What Prenatal Vitamins do you take?

lexilougolden

I just read that having too much Vitamin A in your diet is dangerous during pregnancy. My prenatal says it has 100% of Daily Value (5,000 IU) and I eat plenty of Vitamin A rich foods (spinach, sweet potatoes, mango). Do you any of you know more about this? Should I look for a prenatal without Vitamin A? According to my calculations I'm getting exactly what I need through my food and my prenatal is then giving me too much. Tried calling my doctor but they aren't open today. Any thoughts?

photographerwife

@lexilougolden I use the smarty pants prenatal gummy. But I’m going to look for another one. The dose is FOUR gummies, and the taste with this morning sickness kills me. But it is highly recommended. It has folate and choline. 

[Deleted User]

I have never heard of having to switch prenatal vitamins after becoming pregnant.  I take fewer though than TTC, because I stop things like coq10 and anything "extra." I do like to keep it simple during pregnancy.  That said, I take a combo of three:

<b>Prenatal</b> <i>(w. methyl folate)</i>
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B012U0FCVY?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title<div>
<b>DHA</b></div><div>https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B079J5YZSS?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title</div><div>
<b>Cal-Mag</b></div><div>https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00918ME6U?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title



TBH, I'm finishing up my regular NOW brand Cal-Mag soon, so I'll probably go back to the Peapod brand for my next order.  I also tried the New Chapter prenatal last month, and they are supposed to be quite good.  But the pills are just so hard to take, with that strong vitamin smell and everything?  Where the Mama's Select ones go down much easier for me, so that alone makes it a winner.  "The best prenatal is the one you will take." I also checked and it just has 4000IU, if that makes you feel any better.  Which they are calling 50% DV?  So who even knows. Lol I would try not to overthink it. :/

ETA</div>https://www.teratology.org/pubs/vitamina.htm

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This resource speaks more specifically to what you are talking about.  I think the Vitamin A you ingest as beta carotene is not what's problematic, it's the synthetic or manufactured versions, in excess of 25,000IU.  This link recommends the max supplemental dose for pregnant women as 8,000.  I think as long as you aren't taking five prenatal tablets a day, you should be fine. :)
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makingbacon

@lexilougolden Vitamin toxicity, even with a fat soluble vitamin, is very hard to achieve. Looking at the higher amounts in your diet, you’d have to determine the bioavailability of that vitamin in the vitamin-rich foods and calculate how much you’re actually getting. If I remember correctly from my human nutrition grad courses, in leafy greens, the vitamin availability is low (5-10%) because it’s difficult to liberate them from everything else.  

For peace of mind, definitely discuss it with your doctor, but you should be fine. I take the Once A Day prenatal vitamin. My doctor’s biggest concern was always taking a solid prenatal vitamin because the gummy vitamins don’t contain iron. 

lexilougolden

Thank you everyone! This helps put my mind at ease.  It's hard not having my first appointment till July and having so many questions.  I think I found a new prenatal that makes me more comfortable to take right now.  Hopefully I'll get clear answers from the doc on Monday, maybe I'll get an earlier appointment too  

livingoffpbjs

This is what I’ve been taking since November 2020 when we started trying. I haven’t found anything better yet (not saying there isn’t). But I know I want folate over folic acid. 

kmw611

I’ve been taking Megafood’s Baby &Me 2 prenatal and probiotic. I’m not really attached to any prenatal tbh. Ive taken something different every pregnancy. 

lexilougolden

Thanks guys! The medical assistant advised me to find a prenatal with very little Vitamin A until I speak with the doctor. So I'm glad I found a new prenatal!

Eveinshock

Vitamin Code Raw prenatal.  It’s expensive but I get no nausea and you can take it on an empty stomach.   

babyodo

I get mine through my Care/Of subscription, and while they were bad before, they're AWFUL now. Before, there were only two of them, and they were only mildly bitter/nasty, but they recently did a redesign, and now there's three and they literally smell & taste like moldy feet. I'm considering writing to the company and being like, "WTF, dude? Do you not realize that pregnant women are already nauseated without your nasty prenatal vitamins making it worse? Thanks."

livingoffpbjs

@babyodo my vitamins arent terrible, and theres only one but sometimes i still cant stomach them and on those days I take a flintstone kids vitamin lol better than nothing

JWatt5

I’ve been taking Mega Foods Baby & Me 2 and a separate folate. Not a big fan of my prenatal though and may go back to the Natures Bounty brand I took with my son. Less expensive & just one capsule a day