{"product_id":"pink-stork-total-postnatal-dha-with-iron-60-capsules-berry","title":"Postnatal Vitamin with Iron \u0026 DHA – Pink Stork Total Postnatal","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a \u003cstrong\u003epostnatal vitamin with iron and DHA\u003c\/strong\u003e in capsule form: two capsules daily, 30 days per bottle. Sixteen vitamins and minerals, \u003cstrong\u003e27 mg of chelated iron\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e200 mg of vegan algae DHA\u003c\/strong\u003e, methylated folate and methylcobalamin B12. Clean Label Project Purity Award winner, third-party tested, made without gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts, tree nuts or animal products.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you are choosing between this and the gummies, the difference is not the format.\u003c\/strong\u003e Pink Stork's postnatal gummies carry folic acid, B6, zinc and vitamin C. \u003cstrong\u003eThey contain no iron and no DHA.\u003c\/strong\u003e That is not a criticism of gummies — iron tastes metallic and is difficult to put in one — but it is the whole decision. If you want iron and DHA in your postnatal, it has to be a capsule.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe number on the bottle that is worth understanding\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe panel lists its percentages as \u003cstrong\u003e\"% Daily Value for Pregnant + Lactating Women\"\u003c\/strong\u003e, and iron shows as \u003cstrong\u003e100%\u003c\/strong\u003e. That figure is the pregnancy one. \u003cstrong\u003eThe iron RDA in pregnancy is 27 mg. While breastfeeding it drops to 9 mg\u003c\/strong\u003e — lower even than for women who are not pregnant at all, because you are not menstruating and not building blood volume for a placenta.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo the 27 mg here is \u003cstrong\u003eroughly three times the breastfeeding requirement\u003c\/strong\u003e. That is not a fault, and for a lot of women it is exactly right: if you lost blood at delivery, had a caesarean, or were anaemic in pregnancy, replenishing takes months and a baseline dose will not do it. But if none of that applies to you, this is more iron than you need, and iron you do not need is not free — it is the ingredient most likely to constipate you in the weeks when that is least welcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe form helps.\u003c\/strong\u003e This uses \u003cstrong\u003eferrous bisglycinate (Ferrochel)\u003c\/strong\u003e, a chelated iron that is genuinely gentler on digestion than the ferrous sulfate in cheaper formulas. Taken with food, most people tolerate it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat else the panel actually says\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDHA is exactly on target.\u003c\/strong\u003e The common recommendation for breastfeeding women who do not eat fish twice a week is \u003cstrong\u003e200 mg of DHA daily\u003c\/strong\u003e, and this contains 200 mg. Not generous, not short — precisely the number, from algae rather than fish, so no fishy aftertaste.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVitamin A shows 200%, and that is fine here.\u003c\/strong\u003e The vitamin A worth worrying about is preformed retinol. This is \u003cstrong\u003ebeta-carotene\u003c\/strong\u003e, which your body converts only as needed and which does not carry the same concern. A high percentage next to beta-carotene is not the same warning sign as a high percentage next to retinyl palmitate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIodine is the one to actually look at.\u003c\/strong\u003e At \u003cstrong\u003e580 mcg\u003c\/strong\u003e it is \u003cstrong\u003edouble the 290 mcg breastfeeding RDA\u003c\/strong\u003e. It sits below the 1,100 mcg adult upper limit, so it is not an alarm. But iodine is one of the few nutrients where too much and too little both cause thyroid problems, and it concentrates in breast milk. If you have any thyroid condition, this is the line on the panel to show your provider.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe folate is \u003cstrong\u003eL-5-methyltetrahydrofolate at 900 mcg DFE\u003c\/strong\u003e and the B12 is \u003cstrong\u003emethylcobalamin\u003c\/strong\u003e — the active forms, which matters most if you carry an MTHFR variant and convert synthetic folic acid less efficiently.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt $35 for 30 days that is about \u003cstrong\u003e$1.17 a day\u003c\/strong\u003e. Recommended for at least six months postpartum, and for as long as you are breastfeeding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy women love it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eActually contains iron:\u003c\/strong\u003e 27 mg of chelated ferrous bisglycinate, which most gummy postnatals cannot carry at all\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e200 mg vegan algae DHA:\u003c\/strong\u003e exactly the amount commonly recommended while breastfeeding, with no fish and no fishy burps\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMethylated folate and methylcobalamin:\u003c\/strong\u003e the active forms, which matters with an MTHFR variant\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFerrochel chelated iron:\u003c\/strong\u003e noticeably gentler on digestion than ferrous sulfate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClean Label Project Purity Award\u003c\/strong\u003e and third-party tested in a cGMP facility\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePercentages set for pregnant and lactating women\u003c\/strong\u003e rather than generic adult doses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFree of the common allergens\u003c\/strong\u003e and vegan, in a vegetable capsule\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBest for\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWomen \u003cstrong\u003ereplenishing after blood loss\u003c\/strong\u003e at delivery, a caesarean, or anaemia in pregnancy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who wants \u003cstrong\u003eiron and DHA in one postnatal\u003c\/strong\u003e rather than three separate bottles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThose who \u003cstrong\u003edo not eat fish twice a week\u003c\/strong\u003e and want the DHA covered\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWomen with an \u003cstrong\u003eMTHFR variant\u003c\/strong\u003e who want methylfolate rather than folic acid\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTwo capsules, not a gummy.\u003c\/strong\u003e If swallowing capsules is the barrier, the gummies exist and carry less\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e27 mg of iron is a pregnancy-level dose.\u003c\/strong\u003e More than the 9 mg breastfeeding baseline, which is good if you are depleted and unnecessary if you are not\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e580 mcg of iodine, double the lactation RDA.\u003c\/strong\u003e Below the upper limit, but worth checking if you have thyroid disease\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRelated reading\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMindy's guide to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/awaitingthestork.com\/blogs\/pregnancy-advice\/how-do-i-choose-the-best-prenatal-vitamins-for-my-pregnancy\"\u003echoosing a prenatal vitamin\u003c\/a\u003e covers the forms and doses that matter and mostly carries over to postnatals. For what the first months actually ask of you, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/awaitingthestork.com\/blogs\/postpartum-advice\/the-4th-trimester-navigating-life-after-birth\"\u003ethe fourth trimester\u003c\/a\u003e is the honest version. And if hair loss is what brought you here, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/awaitingthestork.com\/blogs\/postpartum-advice\/breastfeeding-must-haves-for-new-moms\"\u003ebreastfeeding must-haves\u003c\/a\u003e covers what is genuinely worth having in the early weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eExplore more\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis sits in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/awaitingthestork.com\/collections\/postnatal-nutrition\"\u003epostnatal nutrition\u003c\/a\u003e collection, curated by Mindy Motta, FNP-C, inside \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/awaitingthestork.com\/collections\/postpartum-essentials\"\u003epostpartum essentials for recovery and breastfeeding\u003c\/a\u003e. If capsules are the problem, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/awaitingthestork.com\/products\/postnatal-vitamins-for-breastfeeding-gummies\"\u003ePink Stork postnatal gummies\u003c\/a\u003e are the same brand in a chewable form, without the iron or DHA. For protein rather than vitamins, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/awaitingthestork.com\/products\/baby-booster-tahitian-vanilla-prenatal-vitamin-supplement-and-protein-shake-caffeine-free-all-natural-vegetarian-dha-high-protein-methyl-folate-b-vitamins-great-for-morning-sickness-1-lb\"\u003epregnancy and postpartum protein shake\u003c\/a\u003e sits alongside a postnatal rather than replacing it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA quiet companion for the wait\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaking a vitamin every day for six months is an act of faith in a future version of yourself you cannot currently picture. Our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/awaitingthestork.com\/collections\/candles\"\u003eaffirmation candles\u003c\/a\u003e were made in the same spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA note from Mindy on iron, iodine and knowing your own numbers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a nurse practitioner in OB-GYN, this is a good postnatal, and it is a good postnatal \u003cem\u003efor a particular person\u003c\/em\u003e. Which one you are is worth ten minutes of thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn iron.\u003c\/strong\u003e The breastfeeding RDA is 9 mg. This has 27 mg. That gap is the single most useful thing on this page, and it cuts both ways. Postpartum anaemia is common and under-diagnosed — you lose blood at every delivery, more with a caesarean or a haemorrhage, and the exhaustion it causes gets written off as \"having a newborn\" for months. If that is you, 27 mg of a well-absorbed chelated iron is genuinely useful and a 9 mg formula would not touch it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBut iron is not a vitamin you take speculatively.\u003c\/strong\u003e If you were not anaemic and did not bleed heavily, you do not need three times the requirement, and the usual result is constipation on top of everything else. \u003cstrong\u003eAsk for a ferritin level, not just a haemoglobin.\u003c\/strong\u003e Haemoglobin can look normal while your iron stores are empty, and ferritin is the test that catches it. Most people are never offered it postpartum, and you can simply ask.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn iodine.\u003c\/strong\u003e 580 mcg is double the 290 mcg you need while breastfeeding. It is well under the 1,100 mcg upper limit, so I am not raising an alarm. But iodine is unusual: too little causes thyroid problems and so does too much, it passes into your milk, and postpartum thyroiditis affects a meaningful number of women in the first year. \u003cstrong\u003eIf you have Hashimoto's, Graves', a nodule, or you are on levothyroxine, show this panel to whoever manages your thyroid before you start.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn what a postnatal cannot do.\u003c\/strong\u003e If you are exhausted beyond what a newborn explains, losing hair in handfuls past five or six months, or feeling flat and unlike yourself, those deserve investigation rather than a better supplement. Thyroid dysfunction, iron deficiency and postpartum depression all present that way and all have real treatments. A vitamin is a sensible baseline. It is not a diagnosis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMindy Motta, FNP-C\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFAQs\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDo postnatal vitamins contain iron?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome do and many do not, and it is the main thing to check. Gummy postnatals almost never contain iron because it tastes metallic and is hard to formulate into a chew. This capsule version has 27 mg. If iron matters to you, read the panel rather than the front of the bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow much iron do I need while breastfeeding?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe RDA while breastfeeding is 9 mg a day, lower than the 18 mg for women who are not pregnant and much lower than the 27 mg of pregnancy, because you are not menstruating or building blood volume. This product contains 27 mg, roughly three times the baseline. That is helpful if you are replenishing after blood loss and more than necessary if you are not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eShould I choose the gummies or the capsules?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gummies contain folic acid, B6, zinc and vitamin C. They do not contain iron or DHA. The capsules contain both, plus methylated folate and a full vitamin and mineral panel. Choose gummies if swallowing capsules is genuinely the barrier to taking anything at all, and capsules if you want the iron and DHA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow much DHA should I take while breastfeeding?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe common recommendation is 200 mg a day for women who do not eat fish twice a week, and this contains exactly 200 mg. It comes from algae rather than fish oil, which is why there is no fishy aftertaste and why it suits a vegan diet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs 200% vitamin A safe postpartum?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere, yes. The vitamin A that carries safety concerns is preformed retinol. This uses beta-carotene, which your body converts only as needed, so a high percentage does not carry the same meaning. It is worth checking which form any supplement uses rather than reacting to the percentage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs the iodine level a problem?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 580 mcg it is double the 290 mcg breastfeeding RDA and below the 1,100 mcg adult upper limit, so it is not an alarm for most people. Iodine is unusual in that both too little and too much affect the thyroid, and it passes into breast milk. If you have any thyroid condition or take levothyroxine, show the panel to your provider first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow long should I take a postnatal vitamin?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general recommendation is at least six months after birth, and for as long as you are breastfeeding. Nutrient stores drawn down by pregnancy and delivery take months rather than weeks to rebuild.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWill it upset my stomach?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIron is the usual culprit, and this uses ferrous bisglycinate, a chelated form that is easier on digestion than ferrous sulfate. Take both capsules with food. If it still causes problems, splitting them between two meals often helps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDo I still need this if I am not breastfeeding?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nutrient depletion of pregnancy and delivery happens regardless of how you feed your baby, so a postnatal is reasonable either way. The lactation-specific parts, the DHA and the higher iodine, matter less if you are not nursing, which is worth mentioning to your provider when you choose.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pink Stork","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50142148296842,"sku":"B07NQPBXLH","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0644\/1625\/2042\/files\/71RwMHqF8OL.jpg?v=1788569643","url":"https:\/\/awaitingthestork.com\/products\/pink-stork-total-postnatal-dha-with-iron-60-capsules-berry","provider":"Awaiting the Stork","version":"1.0","type":"link"}