Best Prenatal Vitamin With Methylfolate and DHA
Buy TheraNatal Complete. It has methylfolate, 300 mg of DHA and 27 mg of iron, it is on NSF’s testing list, and it costs $1.01 a day. Want the folic acid CDC recommends too? Buy Bird&Be Complete Prenatal Pack.
By Erin Rose Updated October 26, 2026 How we score
Costs are list prices per day, checked October 21, 2026.
Our pick for methylfolate and DHA
TheraNatal Complete
8.0/10 Our score
The top score of the 4 prenatals we score with methylfolate and at least 200 mg of DHA
- Folate
- 1,334 mcg DFEMethylfolate; no folic acid
- DHA
- 300 mgA separate fish oil softgel in the box
- Iron
- 27 mgThe NIH amount for pregnancy
- Choline
- 250 mgPregnancy calls for 450 mg a day
- Testing list
- NSF/ANSI 173NSF checks the label against the bottle
- A day
- $1.01List price; Amazon’s can differ
Why we pick it Of the 4, it is the only one on a public testing list, and it costs the least a day. It also has 220 mcg of iodine and the most choline of the 4.
What you give up It has no folic acid, the only form of folate shown to prevent neural tube defects (CDC). If you want both forms, see Bird&Be Complete Prenatal Pack below. It is 3 pills a day: 2 tablets and the fish oil softgel. It scores 8.0 of 10; our overall pick scores higher because it costs less, but it uses folic acid only.
Which one is right for you?
Want folic acid too?
Bird&Be Complete Prenatal Pack has 400 mcg of folic acid plus 600 mcg of methylfolate. It has 300 mg of DHA in its own algae softgel, 27 mg of iron, 220 mcg of iodine and 150 mg of choline. Consumer Reports lab-tested 17 prenatals in 2026 for up to 9 vitamins and minerals. This was one of only 2 where every one it tested matched the label. It did not test DHA, choline or iodine. It is on no public testing list and is 4 pills a day.
Bird&Be Complete Prenatal Pack
6.5/10 · $1.50 a day · 4 pills · no testing list
Want just 2 capsules a day?
Ritual Essential Prenatal has 1,000 mcg DFE of methylfolate and no folic acid. Its 350 mg of DHA is the most of any methylfolate prenatal we score. The DHA is inside the same 2 capsules. It has 18 mg of iron, under the 27 mg NIH amount. It is on no public testing list; the brand says it tests for heavy metals, allergens and microbes. Consumer Reports took it out of its 2026 test, citing its complex design: a capsule inside a capsule.
Ritual Essential Prenatal
5.0/10 · $1.48 a day · 2 capsules · no testing list
Fine with folic acid only?
Then buy our overall pick, Nature Made Prenatal Multi + DHA. It uses folic acid, the form shown to prevent neural tube defects (CDC), has 200 mg of DHA in the same softgel, and is USP Verified. It is one softgel a day at $0.21. It has no choline.
Nature Made Prenatal Multi + DHA
9.0/10 · $0.21 a day · 1 softgel · USP Verified
Can’t swallow pills?
SmartyPants Prenatal Gummies have 667 mcg DFE of methylfolate and are on NSF/ANSI 173. But 3 gummies hold only 60 mg of DHA and no iron, so ask your doctor about adding both. In Consumer Reports’ 2026 test, their vitamin C ran over the label and their vitamin D under.
SmartyPants Prenatal Gummies
6.5/10 · $1.17 a day · 3 gummies · NSF/ANSI 173
Had a pregnancy with a neural tube defect?
Ask your doctor before you choose any prenatal. ACOG says some women need 4 mg of folic acid a day, 10 times the usual amount, as a separate pill.
Methylfolate prenatals compared
Amounts from each label. Every one uses methylfolate; “both forms” means it adds folic acid too. Our pick is first, then the rest by DHA. We do not score Perelel, which sells a different pack for each trimester.
| Product | Folate | DHA, and where | Iron |
|---|---|---|---|
| TheraNatal Complete8.0/10 · $1.01 a day · 3 pills · NSF/ANSI 173Check price on Amazon | 1,334 mcg DFE | 300 mg, own fish oil softgel | 27 mg |
| Ritual Essential Prenatal5.0/10 · $1.48 a day · 2 capsules · no testing listCheck price on Amazon | 1,000 mcg DFE | 350 mg, in the capsules | 18 mg |
| Bird&Be Complete Prenatal Pack6.5/10 · $1.50 a day · 4 pills · no testing listCheck price on Amazon | 1,667 mcg DFE, both forms | 300 mg, own algae softgel | 27 mg |
| Pink Stork Total Prenatal + DHA5.0/10 · $1.20 a day · 2 capsules · no testing listCheck price on Amazon | 600 mcg DFE | 200 mg, in the capsules | 27 mg |
| SmartyPants Prenatal Gummies6.5/10 · $1.17 a day · 3 gummies · NSF/ANSI 173Check price on Amazon | 667 mcg DFE | 60 mg, in the gummies | No iron |
| Thorne Basic Prenatal8.0/10 · $1.23 a day · 3 capsules · NSF Certified for Sport, NSF/ANSI 173Check price on Amazon | 1,700 mcg DFE | No DHA | 45 mg |
Thorne Basic Prenatal has no DHA. Its 45 mg of iron is at the adult upper limit. Consumer Reports measured 54.5 mg, and some lead (91.7 ppb), under Consumer Reports’ level of concern. Take it only if your doctor wants that much iron.
Pink Stork Total Prenatal + DHA lists 600 mcg DFE, under the 667 mcg DFE in 400 mcg of folic acid. Before you compare its number with the others, see How to read methylfolate on a label.
Is methylfolate better than folic acid?
It has not been shown to be. CDC says folic acid is the only type of folate shown to help prevent neural tube defects, and that no studies show other types, such as methylfolate (5-MTHF), do. CDC asks anyone who could get pregnant to take 400 mcg of folic acid a day. ACOG says to take a prenatal with at least 400 mcg of folic acid, starting at least 1 month before pregnancy.
Our pick uses methylfolate only, because this page is for people who want methylfolate. If you want both forms, Bird&Be Complete Prenatal Pack has 400 mcg of folic acid plus 600 mcg of methylfolate. Either way, ask your doctor whether your prenatal fits your plan.
How to read methylfolate on a label
Labels give folate in mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents). For folic acid, the math is set: 400 mcg equals 667 mcg DFE. For methylfolate, it is not. The FDA lets brands use a factor between 1 and 1.7, Consumer Reports says. So two labels with the same DFE number can hold different amounts.
Example: Pink Stork Total Prenatal + DHA lists 600 mcg DFE. Using the 1.7 factor, Consumer Reports measured 1,180 mcg DFE. Pink Stork told it the company uses a factor of 1. Compare the mcg of methylfolate itself when a label shows it.
How much DHA do you need?
At least 200 mg a day in pregnancy, says a 2008 expert consensus (Koletzko). ACOG gives no number and suggests 2 to 3 servings of fish or shellfish a week. In trials, omega-3 pills (DHA and EPA) lowered birth before 37 weeks a little, from 13.4% to 11.9% (Cochrane 2018).
Where the DHA sits differs. TheraNatal Complete and Bird&Be Complete Prenatal Pack put it in its own softgel in the box. Pink Stork Total Prenatal + DHA and Ritual Essential Prenatal put it inside the capsules. Some brands sell DHA as a second product, so check that it is in the box you buy.
Questions people ask
Do I need methylfolate if I have an MTHFR gene variant?
No. CDC says people with an MTHFR variant can process all types of folate, including folic acid, and that common variants such as C677T are not a reason to avoid it. CDC says no guideline calls for MTHFR testing.
Which prenatal with methylfolate has the most DHA?
Of the ones we score, Ritual Essential Prenatal: 350 mg in 2 capsules.
Can I add a DHA pill to a prenatal that has none?
Yes. Pair it with a fish oil on a testing list, like Nature Made Fish Oil 1200 mg (USP Verified, 240 mg of DHA in 2 softgels). Skip cod liver oil, which adds vitamin A; more than 3,000 mcg RAE a day of the retinol kind can cause birth defects (NIH).
Every prenatal we score, ranked, is in the best prenatal vitamins. Which are on a public testing list, and what each list checks, is in third-party tested prenatal vitamins.
Sources
- CDC. “Folic Acid: Clinical Overview.” Updated July 15, 2026 (folic acid advice; no guideline for MTHFR testing). cdc.gov
- CDC. “MTHFR Gene Variants and Folic Acid.” Updated July 16, 2026. cdc.gov
- ACOG. “Good Health Before Pregnancy: Prepregnancy Care” (FAQ). acog.org
- ACOG. “Healthy Eating During Pregnancy” (FAQ001). acog.org
- Consumer Reports. Prenatal vitamin test: label accuracy and heavy metals. August 2026. consumerreports.org
- Koletzko B, et al. “The roles of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in pregnancy, lactation and infancy: review of current knowledge and consensus recommendations.” J Perinat Med. 2008. PubMed 18184094
- Middleton P, et al. “Omega-3 fatty acid addition during pregnancy.” Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018. PubMed 30480773
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals. ods.od.nih.gov
- Testing lists: USP Verified, NSF/ANSI 173 and NSF Certified for Sport, read August 25, 2026. Label facts from each brand’s own page, a store’s facts panel or the NIH label database; Bird&Be from its product page.