Key Prenatal Vitamin Ingredients…any Sugestions?

Sunday Nov 1, 2009

I’m 14wks and the doc gave me a bunch of Rx samples to try but among comparing them not only to each other but also to my current vitamins, to recommended dosages and to absorption factors…whew….I’m at a loss. I have read pages of answers about prenatal v. and the only thing people seem to be really concerned about is folic acid. It seems to me that omega-3 is vital but yet missing in most pills. Yes I know a balanced diet is key (even though I believe our foods alone will not give a pregnant woman adequate nutrition due to pesticides, hormones etc.) I also don’t believe in taking most (if not all) supermarket/drugstore supplements due to fillers being used (besides my q. is about ingredients, not particular brands). I hate to be long winded I just want to eliminate ‘useless’ opinions/answers. Thanks so much.


9 Comments »

apmama2f:

Check out the Brewer Diet:http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/ifyouarepr…
From the Dr. Sears website:http://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/t011400…
VALUE VITAMINS
Vitamins are found in nearly all foods, so as long as you are eating a reasonably healthy and balanced diet it is unlikely that you or your baby will suffer vitamin deficiency.
The need for folic acid doubles while you’re pregnant. Since your body does not store this vitamin, and as the kidneys excrete much more of this vitamin during pregnancy, you need a daily source of 400-800 micrograms. Deficiency in folic acid has been linked to congenital malformations of the baby’s central nervous system, primarily spinabifida. Recent studies showed that pregnant women who took between 100 and 4,000 micrograms of folic acid during the first 6 to 12 weeks of pregnancy had a much lower risk of delivering babies with spinal column defects. Since there is no way to tell if you are one of these women, all women should take folic acid supplements, as early in pregnancy as possible since these malformations occur in the first few weeks. Folic acid is plentiful in common foods, such as raw, leafy vegetables, legumes, kidneys, nuts, liver, dark yellow fruits and vegetables, dried beans and peas, and broccoli.
Don’t megadose on vitamins while pregnant unless your doctor orders. Excesses of vitamin A, D, and E have been linked to birth defects or health problems in the mother. Even though the body usually protects against overdosing of most nutrients (especially water-soluble vitamins), excess vitamins A, D, and E are not automatically eliminated from the body because they are fat-soluble and therefore stored in body fat. Large doses of vitamins A, C, and B-complex used to be considered harmless because these vitamins are water-soluble and therefore the excess is easily excreted through the urine. Yet newborns of mothers who take megadoses of vitamin C can enter the world dependent on these high doses and actually develop signs of vitamin deficiency after birth. Some infants of mothers who took large doses of vitamin B6 during pregnancy may be more likely to develop seizures. The bottom line on this new research is that it’s safest to stick with the dosage of vitamins recommended by your healthcare provider, no more, no less.

November 1st, 2009 | 7:03 am
referral:

Folic acid is important

November 1st, 2009 | 10:55 am
itismine:

Best bet is to use Expecta (omega-3) and a basic prenatal vitamin, which most of are basically the same.

November 1st, 2009 | 2:11 pm
nessa20:

If I were you…I’d take a basic PRENATAL VITAMIN and then EXPECTA. Expecta is an OMEGA-3 pill that helps with your baby’s brain development.

November 1st, 2009 | 6:23 pm
Woman in Red:

Mmost prenatals store or RX contain all you need. He is probably just giving you samples to see if one works better for you.
I have difficult time with store bought due to coating. Coating and fillers make me more naseous.
With my daughter I took prescription Citrcal. It worked best at night on full stomach. Otherwise I would throw it right back up.
My son I had such severe nausea/vomiting. I could not even take citracal. For the 1st sixteen weeks nothing stayed in my system but flinstones chewable and a prescribed folic acid pill. In my last trimester I was able to go back to Citracal.
Now that I am breastfeeding my son I am using Trader Joe’s Brand Prenatal Vitamin as long as I take it at night and with food. I can handle it and it is less expensive than Rx.
Hope you find one you like Good Luck

November 2nd, 2009 | 12:31 am
rhea b:

You’ve answered your own question – only the iron supplements have ever been shown to improve your outcome. Aside from that, very few supplements are absorbed by your body as well as vitamins from food. Food (even with pesticides & hormones) is still better for you than pills made from nothing but chemicals. And by the way, my hair & nails look great, I’m 29 weeks prego, and have never taken prenatals.

November 2nd, 2009 | 3:32 am
Cassie:

In the book “What to Eat When You’re Expecting”, there is a section at the back which suggests the recommended daily amount of each vitamin.
I know that other than folic acid, you should also ensure you get adequate amounts of iron amongst other things.
I’ve also read that you should steer away from any multivitamins containing Vitamin A as excessive levels of VitA are associated with some birth defects.
Hope this helps!

November 2nd, 2009 | 7:31 am
jessicam:

After I got over the nausea satge of my pregnancies, my fave was prenate elite, because it gave me energy.

November 2nd, 2009 | 11:06 am
carron42:

Prenatals are essential but there is no need to spend tons of money on them. Publix offers a great inexpensive one that has all of the ingredients you need- without fillers. All of my girlfriends have taken it & have very healthy children. I have been on it for 6 months and my hair & nails look great (a nice side effect). It is also very gentle on the belly. I never got sick from it.

November 2nd, 2009 | 1:46 pm
Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.