Prenatal Vitamins 101: Is Iron Making You Nauseous?

Prenatal Vitamins 101: Is Iron Making You Nauseous?

It’s part of your morning routine, and it’s good for you. You pop that iron-rich prenatal vitamin, get ready for the day, and then WHAM, nausea strikes. That queasy tummy can mess with your lifestyle and keep you from enjoying the beautiful journey of pregnancy. Luckily, with a few vitamin tweaks and tummy-settling drinks, pregnancy-related nausea can be a thing of the past.

Are Prenatals Really Causing My Nausea?

It’s very possible! Whether it be from taking the vitamin on an empty stomach, the body’s attempt to break down the iron, or just the mere smell of the vitamin, your prenatal vitamin nausea is very much a real thing.

Iron supplements are notorious for causing nausea, whether they are in a prenatal vitamin or not. While it can cause unpleasant side effects, iron is necessary for your body, and the baby’s. That being said, a mother’s recommended iron dosage increases to around 27 mg a day during pregnancy. Making sure that you get the adequate dosage is of the utmost importance in order to avoid iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy.

Getting enough iron into your diet doesn’t mean you have to suffer through the nausea. There are a couple different things you can try, including:

  • Taking your prenatal at a different time of day: If there’s a time of day that you find yourself less nauseated, try taking your prenatal then. Many women report feeling better during the evening, which can make all the difference when it comes to queasiness.
  • Taking it on a full stomach: Typically, you should never take your prenatal on an empty stomach. If you do, your stomach acid can add to the nauseousness.
  • Opting for a prenatal without iron: If you just can’t hack it, take a prenatal without iron. Keep in mind that iron is essential during pregnancy, so you’ll have to find other sources of it, like through iron-rich food.

Iron-Rich Diet

There are so many healthy, iron-rich foods out there to make sure that you get your fill of recommended iron during pregnancy. Because of the extra demand on a woman’s body during pregnancy, iron levels can drop rather sharply. Some signs that your iron levels may be low include low energy, headaches, dizziness, and issues sleeping. If any of these symptoms are showing up, try to eat as many iron-rich foods as possible.

Best case scenario is if you work proactively to keep your iron levels high, instead of trying to make up for iron loss. Some of the best categories of iron-rich foods include:

  • Dark, leafy greens: These include spinach, collard greens, and kale. Try making a delicious salad as a side dish, or make some kale chips in the oven.
  • Dried fruits: Specifically apricots, prunes, raisins and figs. Personally, I love making a homemade granola bar that is chock full of dried fruits. It makes an easy, iron-rich breakfast choice.
  • Grains, whole wheat products: Amaranth, spelt, oats, and quinoa are nutrient powerhouses. Not only will they boost your iron levels, but you’ll also benefit from increased energy.
  • Meat: Red meat is particularly high in iron. During your pregnancy, make sure to avoid any undercooked/rare meats, as they have a risk of causing intestinal infections. If you are a vegetarian, tofu will do the trick!

Treating Nausea

Nausea is often more than just the aftermath of supplements upsetting your stomach. It’s an extremely unpleasant symptom of pregnancy, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to be done about it!

And that, my friends, is exactly where the idea for Sparkling Mama was born. After struggling with nausea during my first two pregnancies, the only thing that I could keep down was soda. That bubbling, carbonated goodness was all that appealed to me.

Then, I was hit with a stroke of genius; To invent a carbonated drink with ginger (to settle tummy troubles) and all the vitamins that were proven to help reduce my nausea. Without caffeine, of course! So needless to say, Sparkling Mama’s Fizzelixir is amazing for nausea, should you decide to stick with the iron-rich pre-natal!

Plus, Fizzelixir is full of other vitamins that are specifically chosen for pregnant women. With the carbonated aspect of the drink, your stomach won’t get that familiar icky feeling of vitamins settling. Instead, you’ll feel energized, and the buffered solution will absorb in a jiffy.

So Mamas, make sure to get that iron in! Whether you take it through a prenatal vitamin or opt for an iron-rich diet, try to monitor your daily vitamin amounts. And remember, nausea doesn’t have to stick around throughout your pregnancy. So next time you’re feeling queasy, try out a Fizzelixir and get ready to sip, soothe, and sparkle!

Back to blog