Reasons Your Period Might Be Late
Starting prenatal vitamins cannot cause your period to be late. Prenatal vitamins are simply a preparation of nutrients that are beneficial during pregnancy, and there is no way for them to affect your menstrual cycle. If your period is late, you are either pregnant or simply having an abnormal menstrual cycle this month. Most women have an occasional abnormally long or short menstrual cycle, but if you have abnormal cycles as the rule rather than the exception, it's worth mentioning to a doctor.
How Prenatal Vitamins Work
Prenatal vitamins can't cause your period to be late, but they can boost your nutritional status and help your body prepare for pregnancy. If you have started taking prenatal vitamins before getting pregnant, you have made a wise move. The most important ingredient in your prenatal vitamins is a nutrient called folic acid. Getting adequate intake of folic acid (such as by taking a prenatal vitamin) in the months before conceiving can drastically reduce the risk that your baby will be affected by neural tube defects when you do get pregnant. Prenatal vitamins will also improve your levels of iodine, iron, zinc and other important vitamins and minerals that will help you to have a healthy pregnancy.
What Prenatal Vitamins Don't Do
Although they can definitely help, prenatal vitamins are also not a cure-all or a license to engage in unhealthy behaviors . They will not counter the negative side effects of smoking during pregnancy, for example. It's also important to make sure you choose the right prenatal vitamin. Many vitamins are not well regulated, and consumer test reports have found that the folic acid in many over-the-counter brands does not properly dissolve, so be sure to check with your doctor before choosing a prenatal vitamin in order to select the best one for your baby.
Tags: during pregnancy, folic acid, menstrual cycle, prenatal vitamin, prenatal vitamins, your period,