s.
5. Mama Bird Prenatal Multivitamin
These vitamins contain "methylated folate"—a new buzzword in the prenatal vitamin world. Folate is one of the most important vitamins in prenatal pills, but some women have a genetic condition that makes it hard for their bodies to convert the folic acid in most prenatals to the active form the body can use, says Wright.
Here's the issue: You can't know that you have the condition unless you've had genetic testing done. So if you want to be super-safe and cover all your bases, then a methylated version of folate might be worth the money, she says. Still, she emphasizes that for the majority of women the regular (and more affordable) variety is just fine.
6. TheraNatal Complete Prenatal Vitamin & Mineral Supplement
This prenatal is Wright's personal favorite and the one she recommends to her clients. It contains iodine and choline—two minerals vital to hormone regulation, fetal growth, and brain development—that are often missing from other prenatal vitamins.
Ideally, you want 150 micrograms of iodine and 450 milligrams of choline every day, she says. They're also independently tested and have a high standard of quality, she adds.
There is one major downside: They don't come cheap. These are by far the most expensive on the list, although you may be able to get them cheaper through your doctor or buying them direct from their site.