Nutrient Guidelines
Prenatal
supplements consist of a variety of vitamins and minerals. During pregnancy,
a woman’s daily intake requirements for certain nutrients, such
as folic acid (folate), calcium, and iron will increase. If you are
pregnant (or trying to conceive) and considering taking a prenatal vitamin,
carefully read the nutritional labels and familiarize yourself with
terms like RDA and UL.
Find a Nutritionist in your area
Recommendations and Limits
- RDA = Recommended Dietary Allowance. The RDA represents the amount of nutrient needed to maintain good health for most people.
- UL = Tolerable Upper Intake Levels. The UL represents the highest amount most people can take without experiencing potentially harmful effects.
Avoid taking several different supplements, but rather take one multivitamin that includes a variety of needed nutrients in one dose. Combining supplements (such as taking a folic acid supplement along with your multivitamin, etc.) can raise concerns because you run the risk of overdosing on a particular nutrient. Taking more than twice the RDA of any nutrient should be avoided during pregnancy.
| Vitamin/Minerals | RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) | UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) |
|---|---|---|
| Fat-soluble Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 700 mcg/d | 2,800 mcg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 700 mcg/d | 3,000 mcg/d |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 750 mcg/d | 2,800 mcg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 770 mcg/d | 3,000 mcg/d |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1,200 mcg/d | 2,800 mcg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1,300 mcg/d | 3,000 mcg/d |
| Vitamin D | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 5 mcg/d | 50 mcg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 5 mcg/d | 50 mcg/d |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 5 mcg/d | 50 mcg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 5 mcg/d | 50 mcg/d |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 5 mcg/d | 50 mcg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 5 mcg/d | 50 mcg/d |
| Vitamin E | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 15 mg/d | 800 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 15 mg/d | 1,000 mg/d |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 15 mg/d | 800 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 15 mg/d | 1,000 mg/d |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 19 mg/d | 800 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 19 mg/d | 1,000 mg/d |
| Water-soluble Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin C | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 65 mg/d | 1,800 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 75 mg/d | 2,000 mg/d |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 80 mg/d | 1,800 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 85 mg/d | 2,000 mg/d |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 115 mg/d | 1,800 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 120 mg/d | 2,000 mg/d |
| Thiamine (B1) | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1.0 mg/d | ND (Not Determined) |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1.1 mg/d | ND |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1.4 mg/d | ND |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1.4 mg/d | ND |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1.4 mg/d | ND |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1.4 mg/d | ND |
| Riboflavin (B2) | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1.0 mg/d | ND (Not Determined) |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1.1 mg/d | ND |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1.4 mg/d | ND |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1.4 mg/d | ND |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1.6 mg/d | ND |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1.6 mg/d | ND |
| Niacin (B3) | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 14 mg/d | 30 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 14 mg/d | 35 mg/d |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 18 mg/d | 30 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 18 mg/d | 35 mg/d |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 17 mg/d | 30 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 17 mg/d | 35 mg/d |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1.2 mg/d | 80 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1.3 mg/d | 100 mg/d |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1.9 mg/d | 80 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1.9 mg/d | 100 mg/d |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 2.0 mg/d | 80 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 2.0 mg/d | 100 mg/d |
| Folate | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 400 mcg/d | 800 mcg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 400 mcg/d | 1,000 mcg/d |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 600 mcg/d | 800 mcg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 600 mcg/d | 1,000 mcg/d |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 500 mcg/d | 800 mcg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 500 mcg/d | 1,000 mcg/d |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1,300 mg/d | 2,500 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1,000 mg/d | 2,500 mg/d |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1,300 mg/d | 2,500 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1,000 mg/d | 2,500 mg/d |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 1,300 mg/d | 2,500 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 1,000 mg/d | 2,500 mg/d |
| Iron | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 15 mg/d | 45 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 18 mg/d | 45 mg/d |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 27 mg/d | 45 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 27 mg/d | 45 mg/d |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 10 mg/d | 45 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 9 mg/d | 45 mg/d |
| Zinc | ||
| Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 9 mg/d | 34 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 8 mg/d | 40 mg/d |
| Pregnant Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 12 mg/d | 34 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 11 mg/d | 40 mg/d |
| Lactating Women | ||
| 14-18 yrs. old | 13 mg/d | 34 mg/d |
| 19-50 yrs. old | 12 mg/d | 40 mg/d |
Last Updated: 10/2008
Compiled using information from the following source:
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, http://www.iom.edu/