Prenatal vitamin question

katieharpiceland · September 2013

So, my bottle of prenatals say take 1-3 pills a day. I was taking 3, but now can only stomach 2. One in the morning and I struggle to take the one at night. I'm guessing this is is ok. Seems like 2 falls in the 1-3 category. Any opinions? (One more week until first appointment with midwife)

katieharpiceland · September 2013

Seems like a silly question now that I posted it. LOL FTM fail :-D

Pehrie · September 2013

As long as those two pills give you 1000 mcg of Folic Acid each day, then I wouldn't worry about it. If they are not giving you enough folic acid, then I would go get a Folic Acid supplement. The pills are tiny (half the size of an Aspirin) and easy to take. Nature Made is a good brand.

I am currently just taking my Women's One A Days with some midwife recommended supplements added in. I am taking Folic Acid supplements and two fish oil pills. I don't get to actually see her for an official appointment until the 17th, and she said she is just going to prescribe me so prenatals so it will be less expensive for me. In the meantime, the fish oil pills were only $15 (I got the Nature Made burp-less kind) and the Folic Acid supplements were like $5. My midwife said that it brings me up to what I need to have in my system and it saved me a bit of money until I can see her.

Rrrrrachel · September 2013

I asked my midwife about this during my first pregnancy because mine were upsetting my stomach and she said just to skip them altogether. That was later in the pregnancy, though.

I have a much easier time if I take mine right before bed.

jeremiah3019 · September 2013

I would change prenatal vitamins. I only take 1 pill and it has everything. (please make sure you have the right amount of folic acid... I hate to scare you but my stepmom was very inconsistent with that and ended up having a child with neural defect)

Israfel · September 2013

I take Vitafusion gummie vitamins and I LOVE them... Would seriously eat the whole bottle in one sitting if they weren't vitamins. Maybe you should try switching from pills-- I know I can't stomach pills.

SummerLeah · September 2013

Another vote for the gummies!

Linnea503 · September 2013

Most days all I can stomach is 800mcg of folic acid. My doctor is fine with it.

Barihoop · September 2013

I used to take the Vitafusion gummies, but they have no iron in them, so if you decide to switch to those, make sure you're on an iron supplement, if necessary.

katieharpiceland · September 2013

We don't have all of the fancy choices here! Hehe, but, I'll check the folic acid and add back in if I need. My three choice are essentially the same. 1-3 massive horse pills a day. They do have fish oil in them as well, and DHA. Maybe I'll try two in the morning, one a night. I feel better in the mornings.

Avion22 · September 2013

I've found the vitamins usually sit much better on a full stomach. Sometimes even eating breakfast isn't enough to make my stomach full enough, so instead of taking my PNV in the morning I take it right before bed when my stomach is fuller, and it seems to help a lot.

katieharpiceland · September 2013

The values on the back of my bottle are weird. Mist be a euro thing. However, going by percentage of recommended daily value, if I take 2 pills a day, I'm a little under 200%. If I take 3, I'm above. If I add a folic acid tablet to two of my pills, I'm taking 400% of the recommended daily value. Should it really be at 400%? That seems like a lot.

toto99 · September 2013

I had a hard time with the PNV and m/s with my ds, this time I tried the gummie PNV and they are so much easier to take!

katieharpiceland · September 2013

But anyone have an answer to the daily recommended value. Should I be taking 200% or 400%? (The values for my folic acid are in micrograms, so, I don't think I could get to1000 mggs without severely over dosing myself (like, it would be almost 10 pills a day when the bottle says 1-3) the potency must be different. I'm so confused now.

Barihoop · September 2013

kbuckleyharp said:
But anyone have an answer to the daily recommended value. Should I be taking 200% or 400%? (The values for my folic acid are in micrograms, so, I don't think I could get to1000 mggs without severely over dosing myself (like, it would be almost 10 pills a day when the bottle says 1-3) the potency must be different. I'm so confused now.

You need 1000 micrograms, or 1 milligram. You shouldn't need to take two PNV *and* supplement with FA.

patunia7321 · September 2013

I am not an expert, but folic acid is measured in micrograms (mcg) and you should take a min. of 800 mcg. The % values might be based on your 'non-pregnant needs' such that if a normal adult should have 400 mcg, that would be 100% daily value, which would make 800 mcg 200% normal daily value (recommended for Pg chicks like us).

katieharpiceland · September 2013

That's what I'm sayng. i'll have to call my doc. Even the pill that's just folic acid here is only 400 micrograms. And that's already 200% of your daily value. So, in order to equal 1000 micrograms, I'd have to take almost 10 of my prenatal vitamins or 2.5 of the folic acid pills which say in very large print, do not take more than one. It can't be that off here. Every mother I've met have taken these same pills :-P (the other choice has the exact same values.) I'll add a couple folic acid pills just to be safe I guess.

katieharpiceland · September 2013

Ugh. Now I'm worried. I'm taking the extra folic acid no matter what the doc says!

Barihoop · September 2013

My PNV lists 1mg as 100% DV (there are other ingredients that are over 100%, but FA is not one of them). So yes, I think you should ask your doctor.

katieharpiceland · September 2013

Its got to be something over here on the European side. Because as of five minutes ago, I took what was said was 400% of my daily value, not including what was already in my pnv. The nurse on call just said that almost all the patients just take the með barnið prenatal vitamins which is what I have and that has enough folic acid. Still not happy. Could the concentrations be different? They, of course, don't know what vitamin concentrations are like stateside.

Linnea503 · September 2013

I would go with what your doctor recommends since none of us can see the bottle. Or, can you go to a drugstore and ask a pharmacist to help you?

Sisimama10 · September 2013

I couldn't keep the prenatal vitamins down. I was trying the "enfamil expecta" one and they were a no go. I like the Stuart prenatal and I take three folic acids (1200 mcg) even if I can't keep the whole multivitamin down.

katieharpiceland · September 2013

My research is showing a different reccomendation, in general, on this side of the pond. After much reading, I'm just going to go with my doctor suggests. Probably controversial, but, maybe there is something different in the formulation over here. You never know!

SeattleMomma · September 2013

I'm going too buy the gummies today because my stomach is all messed up from the hard horse pills I'm taking now.

Mandyw75 · September 2013

For those feeling sick after taking a prenatal. Try taking New Chapter Perfect Prenatal. They are made with organic vegetables and herbs. Also partially made with fermented vegetables. Very easy on the stomach and helps with constipation IMO.

https://www.newchapter.com/multi-vitamins/perfect-prenatal

Easy on an empty or full stomach.

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