Can i take prenatal vitamins while on birth control

Products and services. Is it OK to take prenatal vitamins if I'm not pregnant, and I don't plan to become pregnant? Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R. With Katherine Zeratsky, R. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture.

Accessed March 20, Dietary supplement fact sheet: Folate. Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary supplement fact sheet: Iron. Dietary supplement fact sheet: Calcium. Questions to ask before taking vitamin and mineral supplements. Nutrition during pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Accessed June 12, Preconception care. Rochester, Minn.

Wick M expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. What Do Prenatal Vitamins Do? Some of their nutrients include: Folic acid : It is a B vitamin that pregnant women need to help their baby grow and develop. It can also prevent birth defects. You can take between to micrograms mcg of folic acid every day. Calcium: We recommend taking 1, milligrams of calcium a day. This helps the baby to develop its bones, muscles, and teeth. Docosahexaenoic acid DHA : This is an omega-3 fatty acid that can prevent pregnancy-related complications.

Zinc: It reduces preterm births. Vitamin A: Helps with eye development. Patients can take emcg a day. If you take it in large doses it can cause birth defects. Possible Prenatal Vitamins Side Effects The iron in prenatals can cause constipation, and you may also have low appetite, stomach cramps, dark stools, and diarrhea. You can ease your symptoms by: Drinking a lot of fluids.

Eating more food rich in fiber. Getting more physical activity. Other prenatal vitamins side effects that can appear include: Back pain. Muscle pain. Blurred vision. Dry eyes. Office on Women's Health. Birth control methods. Updated April 24, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol. Oral contraceptives and cancer risk. Updated February 22, Oral contraceptive discontinuation: do side effects matter?. Am J Obstet Gynecol.

How can we improve oral contraceptive success in obese women?. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. Drug interactions and hormonal contraception.