10 Best Postnatal Vitamins 2024 in the United States

After giving birth, a woman has to take measures to maintain good nutrition--and that is especially true if she is breastfeeding. Your vitamin and mineral intake is important during pregnancy, for your health and the health of the baby. But postnatal vitamin and mineral supplements are also important. Paul Schulick, the founder of New Chapter Vitamins, discovered that the amount of caloric energy to produce milk for just 16 weeks--just 4 months of nursing-- is the same as the amount of calories a woman should consume during 40 weeks of pregnancy!

A number of vitamin supplement companies have prepared  compounds containing what postpartum women need the most. They will include B-complex vitamins and folic acid for replenishing your energy needs. There are also ingredients that will improve your mood. For a nursing mother, they can contain iron, calcium, iodine, Omega-3 fatty acids, and Vitamin D--these are essential for the baby’s brain and eye development. Of course, you should consult your doctor before committing to a particular vitamin supplement to see if it’s appropriate for your needs--but it’s important to learn about what’s on the market. 

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting postnatal vitamins. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of postnatal vitamins,

• See useful tips about that particular type of postnatal vitamins,

• Read reviews of different postnatal vitamins, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of postnatal vitamins, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

Vitamins for nursing mothers have two goals in mind: replenishing the mother’s needs as she recovers after childbirth, as well as ensuring that the mother’s milk has the necessary nutrients for the baby.

• Vitamins for increased lactation and nutritious breast milk: There are supplements, such as the Pure Essence Labs Mother & Child Master PostNatal Formula which have ingredients that increase lactation. There are other supplements, such as the Mother’s Select Postnatal Plus which has Vitamin D, Thiamine and B6 to ensure healthy lactation.

• Vitamins for the baby’s development: You’ll notice that there are supplements with Omega-3 and DHA, which help the baby’s brain and eye development. You should look for supplements with a wide spectrum of vitamins, to ensure that neither you nor your baby will suffer from a vitamin deficiency. Nature Made Postnatal Multi-Vitamin Plus DHA Softgels are noteworthy because they provide you with Vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iron, Iodine, Magnesium, and Zinc.

• Vitamins to safely lose weight: For women who want to lose the extra weight that they gained during pregnancy, there are products such as the Elevate Recovery Post-Pregnancy Fat Loss Support. It contains Garcinia Cambogia, which decreases appetite to help you lose weight but also gives your body the vitamins it needs.

• Supplements that increase the quantity and quality of breastmilk: Some women say that the Pure Essence Labs Mother & Child Master PostNatal Formula was just what they needed to enhance their supply of breastmilk. It has extracts from nettle leaf, which supports the production of mother’s milk. It also has a gentle iron supplement. This way, it won’t upset the stomach of the mother or the nursing baby.

• Need a boost: One woman who continued taking the prenatal vitamins even after she gave birth complained of always feeling fatigued and drained. The needs of a woman after birth are different--and she noticed a big boost in her energy and mood after switching to the Mother’s Select Postnatal Plus vitamins.

• Take with other supplements: You can also combine a postnatal formula with supplements that give more Omega-3 oils, or calcium for bone health. But beware: There is a warning on some vitamins that too much iron can actually be detrimental to a newborn. So you have to go easy on iron supplements.

• Beware of food allergies: The most popular postnatal vitamins are from natural ingredients. Many manufacturers are aware of the number of food allergies that can affect infants, so they try to avoid using common allergens such as dairy, eggs, soy, wheat, and shellfish in preparing their supplements. At the same time, you have to be alert to how the vitamins and minerals are derived in the supplement, in the event of any food allergies. Nature Made Postnatal Multi + DHA gets it compounds from fish and soy. Other brands, such as Mother’s Select Postnatal Plus, are veggie capsules, but they still contain soy.

• Formulated to avoid stomach upset: New Chapter’s Perfect Postnatal Vitamins and Lactation Supplement is fermented with probiotics, to ensure that the supplement is gentle on your digestive system. The vitamins are cultured in a broth of yeast and probiotics--so the vitamins can be taken even on an empty stomach, without concern of getting an upset stomach. Also, Pure Essence Labs’ Mother & Child supplements include a “gentle” form of iron, Iron Bisglycinate, which gives an enhanced rate of absorption. This replenishes the iron in your system, without the typical gastrointestinal side effects (nausea, constipation, diarrhea) that people associate with iron supplements. Some mothers see the baby suffering from gas pains, or even spitting up, depending on the supplements the mother takes. So it’s important that the vitamins are easy to digest.

• Mother’s Select--is a vitamin and supplement company based in Frisco, Texas. They specialize in vitamin supplements for pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as for infants. Their supplements are free of milk or soy-derived products, as well as free of chemicals and fillers.

• Elevate-Recovery--was founded in 2012, as a provider of vitamin supplements using natural formulas. They are located in Frisco, Texas.

• New Chapter--was founded by Paul and Barbi Schulick of Brattleboro, Vermont in 1982. Their aim is to compose multi-vitamin supplements from sustainable and environmentally-conscious sources, and from whole-food blends of fermented ingredients.

• Nature Made--is located in Mission Hills, California. They make supplements for men’s and women’s health, as well as pre- and postnatal supplements, and vitamins and minerals.

• Pure Essence Labs--was founded in 1997 in Las Vegas, Nevada, as makers of dietary supplements and nutraceuticals. They make vitamins and supplements, geared for treating specific body tissues and systems: bone, joints, the immune system, digestive system, and more.