Why Recommended Dietary Allowances Aren’t Enough—and the Prenatal I Trust Instead
- Amy Jaramillo
- Jan 2
- 3 min read
Updated: 13 hours ago
When clients ask me what prenatal vitamin to take, I recommend Needed Prenatal Multi because it provides methylated folate (not folic acid), active nutrient forms for better absorption, and clinically studied dosages of vitamin D3, choline, and zinc that supports neural tube development, maternal health, and fetal brain growth throughout pregnancy.
Despite good intentions, many women are entering pregnancy—and moving through postpartum—already nutritionally depleted. Then, we ask their bodies to do one of the most demanding jobs possible: grow, nourish, and sustain another human.
Yet most prenatal vitamins are built on standards that simply don’t reflect what mothers truly need.
The Overlooked Reality of Nutrient Depletion
Up to 95% of women experience nutrient depletion, even while taking a prenatal supplement. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data shows that women—especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding—are commonly low in essential nutrients including vitamins D, A, B6, B12, K, choline, magnesium, zinc, calcium, iron, and selenium.
These nutrients play foundational roles in:
Hormone signaling
Cellular energy production
Nervous system and brain development
Healthy blood volume and circulation
When depletion shows up as occasional fatigue and brain fog, hair changes, or mood shifts, it’s often dismissed as “normal.” In reality, these symptoms can be signs that nutritional needs are not being adequately supported.
Prenatal supplements are meant to help fill nutritional gaps—but many fall short.
Why Most Prenatals Miss the Mark
Most conventional prenatal vitamins are formulated using bare-minimum Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). In many cases, they don’t even meet those standards.
Here’s why that matters:
RDAs define the minimum needed to avoid deficiency—not optimal intake
Pregnant and breastfeeding women were excluded from 83% of studies used to establish RDAs
Increased nutritional demands during preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum are rarely considered
Many prenatals rely on less bioavailable nutrient forms, limiting absorption
The result? Women taking a prenatal and still not getting what their bodies—or their babies—need.
Why RDAs Are Broken—and Why Needed Takes a Different Approach
RDAs were first established in 1941, largely based on male physiology and designed to prevent acute deficiency—not to support women across the full continuum of motherhood.
Needed Prenatal Multi is formulated with a different goal: nutrient repletion and optimization, not just adequacy.
It provides:
5× more nutrition than outdated RDAs
8× more total nutrition than leading prenatals*
Clinically informed, anti-depletion dosing backed by 630 research studies
Support across the full Motherspan™: preconception → pregnancy → postpartum → beyond
*Based on total daily dosage compared to leading prenatals as determined by IRI sales data as of December 2025.
What Makes Needed Prenatal Multi Essentials Stand Out
Compared to leading prenatals, Needed’s Prenatal Multi includes substantially higher levels of nutrients that matter most:
12× more choline
31× more vitamin B12
20× more vitamin B6
4× more vitamin D
3× more zinc
2× more vitamin A
It also includes selenium and chromium, which many leading prenatals don’t include at all.
Equally important is what it intentionally leaves out:
No iron, allowing for individualized dosing based on lab work
No omega-3s, reducing oxidation risk and allowing for separate, targeted supplementation
This thoughtful formulation allows women to personalize their care rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Practitioner-Trusted Quality and Transparency
Needed Prenatal Multi is:
Recommended by 15,000+ practitioners
Third-party tested for purity and potency
Awarded the Clean Label Project Purity Award
Certified Pesticide Free, Climate Neutral Certified, Certified B Corp, and a 1% for the Planet partner
It’s available in easy-to-take capsules or a vanilla powder, making it accessible for different preferences and sensitivities. With subscriptions, it also offers a strong cost-per-nutrient value compared to lower-dosed alternatives.
Choosing a Prenatal That Goes Beyond the Bare Minimum
When choosing a prenatal, I encourage women to ask:
Does this support optimal nourishment—or just minimums?
Are the nutrient forms bioavailable?
Does it reflect the real demands of pregnancy and postpartum?
For those reasons, Needed’s Prenatal Multi is the prenatal I consistently recommend.
You can learn more about Needed’s Prenatal Multi here:
Disclaimers
This post is sponsored by Needed, a brand I genuinely recommend to my clients and use personally.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.