Can Prenatal Vitamins Cause Acne? Myth Busted!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure policy here.)

Are you stepping into the world of motherhood? Well, CONGRATULATIONS!

But do you know during pregnancy, your body needs extra vitamins and nutrients that a regular diet or foods cannot provide?

To cover up the nutrient deficiency and extra needs, doctors highly suggest intaking Prenatal Vitamins during pregnancy.

But as the body suffers from hormonal imbalance and breakouts, which is a common phenomenon, some to-be mothers might wonder, can prenatal vitamins cause acne or breakouts?

No, Prenatal Vitamins don’t cause acne or breakouts. It’s a total myth that intaking prenatal vitamins causes breakouts. Prenatal Vitamins contain folic acid, Vitamin D, Calcium, etc., which are the source of extra nutrients than regular multivitamins. Prenatal vitamins contain 27 mg of iron, which is almost 10 mg more than regular multivitamins to cover the extra need during pregnancy.

In this article, we’ll be clarifying the common myths regarding Prenatal Vitamins. Also, we’ll be covering everything related to them. So before intaking prenatal vitamins, give this article a read so that you know when and how to use them to avoid possible side effects

What are Prenatal Vitamins?

During pregnancy, the mother has to fulfill the requirement of both the child inside her and herself. And at that time, the requirement for necessary nutrients is more. And regular food or diets can’t really fulfill those needs.

Prenatal Vitamins are supplements specially made for pregnant mothers and consist of essential nutrients like Folic Acid, Calcium, Vitamin A, D, E, and other necessary nutrients.

Prenatal Vitamins consist of a balance of the required nutrients that are needed for the development of the child and the mother. Intake of prenatal vitamins also helps the mother to maintain the necessary nutrient and mineral levels in her body.

Why Are Prenatal Vitamins Necessary?

Considering the importance of Prenatal Vitamins for the mother and the child, doctors highly suggest taking prenatal vitamins 2-3 months before the mother hopes to conceive.

Let me remind you that prenatal vitamins aren’t an option; it’s a NECESSITY. Intaking prenatal vitamins before conceiving will help perfectly mold the mother’s body to carry the child.

However, just because they’ve nutritional value and are important for you, you shouldn’t overdose. Just like other medicine, they have a minimal level of dosage. And most importantly, your doctor will provide a chart for you with the recommended dosage in it.

However, to give you an idea about the prenatal vitamins, their necessity,  and the required dosage of intake, we’ve made the following chart for you.

Name of Nutrient	Necessity
Folic Acid	Folic acid is highly effective for pregnant women. It helps to protect the baby inside the womb from early neural tube defects.
Vitamin A	Vitamin A helps to quickly form the fetal eyes, ears, limbs, and a few other body parts.
Vitamin C and E	They both help in the production of collagen and support the immune system
Vitamin D	Helps keep the mothers bone healthy, helps in immunity, and controls mood–swings
Calcium	It’s an important nutrient to build both the mother’s and child’s bones. Also, it reduces the risk of Preeclampsia
Iron	Helps to increase the blood supply in both the baby and mother’s body. Also, accelerates the production of blood cells.

Reference: healthline.com

Myths Regarding Prenatal Vitamins

Believe it or not, prenatal vitamins are not only a must during pregnancy, but it’s also recommended to intake them before conceiving as well. And the reason is simple. Prenatal vitamins have everything that is required to support your body during pregnancy.

However, there are some myths about prenatal vitamins. And one of them is about acne. Well, before we head on to the debate, can prenatal vitamins cause acne or not, let me tell you that, during pregnancy, mothers go through a hormonal imbalance in their bodies, and this results in various effects, problems, and mood swings. 

Can Prenatal Vitamins Cause Acne?

As you already know, prenatal vitamins are supplements that provide additional nutrients to the child and the mother during the pregnancy period.

The most common prenatal vitamins are Folic acid, vitamins, Calcium, etc. So let’s come to the question, Can Prenatal Vitamins Cause Acne?

Well, prenatal vitamins are intended to provide necessary nutrients as well as help in the hormonal balance. Yes, they might have minor side effects like Nausea and stomach irritation. But don’t stop in-taking these necessary vitamins without your doctor’s consultation.

The main cause of acne or breakouts during pregnancy is irregular hormonal change.

During pregnancy, the mother’s body undergoes a series of changes as the body gets fit to supply the necessary nutrients to the child. During this transition, there are big and frequent hormonal changes, and the change is irregular.

So what happens is that, due to the hormonal imbalance, the body, especially the skin produces more natural oil than required. And this results in acne or breakouts during pregnancy.

Normally, acne or breakouts are seen mostly in the first trimester as the hormonal irregularity is higher during that time. However, as the hormonal changes are irregular, this might not be the case for you. Acne or breakouts can happen anytime during pregnancy.

Now here’s a pro tip for you-

If you’re suffering from pregnancy acne, here are a few products that you should avoid using during that period-

1. Retinoids

2. Doxycycline and Minocycline

3. Oral Isotretinoin

Other than pregnancy acne, acne or breakouts can occur due to using inappropriate skincare products as well. But in this article, we’ll only focus on pregnancy acne.

Do Prenatal Vitamins have any side effects?

Yes, prenatal vitamins have a few side effects even if you intake them correctly. A certain nutrient or vitamin can be the reason for these side effects.

Here are the most common side effects caused by Prenatal Vitamins

·       Constipation

Progesterone which is a pregnancy hormone can cause constipation in mothers. And when prenatal vitamins consisting of iron get mixed with it, it can cause more tough constipation.

So to avoid this, Doctors suggest drinking plenty of water and intaking foods enriched with fibers.

·       Nausea

Nausea and vomiting can be caused due to taking iron. So to avoid this, doctors suggest taking prenatal vitamins alongside easily digestible foods like crackers or applesauce.

·       Urine Color

Taking prenatal vitamins can turn your urine bright yellow. This results in Vitamin B (riboflavin). It turns your urine color to bright yellow. Although it’s not harmful; still, you should consult your doctor.

Different Kinds of Prenatal Vitamins

As prenatal vitamins are highly recommended by doctors worldwide, you’ll find them in your nearest pharmacy. Yes, there are hundreds of types of prenatal, and all of them can be categorized under 3 main categories-

·       Capsule or Tablet

Prenatal Vitamins are best when they come in tablets or capsules. Besides, they’re easy to take by patients as well.

·       Liquids, Powders, and Chewables

Besides capsules or tablets, you’ll also find prenatal vitamins in liquid or chewable forms. If you’re experiencing Nausea, it’ll be best for you to take liquid or chewable prenatal.

·        Prescription

Prenatal vitamins might not have similar effects on everyone’s body. For this, patients might go for the prescribed ones.

By prescribed ones, it meant that if a patient faces any severe side effects from any prenatal, the doctor can prescribe a custom prenatal for her with a different formulation (excluding/including a nutrient or increasing/decreasing the amount).

How To Choose the Best Prenatal For Avoiding Side Effects?

To avoid the side effects of prenatal vitamins and to get the maximum benefits, it’s extremely important to choose the best prenatal for a pregnant mother.

Besides, prenatal vitamins are a little expensive. So that’s why you should try to buy the best one on the first go.

Here’s how to choose the best prenatal-

·       Size and Amount

As prenatal is expensive, you should consider the size of the bottle or the number of capsules in it before buying one. For this, you should compare the recommended daily dosage with the number of pills that come in one bottle.

For your information, a large bottle of prenatal finishes quickly if you’re taking 3 capsules a day.

·       Format (Capsule/Liquid)

Some mothers hate to swallow pills. For them, buying the prenatal in liquid or chewable format will be the best. The thing that matters is the ingredients and nutrients. The format isn’t that necessary.

·       Diet

Buying prenatal vitamins depends on diet as well. Remember, if you’re a vegetarian, the prenatal won’t be the same for you as any other mother because you’ll need more iron and Calcium.

So it’d be better if you consult your doctor beforehand as they’ll help you choose the best one for your body and needs.

FAQ

Are Prenatals good for acne?

Ans: Yes, they’re good for acne. Prenatals contain essential nutrients and vitamins like vitamins A, C, and E. These essential ingredients help develop healthy skin and nourish your body.

Do Prenatal Vitamins make you gain weight?

Ans: No, prenatal doesn’t cause weight gaining. The weight gain during pregnancy occurs mainly due to conceiving and hormonal imbalances in some cases. However, Nausea, vomiting, and change in urine color can be caused due to taking prenatal vitamins.

Conclusion

Suffering from acne or breakouts is a common problem during pregnancy due to the irregular hormonal regulations. As you already know how essential prenatal vitamins are for pregnant ladies and they don’t cause any breakouts or acne, we hope you’ll now come out from the myths.

So can Prenatal Vitamins Cause Acne? I hope you’ve got your answer. Although they’ve minor side effects, we can overlook them considering the benefits.

So that’s it. We hope you’re now clear about the queries. If you’re already expecting or have plans to do so, consult your doctor and start taking prenatal vitamins.