The Best Post-Natal Vitamin

Once your baby has arrived and you’ve made it home from the hospital, it’s time to switch from the prenatal vitamin that helped your little one develop into a precious bundle of joy to a specially formulated post-natal vitamin. This vitamin is not only designed to restore moms to good health after birth, but also to continue providing breastfed babies with important nutrients. There are a few things you’ll need to consider when selecting a post-natal vitamin.

Start off by ensuring the post-natal vitamin you are interested in is made from all-natural ingredients and doesn’t contain any artificial colors, fillers or flavors. You’ll also want to look for the Non-GMO Project Verified stamp on the product packaging.

Next, check that the vitamin meets your dietary needs. For example, is it vegetarian, gluten-free, keto-friendly and free of ingredients that are known allergens, like dairy and shellfish?

Make sure the blend of included vitamins are the ones needed to support a new mother’s health. For example, the Garden of Life Multivitamin Women Supplement has folate, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin E and B-Complex vitamins.

Look for ingredients that will help reduce stress on your body, so you can power through the sleepless nights that often come with having a newborn.

Use a post-natal vitamin that will be gentle on your stomach. You don’t want to feel unwell while you tend to your new addition. Best Nest Wellness L Methylfolate Methylcobalamin uses a combination of probiotics, digestive enzymes and organic vegetables to keep your digestive system working effectively. You won’t even need to take this post-natal vitamin with food, as it is even easy on an empty stomach.

Consider additional ingredients that are designed to benefit breastfeeding mothers. You’ll find NATURELO Post Natal Multivitamin Breastfeeding has herbs like fenugreek, blessed thistle and fennel that work well for increasing a mother’s milk supply. Other brands also offer ingredients that boost energy while reducing fatigue.

Finally, look for any certifications or seals of approval. For example, you may find the red GMP seal, which stands for Good Manufacturing Practices. This seal indicates that the product is known to meet the consistent quality standards set forth by the governing agencies.

• Always check with your doctor before taking any vitamin, even an all-natural post-natal vitamin. There may be an ingredient that interacts with a medication you are taking. For example, one may contain fennel to help with lactation, but this herb shouldn’t be taken by anyone with seizures or by anyone taking certain antibiotics or birth control pills.
• It is important to note that any health benefit claims made by the post-natal vitamin companies have not been evaluated by the FDA. In addition to speaking with your doctor, you may want to check product reviews to see how well the supplement is working for other users and if it is living up to its claims.
• Keep your post-natal vitamins in a cool dry place, as moisture and heat can damage the vitamins and make them less effective. If you have pets and small children in the home, you’ll also need to store the vitamins in a cabinet with a child-proof lock, or up high enough that they can not be reached.
• Seven-day pillboxes come in handy when you need a little help remembering when to take the vitamin. This is especially true if the brand you choose requires you to take a dose in the morning and one at night. You can also use the pillboxes when you go on vacation. That eliminates the need to bring the entire bottle with a full month’s supply.
• Should you have difficulty swallowing pills, look for a brand with a capsule that can be opened and mixed with water or juice. When consuming the post-natal vitamins this way, be aware that it may not taste great, as it was designed to be swallowed. You can take comfort in knowing that a few seconds of an unpleasant taste is supporting a lifetime of health for you and your baby.
• When selecting a post-natal vitamin, don’t look at how many pills there are per bottle, but rather the number of servings for the price. Either way, you’re sure to find vitamins that fit your budget.