Does multivitamin cause weight gain during pregnancy?

Why take a multivitamin during pregnancy?

The fetus is dependent on the mother for all of its nutritional needs while in the womb. Therefore, a diet that lacks vitamins and minerals can not support a healthy pregnancy. Taking prenatal multivitamins fills nutritional gaps and helps keep fetuses healthy. Deficiencies in certain nutrients may increase the risk of miscarriage or lead to the birth of a baby with a disability. In some cases, fetal death may even be the result of poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy. Therefore, if the doctor prescribes, the pregnant mother must take multivitamin pills along with her diet.

Benefits of taking a multivitamin during pregnancy

We said that lack of nutrients has a negative effect on fetal growth and development and leads to problems such as miscarriage, premature birth, mental retardation and even death. Therefore, if a pregnant woman’s body is deficient in vitamins and minerals, this deficiency should be compensated by taking multivitamins and minerals. In addition, multivitamins have other benefits during pregnancy:

Reduce nausea: Multivitamins that contain vitamin B6 reduce morning sickness in pregnant women. Women who have taken multivitamins before pregnancy will experience less nausea in the first 3 months of pregnancy than others.

Increase the chances of having a healthy baby: Research shows that taking multivitamin pills during pregnancy increases the chances of having a healthy baby.

Reducing the risk of birth defects: Perhaps one of the most important reasons to take vitamins during pregnancy is to make sure you are getting enough folic acid. Folic acid significantly reduces the risk of neural tube defects in the developing fetus.

Although multivitamins during pregnancy usually contain B vitamins and are effective in reducing nausea, taking this product will not necessarily eliminate nausea. Because multivitamins during pregnancy also contain the mineral iron, this element itself causes nausea and digestive problems in many people.

Research on multivitamins and weight gain in pregnancy

None of the scientific studies have shown that vitamins during pregnancy increase the weight of the pregnant mother. Most pregnant women, whether they take a pregnancy multivitamin or not, will gain about 11 to 15 pounds during pregnancy. Multivitamin pills do not contain calories to gain weight. Therefore, weight gain during pregnancy is due to the pregnancy itself and the development of the fetus, not the use of multivitamins. It is interesting to note that some studies have even shown that multivitamins can even prevent weight gain by regulating the body’s metabolism. But the experiences of some pregnant women from taking multivitamins during pregnancy show different results!

Effect of multivitamin on weight in pregnant women

For many consumers, taking a multivitamin and gaining weight during pregnancy are directly related. Some pregnant mothers claim that multivitamins increase their appetite and cause them to consume more food and as a result become obese. This even causes many doctors to advise pregnant mothers to cut down on multivitamin pills and take them every other day instead. In these cases, doctors often recommend that pregnant women increase the intake of fruits and vegetables in their diet to reduce the need for multivitamin pills.

Is sudden weight gain dangerous in pregnancy?

A pregnant mother should see a doctor as soon as possible if she experiences sudden weight gain at any stage of her pregnancy. Although in the last 3 months of pregnancy the process of weight gain naturally increases, but in any case this weight gain should not be observed significantly within a few days. It may be a sign of preeclampsia if the pregnant mother’s weight gain is accompanied by severe headache, blurred vision, and pain in the right side of the abdomen. Preeclampsia is a condition in which a pregnant woman’s high blood pressure increases the chances of giving birth prematurely to the fetus and may even lead to miscarriage or maternal death.

Other side effects of multivitamin pills in pregnancy

Taking a multivitamin and gaining weight during pregnancy may be one of the side effects of taking a multivitamin pill. Other minor side effects that this product may cause include:

• nausea and vomiting
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Darkening of stool color
• The taste of metal in the mouth
• insomnia
• Loss of appetite
• Light yellow or green color in urine

Of course, many of the complications mentioned are very similar to the complications of pregnancy itself, and therefore, determining whether nausea is a complication of pregnancy or occurred due to multivitamin use, it seems a little difficult. These side effects are usually mild and do not bother you, but if you experience severe side effects with a multivitamin, you should inform your doctor.

The final word

In response to the question of whether multivitamin consumption and weight gain in pregnancy are related or not, it should be said that scientific studies do not show this relationship because multivitamin is not a product that has calories and leads to weight gain. However, some pregnant women report that multivitamin pills increase their appetite and thus make them gain more weight than usual. In this case, your doctor may reduce the number of times you take a multivitamin. If you have also gained weight during pregnancy as a result of taking a multivitamin, first consult a gynecologist before any action.