Supplements I’m Taking for a Healthy Pregnancy

The first thing we did upon finding out we were pregnant was (a) book a prenatal visit, which was a few weeks out from the day the strip turned pink and (b) immediately rush to the house of the only friend we have who’s been through this before. We rolled into her house on a Thursday afternoon, dropped our pregnancy bomb, and proceeded to ask the big question…”what the heck should we be doing at this point?!”. Looking back, we probably should have already known the answer to this, but we were so overwhelmed that it didn’t even occur to us… she told us that the very first thing we need to do is find a good prenatal!

At this point, I was taking AG1, an Omega-3 supplement, electrolytes, creatine monohydrate, and a Vitamin D3+K2 complex. Some of this stayed the same, with one notable shift… I had to drop my current multi (AG1), which I love dearly and plan to resume as soon as I’m able to. But, what I didn’t realize is that almost all greens supplements contain ashwagandha, which is totally fine for daily health, but has been linked to a higher risk of miscarriage. So I adjusted my routine a bit to include a new multi that was more geared to pregnancy.

Now, be warned, there’s a TON of information out there about what to take and what not to take during pregnancy and about a million websites with the same list of the top ten best prenatal vitamins. To be clear, I’m not a doctor, but I did get a certification in fitness nutrition and I’m a little bit of a health junkie, so I’ve developed a few rules of thumb along the way. One of those is that I will typically look for a loosely packed capsule or a powder vitamin (for my water solubles), I personally believe that they provide better absorption into the body (ie more bang for your buck). Which is why I chose the vitamins that I did as opposed to any of the popular ones out there on the internet.

Once I locked in my favorite prenatal, I couldn’t stop researching everything that might help this pregnancy go smoothly, so let’s start digging in to what I ended up choosing and why! These are all products that I love and pay for with my own money, I’m just excited to share them in hopes that it might help someone else out there sift through the massive amount of info out there.

1. Electrolytes: It’s no secret that hydration is crucial during pregnancy, and although it’s important to properly filter your water, we also need to make sure we’re adding back some of the vitamins and minerals that are lost during the filtration process. There are tons of electrolyte drinks and mixes out there, but I love products that keep the ingredients list simple, clean, and that leave out all the unnecessary junk. My two favorite products that meet those qualifications are linked here and here! I just add one or two servings a day to my water, which not only helps to improve the quality of my water, it also serves as a reminder to actually stay hydrated, and I’ve noticed they really help reduce those inconvenient pregnancy headaches.
2. Magnesium: I’m still not a doctor, but I have noticed a massive difference in my sleep quality since incorporating a magnesium supplement. The famous Dr. Rhonda Patrick also provides a ton of information on other amazing benefits of keeping magnesium levels in check. For me, I’ll take anything get a couple extra hours of quality shut-eye during pregnancy, and this definitely does the trick, I wake up feeling refreshed and energized with this baby added to my routine!
3. Collagen: I’ve taken collagen supplements on and off for a while and I started adding it back to my coffee pretty early in pregnancy. There are plenty of benefits associated with taking collagen, but I’m really just here for as much stretch mark prevention as I can get my hands on. This is one of those supplements where I’m not sure if it’s making a difference or not, but it has natural ingredients, tastes great, and it’s worth the potential benefits for me to keep it in the mix! The two brands I’ve tried and love are linked here and here.
4. Whey Protein: I’m a firm believer in meeting my protein requirements for the day but pregnancy sometimes has other plans. Throughout the first trimester, I had major aversions to a lot of my go-to high protein foods and I just wasn’t getting enough protein. I’ve started making daily protein shakes in the morning and some sort of protein treat in the evening to help me reach my goals! This is one that I love lately.
5. Prenatal Vitamin: I love that this one is made using a loosely packed powder capsule and most importantly, doesn’t make me nauseous, which, the other one I tried definitely did. I’ve loved this brand for years and they’ve earned my trust and respect for the fact that they participate in third party testing to hold themselves to the highest standards for supplements.
6. Omega-3s: Fish oil is amazing for overall health and longevity but during pregnancy these play a critical role in fetal development (see here). I was already taking the AG1 Omega-3 supplement with my greens, and I loved it. But since I switched over to the other brand for my prenatal, I chose to bundle my omegas with my multi and started using this one!
7. Reds Supplement: Having a reds supplement in my routine is definitely something I consider a bonus– I don’t think of it as an absolute necessity like I do with some of the others (my essentials are my prenatal vitamin, omega-3, magnesium, vitamin-d, and whey). Reds supplements are nice to have as they help fight inflammation and free radicals, and it’s another powder that helps keep me accountable to my water goal. I typically either mix these in a glass of water first thing in the morning, or added to my nightly magnesium. Two reds supplements I consider worth buying are this and this.
8. Vitamin D3+K2: Not pictured above, because I try to get my vitamin D from the sun during the summer months, but this is definitely a must-have during the winter (I do still keep it in the mix, just less frequently during the summer).

There you have it! My daily supplement routine during pregnancy is definitely a lot more jam-packed than my day-to-day list was but I want to make sure little man is getting every ounce of nutrition he might need to be as healthy as can be! I’m so excited to update you all on what my (and baby’s) new supplement routines evolve to once we’re in the next phase of our lives!