Hi, I’m Lily, part of The VBAC Link team and currently planning/TTC my 4th pregnancy. My fertility journey to get my son was a long one. I went through a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy where I lost my right fallopian tube. By the time my 3rd pregnancy stuck and led to my double rainbow baby (my unmedicated labor turned into an unplanned c-section), I feel like I have become an expert in all things nutrition and supplements. As I plan for my VBAC, I am reminded that nutrition plays such a vital role in TTC (trying to conceive) and in a healthy body prepared for birth.
Today, let’s dive into two popular prenatal brands that I tried so you don’t have to: Needed and Ritual (spoiler alert: there is a clear winner!).
Comparing ingredients and nutrients:
- Vitamin D3:
- Many pregnant women are low in crucial nutrients like vitamin D. New recommendations suggest the optimal amount of iron for pregnancy is closer to 4,000 IUs/day. At the end of the day, I like that Needed contains twice as much vitamin D as Ritual does.
- Choline:
- Choline is a nutrient I was missing in my prenatal the first time around, and I ended up just taking a separate Choline supplement. I love that both Ritual and Needed include Choline in their prenatal, mad props to both companies (many prenatals on the market don’t have any which is a huge disservice to our bodies and babies). However, Needed’s Prenatal Multi Capsules offer 400 mg of Choline, compared to only 55 mg in Ritual.
- Vitamin B6:
- Ritual’s prenatal doesn’t contain any vitamin B6. B6 helps support occasional nausea, healthy energy, metabolism, and mama’s mood. These are all things I want support with for my next pregnancy. Needed’s prenatal contains 40 mg of a bioavailble form of B6, a highly supportive amount!
- Iron:
- While some mamas need extra iron, not every mama does. And for the mamas who do, iron is a nutrient that should be dosed according to your labs. Ritual includes 18 mg of iron, which is not appropriate for all women. Also, iron competes with other nutrients for absorption, so it’s best taken separately. Since iron can be a tricky supplement to stomach and not all mamas need it, I appreciated that Needed’s Prenatal doesn’t automatically include it. They offer a separate, gentle form of iron that can be dosed according to your needs. I need additional iron and found Needed’s iron to be super easy on my stomach!
Missing nutrients:
Ritual (like most other prenatals on the market today) contains 12 ingredients, which is simply not enough for optimal nutrition. Needed prenatal contains nutrients like Vitamin A and C, Vitamin B6, calcium, zinc, selenium, and more to support more comprehensive nutrition.
Transparency and Quality:
As a momma who has been through loss, I am PICKY about what I choose to put into my body during the trying to conceive time, delicate pregnancy stages, and postpartum. After all, what I do impacts my baby so much, and it feels like this is a crucial time to invest in myself and my little human inside.
To me and to all of us, at The VBAC Link Team, Needed stands out not only for its superior nutrient profile but also for its unwavering commitment to offering a high-quality, thoughtfully formulated prenatal. Instead of just replicating what other brands do, they formulate their product from the ground up, based on clinical research and the in-person experience of perinatal practitioners.
Needed’s founders are moms, and they are passionate about helping mothers make informed decisions about their prenatal nutrition, setting Needed Prenatal apart as a brand that prioritizes both efficacy and consumer understanding.
The final verdict
Choosing a prenatal is as crucial as finding the right provider for your VBAC journey. While Ritual brings something to the table, Needed Prenatal is the researched, no-nonsense choice – transparent, reliable, and committed to support your VBAC journey just like the VBAC-supportive provider would.
This is your journey, mama. We’re so grateful to be supporting you along the way. We asked Needed for a discount code and are grateful they support VBAC mamas as much as we do. Please enjoy 20% off your first purchase on thisisneeded.com with code VBAC20.
Don’t forget to join our Facebook community, follow-us on Instagram, check out our Parents VBAC and HBAC Education course and give our podcast a listen where lots of incredible women share their VBAC journeys.
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