Pregnancy is a critical time for optimizing health and nutrition, both for the mother and her baby. Overall nutritional and caloric needs are greatly increased by pregnancy and breastfeeding However, especially during the first trimester because of nausea, women are not always able to consume the desired number of calories or variety of nutrients. Several nutrients in a good prenatal multiple vitamin have been found to benefit pregnant women who suffer from "morning sickness," including vitamin C, vitamin B6, and vitamin K. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend folic acid supplementation for all women of childbearing age because the biggest need is during the first trimester, when a woman may not even be aware she is pregnant. A woman who consumes a healthful diet with adequate folate may reduce her risk of having a child with a birth defect of the brain or spinal cord. Folate intake should not exceed 250 percent of the government's recommended daily value (1,000 mcg). The need for other nutrients, such as iron, increases dramatically during pregnancy and is not always compensated for by diet alone. Multiple vitamin supplementation – during the year before becoming pregnant, during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding – can help produce a healthy baby and benefit the mother through labor, delivery, breastfeeding, and postpartum. Basic Prenatal is a comprehensive supplement formulated with the special needs of pregnancy in mind. Manufactured with none of the additives and coatings usually found in mainstream prenatal tablets, Basic Prenatal includes only the most bioavailable nutrients. High-potency multiple vitamins may sometimes be difficult for a woman to "stomach," particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Therefore, Thorne does not include large amounts of the nutrients commonly known to cause stomach upset. Instead, these nutrients are included in their most active or absorbable forms for superior utilization.* Among these are the active forms of several of the B vitamins – pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (vitamin B6), riboflavin 5'-phosphate (vitamin B2), folinic acid and L-5-MTHF (active forms of folate), and adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin (vitamin B12). Calcium in large doses may also cause stomach upset. Therefore, a moderate dose in the highly absorbable citrate-malate form is used. Additional calcium and magnesium can be supplemented, especially in the final trimester. Basic Prenatal may also be taken by nursing mothers.