Vitamin Supplements for Pregnancy: Which Should You Use?

Having a healthy and energetic body is essential at any stage of our lives, but we don’t always manage to get all the nutrients we need for that. Now, imagine how much bigger this “issue” becomes when we are creating a new life and “sharing” our body with someone in development. With this in mind, we do everything we can to have a healthy pregnancy. Fortunately, there are now many alternatives on the market to help, and today we’ll get to know four of them: FamiGesta, Gestamax Plus, Regenesis Premium, and Materna.

What’s the difference between vitamin supplements?

There are many questions about these products. Essentially, there are variations in the formula composition of FamiGesta, Gestamax Plus, Regenesis Premium, and Materna, but all four serve the same purpose: to provide proper nutrition for the mother and baby.

FamiGesta, Gestamax Plus, Regenesis Premium, and Materna help support fetal development and reduce the risk of premature birth, and they are all equally beneficial for the baby’s neural health, among other advantages.

However, looking closer at the four products, we spot some differences. The first one relates to the components: in the case of Gestamax Plus and Regenesis, the main ingredients are linked to omega-3 and vitamin A; while in the formula of FamiGesta and Materna, the predominant vitamins focus on folic acid, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.

Still on this subject, something important to mention is that among these four products, only FamiGesta contains the daily recommended dose of folic acid, which is 600 mcg. It’s worth noting that the folic acid in FamiGesta is in its active form—methylfolate—making it absorbed faster and fully by the body. For comparison, Gestamax Plus, Regenesis Premium, and Materna offer, on average, just over half of this recommended folic acid portion (355 mcg – 360 mcg), but we’ll discuss the vitamins in more detail below.

An important point, which should be considered as such, is that those who purchase FamiGesta receive free support from an obstetric nurse. We know that pregnancy is a time of many different doubts, so having this support is a great differentiator.

To clear up any uncertainties, we’ve properly compared FamiGesta, Gestamax Plus, Regenesis Premium, and Materna and show you below:

Want to understand a bit more about the role of these supplements formulated for pregnant women and how they offer an extra guarantee for the health of mother and baby? Just keep reading the topics below!

Why are vitamins essential during pregnancy?

A normal pregnancy is associated with various adjustments, both physiological and structural, leading to changes in the maternal body. For example, the uterus expands and undergoes other changes such as dilation and enlargement of blood vessels. The placenta, which grows progressively, also develops an increased blood flow as pregnancy advances.

Furthermore, during pregnancy, greater energy supply is required from the mother’s body to meet her own needs and those of the fetus. If this doesn’t happen, it can create a state of biological competition, making both compete for the same nutrients, which compromises the well-being of both.

So, when it comes to a life blossoming inside us, there are many changes occurring in the body. In this context, vitamin supplements for pregnant women have the broad goal of preventing diseases from developing and stimulating the baby’s healthy growth, positively impacting the course of pregnancy, and the nutritional future of both fetus and mother.

Micronutrients and macronutrients

Because pregnancy causes major physiological and metabolic changes in the mother, optimal concentrations of macronutrients and micronutrients can change. Do you know the difference between the two?

• The former are responsible for giving us energy and can be found in carbohydrates, lipids (fats), and proteins.
• Micronutrients are made up of vitamins and minerals and they facilitate chemical reactions in our body. To access them, you need a varied diet as they’re found in many foods: vegetables, greens, fruits, fish, red meats, eggs, milk and dairy products.

Both are entirely linked to crucial functions during pregnancy, such as cell multiplication, water balance, bone formation, and strengthening the body’s defenses.

Among the many very important micronutrients in pregnancy, some vitamins and minerals stand out, as a lack of them is associated with illnesses for both mother and baby.

Studies show that insufficient intake of certain micronutrients can lead to anemia, greater risk of infections, and high blood pressure for the mother, for example. For the baby, the outcome could be premature birth, development of allergies, low birth weight, malformation of the neural tube and heart, among others.

During pregnancy, some micronutrients are needed in greater amounts than others. Check out the following topic for the minerals and vitamins you can’t leave out of your diet during pregnancy.

Micronutrients that are a must during pregnancy

With every trimester of pregnancy, certain nutritional needs increase, and, in most cases, supplementation is necessary to provide the appropriate levels of vitamins and minerals for mother and fetus.

For example, iron deficiency can lead to anemia, increasing the risk of premature birth and perinatal death. There can also be lifelong consequences for the baby, with reduced cognitive, learning, and concentration abilities.

Another essential component is folic acid. Since it helps with cell multiplication, folate influences the increase in red blood cells (circular cells responsible for carrying oxygen around our body), expansion of the uterus, and growth of the placenta and the fetus.

Scientific studies indicate the recommended nutrient dosages for this important time in a woman’s life, but when purchasing a similar product not everyone pays attention to this, right? So here we show a comparison of the ideal amounts for the main nutrients in the formulations of the four supplements.

As we have mentioned, Gestamax and Regenesis are products that focus on omega-3, which is not present in FamiGesta or Materna. Omega-3 supplementation is especially important to support the neural development and vision of the baby.

It is also well known that this compound is present in breast milk, being vital for a child’s postnatal development. Therefore, taking it is also crucial to help the mother with her own breast milk supplementation.

In summary, we can say that FamiGesta contains the vitamins needed in this beautiful, yet very delicate, phase in a woman’s life. Importantly, not only it, but also the other products mentioned here, fulfill the goal of supplying these nutrients, providing maternal health and enabling proper fetal development.

However, FamiGesta offers a balanced and satisfactory formula in terms of recommended substances and dosages, providing the full recommended daily intake of folic acid, and the best cost-benefit among Gestamax, Materna, and Regenesis..

ABOUT THE BRAND: Famivita reinvents and creates new ways to achieve pregnancy without the need for complex and expensive treatments. All products are developed together with fertility specialists, doctors, and mothers themselves, and are duly recognized by Anvisa. You can check out real success stories from women who became pregnant using our products here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – PATRICIA AMORIM: Mother of Joana, Eduardo, and Melissa, with a total of 7 years of experience trying to conceive. She is the founder of the Famivita brand and Trocando Fraldas, one of the largest maternity portals in Brazil, now called Famivita Conteúdos and has over 3 million monthly users. Her YouTube channel has more than 250,000 subscribers.