mcg (4,000 IU) upper limit.
Common mistakes
- Counting pills as servings. If one serving is two softgels, the panel’s amounts are for the two; type 1 serving.
- Reading mcg as mg. Iodine and vitamin D are printed in mcg, choline and iron in mg: 150 mcg of iodine is 0.15 mg.
- Holding mcg DFE against the folate limit. The limit is in mcg of folic acid: 1,700 mcg DFE of folic acid is 1,000 mcg, the adult limit itself.
- Counting one bottle. A separate iron, vitamin D or folic acid supplement, and fortified foods, count toward the same upper limits.
- Treating an empty line as zero need. A line the label leaves out is still met from food or another product; that is a question for your doctor or midwife.
Frequently asked questions
What should a prenatal vitamin have in it?
ACOG: “During pregnancy you need folic acid , iron, calcium, vitamin D, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin C.” Its table gives Folic acid (600 micrograms), Iron (27 milligrams), Iodine (220 micrograms), Choline (450 milligrams) and Vitamin D (600 international units), from food and supplements together. Which product you take is for you and your doctor or midwife.
Do prenatal vitamins have choline?
Most have little or none. ACOG: “It’s important to get choline from your diet because it is not found in most prenatal vitamins.” NIH ODS: “Prenatal dietary supplements typically contain little if any choline”. The pregnancy AI is 450 mg a day, from food and supplements together.
Do prenatal vitamins have iodine?
Some do. NIH ODS: “Of 59 best-selling prenatal multivitamin supplements on the market in 2016–2017, only 34 contained iodine”. The panel says whether it is there and how much; the pregnancy RDA is 220 mcg, 290 mcg while breastfeeding, and the American Thyroid Association’s recommendation, as NIH ODS quotes it, is 150 mcg a day as potassium iodide.
How much folic acid should a prenatal have?
ACOG: “you should take a daily prenatal vitamin with at least 400 micrograms starting at least 1 month before pregnancy and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.” The pregnancy RDA is 600 mcg DFE from food and supplements; the upper limit is 1,000 mcg of folic acid a day (800 at 14–18), counting supplements and fortified foods.
How much iron is in prenatal vitamins?
ACOG: “When you are pregnant, you need 27 mg per day. You can get this amount in most prenatal vitamins.” The upper limit is 45 mg a day; NIH ODS: “High doses of supplemental iron (45 mg/day or more) may cause gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea and constipation”.
Can I take two prenatal vitamins a day?
ACOG: “No, do not take more than the recommended amount of your prenatal vitamin per day. Some multivitamin ingredients, such as vitamin A, can cause birth defects at higher doses.” And: “If your obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn) thinks you need an extra amount of a vitamin or mineral, your ob-gyn may recommend it as a separate supplement.”
Should I keep taking a prenatal while breastfeeding?
That is a question for your doctor or midwife. What changes: the folate RDA is 500 mcg DFE, choline’s AI 550 mg, iodine’s RDA 290 mcg and iron’s 9 mg (10 mg at 14–18); the upper limits stay the same. Pick “Breastfeeding” and the checker places a label against those.
More for the same label: the Folate DFE calculator reads a folate line on its own (with food or not), the Vitamin & Mineral Dose Lookup any other nutrient on the panel, the Vitamin D calculator a vitamin D dose against the day’s limits, and the Nutrient Pairing Checker which lines on a label get in each other’s way.
Read next
- Multivitamins for adults — with a section on vitamins in pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Vitamin B9 — folate, from food to supplement.
- Folic acid for women and men
- The best vitamins for women at 30+
- Mind Lab Pro for women — and why it is not for pregnancy or breastfeeding.
This is not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats anything. It places what one supplement label says against the lines the National Academies set, in ACOG’s and NIH ODS’s words; what you take, and how much, is for you and your doctor or midwife. Some links on this site are affiliate links: I buy what I review at full price, and a commission never changes a verdict.