Ritual Prenatal Reviews 2023: Is It A Good Pregnancy Vitamin?

About The Brand

Ritual is a subscription-based supplement company founded in 2016 by a woman named Katerina Schneider after searching for a prenatal vitamin during her own pregnancy. When she realized she couldn’t find a trustworthy brand whose prenatal vitamins didn’t contain questionable ingredients, she decided to build her own. 

Ritual offers everything from clean vitamins to protein shakes and gut health supplements. Yet they are most known for their high-quality vitamins designed to support women during various stages of their lives.

Ritual’s pregnancy lineup features protein powder for pregnant and lactating women, as well as prenatal vitamins and postnatal vitamins. But here’s the catch. They are a bit more expensive than other brands. Are they worth the hype?

This article will examine Ritual’s Essential Prenatal Multivitamin, discuss its pros and cons, and compare similar alternatives.

What Is Ritual Prenatal Multivitamin?

Ritual Prenatal Multivitamin is designed to prepare your body for pregnancy and support the increased nutrient needs during pregnancy. It is ideal for women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.

Unlike many other products on the market today, you’ll never be left questioning if your prenatal vitamin is safe or contains questionable ingredients. In addition to being tested by a third party, Ritual prioritizes transparency. On their website, you’ll find details on where every ingredient in its prenatal vitamin comes from and its benefits. This visible supply chain helps you feel comfortable with what you are putting in your body.

As a bonus, it is free of gluten, major allergens, and animal derivatives, making it well-tolerated by most individuals.

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How Does Ritual Prenatal Work?

Ritual Essential Prenatal Multivitamin delivers 12 key nutrients to help support you and your baby before and during pregnancy. It comes in a delayed-release capsule^[1], which is designed to withstand acidic conditions in your stomach and reach the small intestine, an optimal place for nutrient absorption. The small intestine is also not as prone to digestive upset.

Ritual utilizes its signature beadlet-in-oil design to combine oily and dry ingredients in one capsule. This means fewer pills are required. Capsules are essenced with lemon or mint, which pregnant women experiencing nausea or morning sickness may find pleasing.

Additionally, capsules are free of gluten, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), major allergens, artificial colors, and synthetic additives. Like other supplements sold by Ritual, their prenatal has been third-party tested twice for heavy metals, microbes, allergens, and other contaminants. While some products in Ritual’s portfolio have earned the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Verified Mark, it does not appear Ritual Essential Prenatal Multivitamin has.

Ritual Essential Prenatal has, however, earned the Non-GMO Project Verification Seal after meeting strict requirements for traceability, testing, and segregation.

Because Ritual operates on a subscription model, you must sign up for a monthly subscription when purchasing Ritual Prenatal Multivitamin. This means you will receive the multivitamin monthly unless you change your delivery date or cancel your order. A one-month supply costs $39 and ships free. If you are unsatisfied with your product for any reason, Ritual offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Ritual Prenatal Ingredients

The ingredients found in Ritual Essential Prenatal Vitamins are all included in the key vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy, as outlined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists^[4] (ACOG).

You may notice that some nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, and B6, and calcium that the ACOG recommends, are missing from the Ritual Essential Prenatal Nutrition Facts label.  It also contains less than the daily recommended amount of choline, iron, and iodine than what is generally recommended.

Ritual takes a food-first approach when it comes to formulating their multivitamins. The company believes that multivitamins, including prenatal vitamins, should only be used as a means to fill the nutrient gaps in your diet.

For example, if you already eat plenty of iron-rich foods, taking a supplement with the full 100% Daily Value (DV) of iron can increase iron intake to excess levels, which may cause an upset stomach or constipation^[5]. 

This product does not include calcium, but it contains “calcium-helper” nutrients, such as Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, magnesium, and boron.

Here’s a deeper look into the key nutrients in Ritual Essential Prenatal Multivitamins and how they can support your pregnancy.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D is vital for healthy immune function, bone health, and cell division. It is also required for the absorption and metabolism of phosphorus and calcium. During pregnancy, getting adequate vitamin D^[6] is important for your baby’s growth and development, tooth enamel formation, and bone development. Ritual contains 333% of the daily value (DV) for pregnant or lactating women, or 2,000 IU for this nutrient.

Iron

Iron supports red blood cell formation. Pregnant women need almost double the amount of iron than non-pregnant women to make more blood to supply oxygen to their babies. 

Inadequate iron intake^[7] during pregnancy can lead to premature birth or low birth weight, which can cause developmental problems during birth and childhood. 

Since Ritual Prenatal Vitamins only meet 67% of a pregnant woman’s iron needs, if you have a history of iron deficiency anemia, you may consider speaking with your doctor about taking an additional iron supplement. 

Folate

Folate is essential^[8] before and during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. In particular, it supports healthy brain development and helps protect against birth defects of the baby’s spine (spina bifida) and brain (anencephaly). Folate is present at 167% of the DV.

Iodine

Iodine^[9] is essential for thyroid hormone production and the baby’s nervous system development. Pregnant women need more iodine to support increased thyroid hormone production during pregnancy, increased iodine loss through the kidneys, and the transfer of iodine to the baby. 

Iodine deficiency during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of pregnancy loss, thyroid deficiency, and cognitive impairment in the developing baby. Ritual provides 52% of the DV for this nutrient, so be sure to include other iodine-rich foods in your diet.

Choline

Choline is important during pregnancy because it helps your baby’s brain and spinal cord develop properly. It may also help protect against neural tube defects. Studies^[10] show that most pregnant women are not meeting their recommended choline intake and may benefit from boosting choline intake through dietary modifications and/or supplementation. 

Ritual’s Essential Prenatal only contains 10% of the recommended daily intake for choline during pregnancy. If you choose this prenatal, be sure to eat plenty of choline-rich foods such as fish, poultry, liver, eggs, and beef. 

DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)

DHA^[11] is an omega-3 fatty acid essential for the baby’s growth and development. In particular, pregnant women need DHA to aid in developing their baby’s brain and eyes. While DHA is naturally present in some foods, such as fatty fish, many pregnant women fall short of meeting the daily recommended intake of DHA. Doctors generally recommend that pregnant women consume at least 200 milligrams^[12] of DHA. Ritual Prenatal DHA can meet these recommended amounts.

Alternatives To Ritual Prenatal Multivitamin

Health Benefits Of Ritual Prenatal Multivitamin

When you’re pregnant, eating a nutritious diet is a top priority. A well-balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and seafood will provide you and your developing baby with important nutrients required to grow and thrive.

Unfortunately, most pregnant women do not consume enough of these foods. Poor diets during pregnancy that lack key nutrients, such as iodine, iron, folate, and vitamin D, among others, can increase the risk of health complications during pregnancy.

Taking a high-quality prenatal vitamin, such as Ritual Essential Prenatal Multivitamin, can be a great way to maintain your health during pregnancy and minimize certain health risks.

Potential benefits of Ritual Prenatal Multivitamin include:

• Deceased risk of birth defects
• Reduced risk of your baby developing spina bifida and neural tube defects
• May prevent iron deficiency anemia
• Decreased risk for low birth weight, pre-term delivery, and miscarriage
• Improved bone health from calcium-helper nutrients

Potential Side Effects

In some cases, prenatal vitamins’ size and iron content can worsen nausea. Ritual Essential Prenatal is formulated with chelated iron and comes in a smooth, easy-to-swallow capsule, which should minimize unpleasant symptoms. Still, some people may experience side effects when taking prenatal vitamins.

According to research^[13], the most common side effects of prenatal vitamins include:

• Constipation
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Taking high doses of certain nutrients can also cause side effects. Always talk with your healthcare provider about what type of prenatal multivitamins you should take.

Dosage

Ritual Essential Prenatal Multivitamin is straight to the point and doesn’t require multiple pills throughout the day. Simply take two pills together, in the morning or at night. It should be taken daily for maximum benefits.

Final Thought

Taking a prenatal vitamin can help fill the nutrient gaps in your diet to support the health of you and your developing baby before and during pregnancy.

Ritual Essential Prenatal Vitamins are a great choice if you’re looking for a high-quality prenatal multivitamin and already have a reasonably healthy diet. This prenatal vitamin prioritizes twelve essential nutrients that the diets of many pregnant women fall short in.

While we agree that this is a good option, it’s always a good idea to speak with your healthcare provider or registered dietitian to ensure your prenatal vitamin has all the nutrients to support your unique nutrient needs during pregnancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

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