This post is sponsored by Needed but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
"I’ve always known I wanted multiple kids even before becoming a mom over two years ago. However, since it didn’t take us very long with our daughter, I naively thought trying to conceive our second baby would be similar. We got back on the TTC train not too long after my daughter’s first birthday, but after six months of winging it and hoping for the best, I realized the business of getting pregnant would take a lot more effort this go round.
Being a working mom, default parent, and the resident house/life manager with a husband who works long hours means that this round of TTC has begun to eat away at my already limited me-time. To top it off, in the 11 months we’ve been trying, we also moved across the country. Our life has been busy (to say the least), and while I wish getting pregnant with our second had just happened without much effort on my part, that isn’t the case. I’m not putting all the blame on my reproductive organs—I’m more stressed and think about myself less than ever. I’m an exhausted 34-year-old climbing on playgrounds and being taken down by a daycare virus at least once a month. Add ovulation strips and fertility tracker apps to the mix, and it’s no wonder my body and mind are a tad overwhelmed.
Along with all of the cycle tracking, ovulation testing, and mindful eating that comes with conceiving, I also had to add taking supplements back into my routine. It was such a chore trying to remember to take all my vitamins and prenatals the first time we tried to conceive, and to be totally honest, I forgot my prenatals more often than I’d like to admit, even throughout my first pregnancy. Even the prospect of adding one more thing to my overfilled brain made me want to pull my hair out. I wanted to prepare my body to carry a new baby in any and every way possible, but I also needed the addition of prenatals to feel manageable. So, I tried something different instead of the typical prenatal capsules and upgraded to Prenatal Multi Powder from Needed.
What makes this prenatal different?
The fact is that most prenatal vitamins are not only difficult to remember every day, but they also give me a myriad of unwanted side effects. When I first started taking my old prenatal before conceiving my daughter, I genuinely thought I was pregnant because of how nauseous they made me. I also found it difficult to eat a whole meal before taking them, which resulted in accidentally skipping a dose on days I ate a later breakfast or skipped breakfast altogether. With Needed’s Prenatal Multi Powder, I can easily add it to my morning smoothie or mix it into my oatmeal every morning—two birds, one stone. Since I’ve started taking it, I haven’t experienced that dreaded nausea I used to or anything else negative. But truly, the benefits of Needed’s one-of-a-kind prenatal formula are endless.
Needed’s Unique Benefits
According to Needed, existing prenatals just don’t cut it. 97 percent of women take a prenatal vitamin during pregnancy, yet 95 percent are still nutritionally depleted. Most brands take a “less is more” approach and provide the barest of minimums to women when this is the time we need it the most. Needed knew they had a gap to fill, so the perinatal nutritionists and health practitioners who are experts in this life stage got to work and formulated supplements that go above and beyond.
Through Needed, I also learned that it’s really not practical to meet your body’s optimal needs to conceive and carry a child through diet and minimal prenatals alone. For example, a woman would need four eggs per day to meet her Choline needs in pregnancy, 10 servings of spinach daily to meet Folate needs, or four servings daily of wild-caught salmon to meet Vitamin D needs. I don’t know about you, but I’m lucky if I have enough time to toast a Pop Tart much less eat that many servings of eggs, spinach, and fish. Therefore, Prenatal Multi Powder does that work for us by including 26 vitamins, minerals, and botanicals in optimal forms and dosages like:
- 900 micrograms DFE of methylated form of Folate (not Folic Acid)
- 200 micrograms of active B12
- 400 micrograms of Choline (which is 7x more than the typical one-a-day prenatal)
- 4,000 IUs of Vitamin D3 (2-4x what others include)
- Minerals bound to Glycine for best absorption and digestive comfort
Needed
Mix two scoops into a smoothie or beverage of choice (fresh juice, nut or dairy milk, coffee) alongside a full meal. It can also be mixed into soft food like yogurt or oatmeal. Use code EVERYMOM20 for 20 percent off your new Needed subscription.
Not only are their formulas developed by experts using clinical insights and the latest research, but they also third-party test their prenatal vitamins for 130 heavy metals, plasticizers, and other impurities. And they’re made with ingredients that are better for the planet, which shows their long-term commitment to the health of the little humans they’re helping us support.
For us moms in the thick of TTC, Needed has an entire fertility line for both men and women that experts swear by to optimize egg health, sperm health, and fertility outcomes. All of their products are backed by unedited reviews from real women on their journeys to motherhood and beyond to give us even further peace of mind. In fact, their whole team is made up of moms and perinatal experts like nutritionists, doulas, and nurses, so they know exactly what other moms truly need to support our bodies and our babies.
How switching my prenatal has impacted my TTC journey
I love that I can incorporate Needed’s prenatal into my everyday routine and try it in different meals or even drinks. It keeps me consistent and eliminates the mom guilt I used to feel when I forgot my old prenatal. The vanilla flavor is delicious and doesn’t negatively impact the taste of whatever drink or meal I add it to. Don’t tell my husband, but I actually accidentally gave him a cup of my smoothie with Prenatal Multi Powder in it, and he straight up did not notice (lol). If powders aren’t your thing, you can purchase it in capsules or just the essentials. You can make a one-time purchase or start a subscription for one, three, six, or nine months to save some coins. If you’re interested in starting a Needed subscription, don’t forget to use code EVERYMOM20 for 20 percent off.
Moms often have to carry the weight of the entire family on our shoulders, so finding a product that simplifies my day-to-day feels like an audible breath of relief. I know that Prenatal Multi Powder provides my body with the nourishment it requires and will continue supporting me once I do get pregnant and well beyond. While I’m taking care of everything and everyone else, I know Needed is taking care of me (and my future baby).
To my fellow moms also waiting for those two little lines: Don’t forget yourself in all of this. I know it’s inevitable to get excited at the end of each cycle, so if the results aren’t what you were hoping for, take the time to feel it, then give yourself grace. Treat yourself to the things you’ll miss out on during pregnancy: drink the martini, order the sushi—hell, make the botox appointment. Take care of yourself, too.
This post is sponsored by Needed but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.