Could you please let me know what a good supplement for a pregnant woman would be?  One that would absorb well.  Also, what do you recommend for the amount of nutrients that she needs?  If she is eating a good diet, does she need to supplement it with a vitamin? There are so many supplements out there and it's confusing to know which would be the most effective without costing so much.     Supplements are a tricky subject for anyone, especially during pregnancy. As the Food and Drug Administration does not oversee this area of health products, there is really no great way to know what the supplements are doing for you.    During pregnancy, no matter how fabulous a diet is, a prenatal vitamin should be taken.  One major reason prenatal vitamins are prescribed by physicians is the folic acid they contain. Folic acid is a B vitamin essential for growth and cell replication. With the rapidly growing fetus there is a high need for folic acid to aid in forming DNA and RNA- the building blocks of the baby.   The prenatal vitamin also can act as insurance against any deficiencies from what a pregnant woman is getting or not getting from her diet. The majority of vitamins will contain 100% or even above the Recommended Daily Allowance.   The only other supplement I would feel comfortable recommending a fatty acid supplement.  This would NOT be a fish oil supplement however- many fish oil supplements are made from high mercury fish that can be harmful to consume during pregnancy.  I have recommended in my practice the supplement from Mead Johnson: Expecta. It’s a non-fish source of DHA, a fatty acid that has been shown to improve cognitive performance and visual acuity in infants. It’s available at Target, and I believe CVS.   So the bottom-line for me is: stay simple with supplements- pregnant or not. It’s a mysterious area, and you can always get the majority that you need from a healthy, well-rounded diet and a regular old multivitamin (prenatal of course for the pregnant ladies!)   Best of luck! -Ashley   Source: Hoffman DR. Pediatr Perspect. 2004;2(6); Morale SE et al. Early Hum Dev. 2005;81: 197-203