Prenatal/post natal vitamins

AStewartBU

I have a dr appointment this week so I'll ask her too--but--I'm almost out of prenatal vitamins (I take Rainbow Light and then I also take a Prenatal DHA)-- both of those kinda get expensive! Anyways--what type of vitamin do you take and why do you like it? I'm 37 1/2 weeks so is there a difference between a prenatal and then something after delivery? What about prenatals while breastfeeding?

sweetbabyrahe

I just get over the counter prenatal vitamins and they are suggested to continue as long as you bf

MrsG1019

My OB said it as all the same -- it's just important to take a prenatal even post baby. This is the one I've been on for years, I get mine from Costco so it's a great deal and a all in one Prenatal/DHA so it's easy to take.

minibean16

I take Jamieson brand, and was told to continue as long as I was breastfeeding. Of course, many doctors recommend that all women of child-bearing age take them at all times just in case you get pregnant. If you usually take a daily vitamin, it makes sense to continue with the pre-Natals.

ElinJ

After prenatals causing tummy troubles (and due to switching insurance when I was 2 months pregnant) I started buying over the counter gummy prenatal vitamins. OMG, they are so yummy!! It's like taking candy every night. I've taken the Vita Fusion brand and Target brand. I look forward to continuing them after I deliver as well!

MrsG1019

lovebuggies1 said:

MrsG1019 said:

My OB said it as all the same -- it's just important to take a prenatal even post baby. This is the one I've been on for years, I get mine from Costco so it's a great deal and a all in one Prenatal/DHA so it's easy to take.

Those stink so badly but they taste soooo good lol. If I'm thinking those are the ones I tried, I just know it was by Nature Made.

I've tried every kind you can think of (because I threw them all up or had aversion to them.) Now I'm on Flintstones gummy vitamins and I'll continue them all through bfing. I do have Rx prenatal vitamins and I've been able to keep them down so maybe I'll take them postpartum since *hopefully* HG will be cured by then...

I think you're referring to a different vitamin cuz these are gel caps.. No smell (unless one pops open of course in which case I'm pretty sure they'd smell awful!)

abbyful

I've been on the same vitamins since TTC baby #1, and will stay on it until I'm done breastfeeding my last kiddo (my Nov baby is #2, we are undecided if there will be a #3). My doctor recommends prenatals for both TTC & breastfeeding too.

I take New Chapter Perfect Prenatal, Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA, and vitamin D.

jess123456

I take Thorne Basic Prenatals (has folate) and Nordic Naturals DHA too as well as a separate vitamin d and b complex.

wildflower75

I also take the Costco ones until I'm done BFing

jac409

I take the Rainbow Light prenatals too. I get them on Amazon and they aren't too bad...certainly less expensive than getting prescription vitamins. I like them because they don't have any food dye in them. I plan to keep taking them while I am breastfeeding too.

mb314

MrsG1019 said:

My OB said it as all the same -- it's just important to take a prenatal even post baby. This is the one I've been on for years, I get mine from Costco so it's a great deal and a all in one Prenatal/DHA so it's easy to take.

This is what I take. They don't smell, but I do have to take the at night after eating or they hurt my stomach. I have been taking them everyday since before conceiving DS1 in 2011. I took them throughout breastfeeding DS1 and I am continuing now that I'm breastfeeding DS2

mrsodonnell12

I take target brand prenatals and will continue to as long as I bf.

kfo22

Prenatals should be taken throughout breastfeeding and if you're TTC as well, so I've been told.

Does anyone take prenatals made from phytonutrients? Basically, the vitamins and minerals come directly from plant sources, so it's easier for your body to digest and absorb efficiently. I started the Garden of Life ones and they helped with constipation. Maybe I'm properly absorbing iron with these?

I found mine for a good deal at vitacost.com

That totally sounded like a commercial... haha

AStewartBU

My whole first trimester I took Garden of Life --but it just got too expensive. So then I switched to Rainbow Light--I'm thinking about going the gummy route via Costco--since we will not be TTC for sometime...

MissN06

I'm planning on staying on mine. I can't tell you what they are called thought because my local pharmacy gives them to you for free if you hav an RX so I've always been good with the free onese.

silverwings72

Make sure you ladies are also getting your calcium in! I realized at my BF class that I wasn't getting enough calcium. They recommended 1500 mg - through diet and/or tablet form. I figured I was only getting about 1000 mg per day so i picked some up that evening. The nurse was saying that the calcium was one of the reasons many of our grandparents and mothers have osteoporosis. Made sense to me. We need to continue to stay on top of the calcium when BF as well.

Also, It was suggested we only take 500 mg at a time as the body process it better that way. I've been splitting my doses in am and pm.

howin23

I'm planning to continue taking a prenatal or breastfeeding supplement until I'm done having kids. I used to take the NatureMade with DHA that @MrsG1019 mentioned but then switched to the One A Day prenatal when my dad sent me an article about the importance of iodine in pregnancy (not in the NatureMade).

I took a prescription prenatal early on because even if it has the same ingredients at least the FDA monitors that it really has what it says, but switched to OTC again when my old docs couldn't tell me what was in the prescription.

@ElinJ Do your gummies have iron? I normally take gummies when not pregnant but most of them don't have iron.

@silverwings72 Geez, 1500mg? Just looked and my One A Day prenatal has only 300mg. Add 450mg from my daily cappuccino and 100mg from my daily ice cream and I'm still coming up way short. I guess it's time to start taking Viactiv chews again.

MrsG1019

silverwings72 said:

Make sure you ladies are also getting your calcium in! I realized at my BF class that I wasn't getting enough calcium. They recommended 1500 mg - through diet and/or tablet form. I figured I was only getting about 1000 mg per day so i picked some up that evening. The nurse was saying that the calcium was one of the reasons many of our grandparents and mothers have osteoporosis. Made sense to me. We need to continue to stay on top of the calcium when BF as well.

Also, It was suggested we only take 500 mg at a time as the body process it better that way. I've been splitting my doses in am and pm.

Great point! I do take an additional Calcium and also Vitamin C -- especially during pregnancy the baby sucks all the calcium out of you so ice found it really beneficial to be on an extra supplement for peace of mind. I'm always surprised at how little calcium is included in Prenatals considering the recommended amount from doctors. I can't possibly make up the extra with ice cream alone

ssstephanie214

New Chapter really hurt my stomach... I switched to GNC brand. They were two for one. GNC often has specials like that. I will be buying the same ones again for postnatal. 

I am also on an iron supplement, but no OTC prenatals cut it if you're pregnant-anemic. 

ElinJ

howin23 No iron in them.

abbyful

In regards to iron: I'm slightly anemic, my doctor told me to take iron on an empty stomach with a glass of orange juice. They said it's absorbed better that way.

And for extra calcium, well, I'm downing Tums like candy these days. I cannot wait to be heartburn-free again! I had it with DS too, but nothing like this!

marajay6

abbyful said:

I've been on the same vitamins since TTC baby #1, and will stay on it until I'm done breastfeeding my last kiddo (my Nov baby is #2, we are undecided if there will be a #3). My doctor recommends prenatals for both TTC & breastfeeding too. I take New Chapter Perfect Prenatal, Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA, and vitamin D.

My doctor also recommends staying on prenatal vitamins until I am all done having kids.  I started 1 year before TTC and do not plan to stop anytime soon.  I take the One-a-Day brand. 

I also saw an article once that discussed the importance of folic acid while TTC - women who took folic acid (found in PNVs) for 6 weeks before conceiving had a lower incidence of a baby with spina bifada and maybe one other thing...