[HoosierHeather]

Do you take them?

Do you think they're necessary?

I'm conflicted. So I take it every other day.

[gray eyed girl]

I think it's very important to take vitamins, but I have never taken an actual prenatal vitamin. Since before I got pregnant with my preschooler, I have taken a regular multivitamin and additional folic acid.

[almostheaven]

I've taken a whole food vitamin daily for some time (as a switch from One A Day). But I make it a point to also take my prenatals. Even if you manage to meet your daily nutritional needs (which most of us - me for sure - don't manage to do), your requirements increase with pregnancy. So you may need those extra vitamins. But why the conflict?

[GreatBigMonsterMomma]

No, I don't. I'm on my third pregnancy of trying to take them and then being unable to because of severe nausea that they made worse. Switching to Flintstones Complete chewables didn't help, nor did taking them at night. I take comfort in having been told by an obstetrician that a healthy diet will do me far more good than prenatal vitamins could hope to.

[LBH]

I did, but was horrible about remembering.

[flxthct107]

I take them. Why are you conflicted? Unless they make you sick why wouldn't you?

[almostheaven]

Originally Posted by LBH

I did, but was horrible about remembering.

The cure for forgetful vitamins. Place a pill minder with your daily doseage across the top of your keyboard. We're all here like everyday, right?

[Sarasein]

LOL That was the only way i would rember to take my nexium. and i would suffer if i did not take it

[tahiti]

Ive been taking them for about a month. Along w/ a Calcium vitamin. I am diabetic and i dont drink much milk so i need the calcium. I figured all the prenatal vitamin can do is help, not hurt. Especially if it doesnt make me sick, which it doesnt. I could understand if you got sick from it! Every doctor and online tips wouldnt suggest to take em if it wasnt gonna do you any good, would they???

[GreatBigMonsterMomma]

Every doctor and online tips wouldnt suggest to take em if it wasnt gonna do you any good, would they???

Umm, well... I'm just not the person to be answering that. I just have to think how many doctors are fond of prenatal tests with humongous windows-of-error and how many think routine inductions are a wonderful thing...

That said, I do take them when I'm not pregnant, oddly enough. They're good for lactating mamas too, though of course no substitute for an adequate diet.

The one potential problem I can think of offhand with any multivitamin/multimineral supplement is that so many of them overload you on the different components, and then you're still getting them from food sources as well, and there are those which can be harmful in too-high levels.

[HoosierHeather]

Well, to answer why I feel somewhat conflicted over them, I have to agree with Sabra's ideas on what doctors think is best isn't always quite right.

Originally Posted by GreatBigMonsterMomma

Umm, well... I'm just not the person to be answering that. I just have to think how many doctors are fond of prenatal tests with humongous windows-of-error and how many think routine inductions are a wonderful thing

Women had healthy babies without megadoses of vitamins & minerals for a looooong time. Of course I won't refute folic acid's role in preventing neural tube defects - and I did take it every day while TTC and for the first two months.

Sometimes they make me feel sick, so I switched to a one-a-day women's formula that is a little better.

I still don't *like* the idea of taking them. If my baby's neural tube is going to be closed, it's done at this time, and I am careful about getting enough calcium in my diet. (And, too much calcium can do damage to our bodies as well - as with many nutrients.)

I already take a magnesium supplement for my heart. And the OB wanted me to add Expecta Lipil - an Omega-3 plant source supplement - but it just seems like a an awful lot of pills.

I guess the only mineral I'm worried about at all would be iron. Of course I overdosed on frosted mini-wheats a few weeks ago and ended up getting about 400% of my DV for iron! Ouch.

Thanks for the input, it's very interesting.

[GreatBigMonsterMomma]

Heather, keep in mind that if you cook with cast iron pans, a small amount of the iron will leach off into your food. I learned the hard way it's not really fun to bake in them, though, because to me it flavors the food too strongly. And I must say, I love any pan that can also be used as a weapon. Of course, I don't expect anyone to run out & buy cast iron cookware just because they're pregnant. It's more of a bonus for me. (My chief reason for loving cast iron, to be honest, is the ability to use metal utensils in it.)

I'd be going nuts if I had to take a lot of pills. I am just not good at remembering them. Dunno how I ever managed with my BCP way back when. I'm most fond of getting nutrients from food sources, as that's the way our bodies were built to do it.

[flipafart]

with my first child I had to take vitamins I ate terrible with my second child the doctor said I did not need them because I was getting everything I need from the foods I ate . I only gained baby weight with the second one. lets not talk about the first one ouch