Pregnancy doesn’t just demand more nutrients, it reshapes how your body uses them. Most health experts recommend taking a prenatal supplement throughout pregnancy and continuing through lactation because your nutrient needs are especially high during this time.
In this follow-up blog to our focus on the first and second trimester, we’ll dive into the latest research on the key nutrients for the third trimester, postpartum recovery, and lactation, along with insights from clinical practice to help you understand why these nutrients truly matter.
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Choline: Building baby’s brain and beyond
Choline is one of the most under-recognized yet powerful nutrients for pregnancy. It supports gene expression, tissue growth, and neural tube development, but most importantly, it plays a critical role in your baby’s brain development.
Why choline matters in the third trimester
Recent studies show that choline intake late in pregnancy may influence your child’s cognitive outcomes such as memory, attention, and problem-solving skills later in life. Animal studies suggest it supports hippocampal growth, while emerging human studies are beginning to connect higher maternal intake with improved neurodevelopment.
Despite its importance, most women in their 20s and 30s consume only about 285 mg/day, far below the recommended 450 mg/day. Vegetarians and vegans are at particular risk since eggs and liver are the richest sources and excluded from most plant-based diets.
I often see women struggle to meet their choline needs from food alone and many prenatals fall short with little to no choline included. Research indicates a prenatal with robust choline support is so important and WeNatal for Her provides 400 mg of choline to help bridge the gap and support optimal development.
Vitamin K: Recovery and infant protection
Vitamin K is best known for its role in blood clotting and wound healing, but its benefits extend much further. During pregnancy, it supports your baby’s bone development and liver function, while also preparing your body for the healing process after birth.
Why vitamin k matters in the third trimester
Newer studies are beginning to highlight how vitamin K works in synergy with vitamin D and calcium to support maternal bone strength during and after pregnancy. Since bone turnover is high postpartum, adequate vitamin K helps prevent long-term depletion. Supporting vitamin K levels can help improve recovery while ensuring your baby has the building blocks needed for strong bones and proper clotting at birth.
Vitamin C: Antioxidant power for pregnancy and postpartum
Vitamin C is more than just an immune booster, it’s a powerful antioxidant that enhances blood flow to the baby by supporting nitric oxide production.
The role of vitamin C in pregnancy
Studies show vitamin C helps protect from oxidative stress, lowering the risk of complications like preeclampsia and restricted growth. It also prepares your body for delivery by supporting all stages of tissue repair and wound healing. For babies, vitamin C is essential for developing healthy teeth, gums, and bones.
Vitamin A and mixed carotenoids: Immunity and vision support
Vitamin A is critical for your baby’s immune system development and growth. Babies actually receive up to 60 times more vitamin A in breast milk during the first 6 months than they did throughout the entire pregnancy.
Why vitamin A is so important postpartum
Colostrum, the first milk produced after birth, is especially rich in vitamin A. However, the levels in breast milk are directly tied to maternal diet and supplementation. If intake is low, your baby misses out.
WeNatal for Her includes mixed carotenoids, the colorful compounds in foods like carrots and pumpkin, which safely convert to vitamin A and provide added antioxidant support. These carotenoids protect your baby’s developing eyes and nervous system from oxidative stress.
Iron: Preventing fatigue and supporting mood
Iron continues to be one of the most critical nutrients across all trimesters. Pregnancy doubles your iron needs to support increased blood volume and oxygen delivery to both you and your baby.
The Iron–Mood connection
Recent research suggests low iron levels to a higher risk of postpartum depression (PPD). Newer clinical trials are underway, such as comparing IV vs oral iron postpartum to see which approach may reduce PPD risk more effectively.
I find that checking both hemoglobin and ferritin levels (iron stores) is key, since many women with “normal” hemoglobin still have depleted stores. Addressing deficiency before delivery, and continuing iron postpartum, can dramatically improve energy, healing, and mood stability.
Why nutrient needs don’t end after birth
It’s important to remember: your nutrient needs don’t stop once your baby is in your arms. Postpartum recovery and breastfeeding are nutritionally demanding stages, and the choices you make now can influence not only your recovery, but also your baby’s long-term health.
Research in developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) shows that early nutrition, during pregnancy and lactation, can impact a child’s metabolic, immune, and cognitive health well into adulthood. Continuing a high-quality prenatal ensures that you and your baby have the nutrient foundation you both need to thrive.
RELATED: Pregnancy nutrition plan by trimester
A note from WeNatal on the importance of continued prenatal care
As we’ve seen throughout this article, the final trimester, postpartum recovery, and breastfeeding are uniquely demanding seasons. Nutrients like choline for brain development, vitamin K for healing and bone strength, vitamin C for antioxidant support and tissue repair, vitamin A for immune protection, and iron for energy and mood stability all play a critical role, not only in your health, but in shaping your baby’s long-term growth and development.
At WeNatal, we understand that your journey doesn’t end at birth. That’s why WeNatal for Her was designed with carefully researched, evidence-based levels of these nutrients to meet the increased demands of late pregnancy, support healing after delivery, and provide the building blocks needed for healthy, nourishing breast milk.
By continuing your prenatal care into postpartum and lactation, you’re not just supporting your own recovery, you’re laying the foundation for your baby’s cognitive health, immune resilience, and future well-being.
RELATED: Can you take magnesium while pregnant?
References
Aaseth JO, Finnes TE, Askim M, Alexander J. The Importance of Vitamin K and the Combination of Vitamins K and D for Calcium Metabolism and Bone Health: A Review. Nutrients. 2024;16(15):2420. Published 2024 Jul 25. doi:10.3390/nu16152420
Adams JB, Kirby JK, Sorensen JC, Pollard EL, Audhya T. Evidence based recommendations for an optimal prenatal supplement for women in the US: vitamins and related nutrients. Matern Health Neonatol Perinatol. 2022;8(1):4. Published 2022 Jul 11. doi:10.1186/s40748-022-00139-9
Fisher AL, Nemeth E. Iron homeostasis during pregnancy. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;106(Suppl 6):1567S-1574S. doi:10.3945/ajcn.117.155812
Lacagnina S. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Am J Lifestyle Med. 2019;14(1):47-50. Published 2019 Oct 11. doi:10.1177/1559827619879694
Obeid R, Derbyshire E, Schön C. Association between Maternal Choline, Fetal Brain Development, and Child Neurocognition: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Studies. Adv Nutr. 2022;13(6):2445-2457. doi:10.1093/advances/nmac082
Rumbold A, Ota E, Nagata C, Shahrook S, Crowther CA. Vitamin C supplementation in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(9):CD004072. Published 2015 Sep 29. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004072.pub3
Zielińska MA, Wesołowska A, Pawlus B, Hamułka J. Health Effects of Carotenoids during Pregnancy and Lactation. Nutrients. 2017;9(8):838. Published 2017 Aug 4. doi:10.3390/nu9080838
