Are Prenatal Gummies a Good Option? What to Know Before You Choose

Oct 6

By: Kerry Lett, MPH, RDN, LDN, CLC

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Needed. However, this does not influence our opinions or recommendations.

One of the first things your OB will tell you once you share the exciting news that you are pregnant is to take a prenatal vitamin. However, too often, the advice ends there. So which one do you pick? There are hundreds of prenatal options on the market, ranging from one-pill formulas to protocols that require up to 8 capsules per day, as well as gummies and powders. While pills are the traditional option that most pregnant individuals choose, they don’t work for everyone, especially once morning sickness and food aversions start. So are prenatal gummies a good option?

First of All, Why Take a Prenatal Vitamin?

While it is always best to get nutrients primarily through food, pregnancy and lactation place higher demands on the body. Even with a well-balanced diet, it’s easy to miss certain nutrients. That’s why I recommend a daily prenatal vitamin for anyone who is pregnant, lactating, or trying to conceive. Think of a prenatal as a safety net. It’s not meant to replace a healthy diet, but it helps fill in gaps and supports a healthy pregnancy.*

When Can Prenatal Gummies Be a Good Option?

While taking a prenatal vitamin is important to help with your baby’s development and support the pregnancy, it can sometimes be hard to take a pill consistently. For many, pregnancy often comes with morning sickness and food & smell aversions that can make swallowing pills difficult, especially if you already struggle with taking larger pills in the first place. If you are also taking other medications or supplements as well, taking a prenatal pill in addition can lead to pill fatigue and make a prenatal gummy a nice alternative.

The Downsides of Prenatal Gummies

While prenatal gummies can be a helpful alternative if taking pills is challenging, they were rarely my first choice for a prenatal. Some research suggests up to 95% of women may still have nutrient gaps even when taking a standard prenatal and this may be even higher for those taking prenatal gummies (1). This is because gummies have always had a ceiling on how much nutrition they can hold, especially when it comes to minerals, such as iodine, zinc, magnesium, and iron. Therefore, if you choose a gummy vitamin, you may be left either nutritionally depleted or stuck choosing between the format you'll actually be able to take and tolerate. Historically, this has meant choosing between a prenatal you can tolerate and one that actually meets your nutrient needs. But newer formulations are starting to close that gap.

What to Look For in a High-Quality Prenatal Gummy

There is no single “perfect” prenatal for everyone. Everyone has different diets, lifestyles, health concerns, and nutrient needs, so it is important to think about what the best choice is for you and your baby. Below are some key things to look for in your prenatal gummy to help guide your choice:

✔ Third-party testing: Supplements are regulated differently than pharmaceuticals, so it’s important to choose a brand that has been independently tested for quality and purity. Typically, there will be a label on the prenatal bottle or container that states if it has been third-party tested.

✔ Bioavailable forms of vitamins: Vitamins and minerals have different forms and some are much easier for the body to utilize than others. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the forms in your prenatal are the best form possible, especially vitamin B9 (folate) since 30-40% of the population has a MTHFR gene variant that causes a decreased ability to process folate (2). Below are the best nutrient forms to look for:

Vitamin B9 (Folate): L-methylfolate, 5-MTHF, or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate
Vitamin B6: Pyridoxal-5-phosphate or P5P
Vitamin B12: Methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin
Vitamin A: Retinol or retinyl palmitate
Vitamin D: Cholecalciferol or vitamin D3

✔ Comprehensive nutrients: Many prenatals skip important nutrients, especially if they only require one pill daily. Make sure your prenatal includes iodine, vitamin B12, choline, magnesium, selenium, vitamin D, and vitamin K2. Choline and vitamin D are especially important, because they are harder to get in the diet and important for your baby’s brain, bones, and overall development.*

Featured Option: A Well-Formulated Prenatal Gummy

There is a new option on the market for a gummy prenatal vitamin that stacks up to the recommendations: Needed Prenatal Multivitamin Gummy. This new prenatal gummy vitamin provides 8x more nutrition than the leading prenatal gummy† and 4x more nutrition than the average of leading prenatal pills.‡ Compared to many standard prenatals (including capsule options), this gummy provides significantly higher levels of key nutrients like vitamins D, B6, and B12, nutrients that are often under-dosed in traditional formulations.

When thinking about what to look for in a prenatal, this prenatal gummy checks the boxes:

✔ Third-party testing for quality & purity and their dosing for key nutrients is clinically studied to overcome the nutritional depletion that many moms experience

✔ Bioavailable forms of vitamins

✔ 17 comprehensive nutrients, including:

40 mg of vitamin B6 to support neurologic function and commonly used to help with occasional morning sickness*
4,000 IU of vitamin D3, a dose more consistent with addressing one of the most common nutrient insufficiencies (3)
6.5 mg of zinc to support immune function and cellular growth*

How to Fill the Gaps If You Choose a Prenatal Gummy

Most prenatal gummies, including Needed Prenatal Multivitamin Gummy, do not include iron and DHA. Needed separates iron and omega-3s intentionally. Omega-3s are dosed separately because an effective dose doesn’t fit well into a multivitamin format and iron needs vary significantly person to person, so it’s best individualized rather than included as a standard dose. However, this allows you to optimize your dose to better meet your needs. To help fill in gaps with prenatal gummies, I would consider adding:

An iron supplement, as needed. Before adding in an iron supplement, I would ask your OB to test your iron levels, CBC & ferritin. This along with your typical consumption of iron-rich foods will allow you to pick the best iron dose for your body.

A choline supplement. While there is some choline in Needed’s Prenatal Multivitamin Gummy, choline is a hard nutrient to obtain adequately though food, so pairing this with a dedicated choline supplement (such as Needed’s Prenatal Multi Gummy + Choline bundle) can help meet higher choline needs during pregnancy and support your baby’s brain and cognitive development.*
A DHA supplement. Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, can support the development of your baby’s brain, eyes, and nervous system.* If you do not eat fatty fish, such as salmon or tuna, at least 2-3 times per week, then adding an omega-3 supplement can be beneficial.

Takeaway

Newer formulations, like Needed’s, aim to reduce the tradeoff between tolerability and nutrient adequacy. Needed Prenatal Multivitamin Gummy can be a great option to help support your diet and pregnancy as long as you take it consistently. Please note that everyone’s different diets, lifestyles, health concerns, and nutrient needs are different. As always, the best prenatal is the one that aligns with your needs, is well tolerated, and fits into a broader plan for nourishment across the motherhood years.

Disclaimer: This information contained in this blog is based on the experience of the author and science-based research. It is not intended to replace medical advice or diagnosis from a physician or other medical provider. This blog is not intended as a substitute for a consultation with a physician or other healthcare provider. The author is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any suggestions discussed in this blog. This post is sponsored by Needed, a brand I genuinely recommend to my patients 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.

†8x more nutrition is based on a comparison of each brand's labeled daily serving amounts of vitamins and minerals relative to the pregnancy Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), calculated as an average across those nutrients. As of May 2026.

‡4x more nutrition refers to the average amount of vitamins and minerals compared to the average of the leading prenatal brands as of May 2026. Brand B: 4x, Brand C: 4x, Brand D: 4x.

Last medically reviewed on October 6, 2026

Kerry Lett, MPH, RDN, LDN,CLC is the pediatric & maternal registered dietitian and owner of Milestones Pediatric & Maternal Nutrition in Cary, NC. Kerry is passionate about helping growing families navigate life and achieve all of their milestones along the way. Schedule an appointment today.