Understanding Prenatal Vitamin Side Effects and How to Avoid the Nausea

Prenatal vitamins are a big part of the pregnancy journey. A daily reminder every morning that you’re doing a pretty exceptional thing right now – you’re growing a human.

And to commemorate this amazing feat, you get to swallow a big ol’ pill.

If you’ve never been a big fan of prenatal vitamins, then trust us, you’re not alone! 

When we asked the Mum Central team how many of them experienced prenatal vitamin side effects (which we will get to shortly), ALL of them said they had. 

But we trudged on, morning after morning, pill after pill. Yep, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, right?

Because prenatal vitamins are important for our baby’s health. They do a mountain of good in pregnancy including decreasing the risk of low birth weight and birth complications and reducing the likelihood of neural tube defects, other birth defects and some paediatric cancers. 

They can also provide mum with the nutrients she needs, improve energy levels, reduce the risk of postpartum depression and increase the healthy blood volume/red blood cell mass. 

But those prenatal vitamin side effects?? UGH! The nausea, especially. This is the most common prenatal vitamin side effect and can be enough to put you off wanting to take them.

Why do prenatal vitamins make me sick? 

There are a few reasons. One is because many of the prenatal vitamins on the market are huge, hard and cakey. Sticking a massive tablet down your throat, especially in the morning, is bound to make anyone gag! 

Add to the fact that, while prenatal vitamins are chock full of goodness, it’s a lot for your stomach to handle at once, especially in the morning. 

In addition to nausea, prenatal vitamins can give you acid reflux and make you gassy, which is weird because it’s just a tablet – it’s not like it’s a bottle of soft drink. But it does.

Oh and another fun side effect? This weird fishy taste in your mouth and the horrific fish burps. Even a stomach made of steel can’t handle the sardine burps, thanks to the Omega-3 (fish oil) for these prenatal vitamin side effects. 

Many women also experience constipation or diarrhoea when taking prenatal vitamins too. Again, this often comes down to the iron in the tablets. 

Fine then. Stuff the iron. Stuff the Omega-3.

We don’t need it right?

Sadly, we do. Iron is so important for your health and baby’s health! And considering approximately 38% of all pregnant women suffer from anaemia, and your body needs 150% more iron when you’re pregnant. Iron is critical and really needs to be in your life right now. 

Omega-3 is also so vital for a baby’s retinal and brain development, so, the fish oil needs to stay too. 

Okay, so what can we do about it? We need iron and Omega-3 and we need to take prenatal vitamins to ensure we’re giving the baby the right nutrients – that’s a given. 

But what are the best prenatal vitamins that don’t cause nausea?

Or don’t already worsen the nausea you’ve got thanks to morning sickness?

One look at the chemist and you’ll see there are quite a few brands to choose from and it can be totally confusing to know which one is best. Surely your stomach can handle one of them, right? Surely one of them offers you the assurance of no more fishy burps and nausea.  

Our suggestion? Try Kin’s Prenatal vitamin. 

Not your average prenatal vitamin

Kin’s Prenatal* is one of the top-rated prenatal vitamins in Australia with 4.8 stars on Product Review. One of the things that makes it so different is the quality of ingredients used.

Bioavailable forms = less prenatal vitamin side effects

Each capsule contains the highest quality, bioavailable forms of all the essential nutrients for pregnancy, including iron, folate and Omega-3. In fact, it comes with the bioavailable form of all 12 essential ingredients which means fewer prenatal vitamin side effects! 

Take Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate, which is the bioavailable form of iron and is easy to absorb and unaffected through the intestine. What does that mean exactly? How about less constipation and less nausea for starters? Hooray!!! 

This is also the case with Omega-3. Traditional vitamins tend to use low-quality fish oil, responsible for those fishy burps. Thankfully Kin uses a high quality concentrated fish oil that has a standardised quantity of DHA and EPA and low mercury levels. Essentially all the benefits of a quality Omega-3 but without the sardine breath. #winning

Kin’s Prenatal also includes the bioavailable form of folate – methylated folate, which, again, is easier to digest and absorb than synthetic folate. 

No nasties, just goodness 

It’s incredible how much difference premium ingredients can make, especially when it comes to choosing the best prenatal vitamins that don’t cause nausea. 

Every capsule is also free of GMO ingredients, artificial colours, major allergens and excess ingredients that the body struggles to absorb.

Easy to swallow 

And ready for something even better? It’s super easy to swallow! 

Unlike some of the dry cakey tablets on the market, Kin’s Prenatal Vitamins are a breeze to get down. They come in a vanilla-flavoured soft-gel capsule that you can actually swallow without choking. 

Another cool thing is that you take these tablets twice a day, which sounds awful in theory but it’s actually so smart. You see, the capsules are broken up into two doses per day which means your body has less to break down and there’s less risk of feeling sick. See, smart!!! 

Better for you, better for baby 

Not all prenatal vitamins are the same and Kin Fertility really is in a class of its own which is why so many mums recommend their Prenatal vitamin.

Protecting poor sperm health for a team effort in conception

Did you know that 40% of infertility issues are due to poor sperm health? Kin’s His & Hers Bundle includes their bestselling prenatal vitamins for women’s prenatal health and male fertility. Simply take the prenatal together 3 months before trying, and while trying for the best chance of conceiving.

They are locally made in Australia, science-led and dietitian endorsed and come with free express shipping too. You can purchase them directly through Kin for $45 for a month’s supply.

Mum Central readers will receive a 10% DISCOUNT using the code MUMCENTRAL10 at checkout. 

If you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant and worried about prenatal vitamin side effects, then give Kin Fertility a try and see why so many mums have made the switch to a prenatal vitamin without the nasty side effects. 

This is a sponsored post for Kin Fertility. 

*Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. Ask your doctor whether this is the right vitamin for you.