Not taking pre natals.....

myrainbowbaby2015 · August 2014

I know I will get lots of opinions on this and I fully expect it and want to hear everyone's honest opinion. I'm 20 weeks and havnt taken a pre natal since 12 weeks. The reason being my gag reflex suddenly got crazy and I wasn't able to swallow them at all. I have powered capsule ones and tried to break them open and just take the powder with a drink but the taste is just as bad and makes me gag.i have tried much smaller ones but same thing happens. Does anyone have any experience with not taking pre natals? I'm going to ask my doctor if I have any other options next appointment which I know I should have already done. I've heard in some countries they don't take pre natals at all. Sorry I know this is long but One last thing, if I can find one I can manage to take now ( at 20 weeks) will it still do my baby good or is it more for when they are first developing? Sorry I'm a FTM and not sure

mmmbop306 · August 2014

I take mine very sporadically... I just always forget and feel bad after but with my first I was the same way and I slipped it a lot because it made me throw up-vitamin included- every damn time. LO is a normal healthy growing boy! I eat very healthy and whole foods and make an extra effort to get foods that have all the important nutrients and vitamins in them.

lmno12515 · August 2014

They actually have gummy prenatal vitamins which you can just eat them like regular gummies. Hopefully that can work for you.

myrainbowbaby2015 · August 2014

Yea I have some gummies that I take occasionally but I think they are sooo sweet and they don't have iron in them but I do have some

MLC1990 · August 2014

I have to take the gummy ones not because of my gag reflex but the other ones give me insane heartburn.

You can get them at most retail stores (target, etc) or drug stores.

The whole point of the vitamins in the beginning is the prevention of neural tube defects (like spina bifida) by increasing your folic acid consumption.

At this point in your pregnancy almost all the systems are finishing developing basically baby is just focusing on getting bigger so it's not as "critical". But it's still good for you to get the extra vitamins and support since you are sharing your nutrients with another human being.

myrainbowbaby2015 · August 2014

Thank you, yea I took my vitamins fine until just after 12 weeks and I try to eat as well as I can so I'm hoping that will be fine and I havnt caused any harm to him. What gummies do you take?

MLC1990 · August 2014

It's the Vitafusion brand. They also make a calcium & fiber gummy that you can pair with the prenatals.

myrainbowbaby2015 · August 2014

Ok cool thank you.

myrainbowbaby2015 · August 2014

Yea I still have them, I could try that

magali1982 · August 2014

I wouldn't stress about it! Women have given birth to healthy babies for decades before prenatal vitamins were even available! At least that's what I tell myself..since I can't remember to take mine! Lol! I think you are fine!

myrainbowbaby2015 · August 2014

Thank you everyone! I've been stressing for a few weeks thinking I might actually cause some harm.

myrainbowbaby2015 · August 2014

I have chewable vitamin D cause I was low beforehand so I still take those and have no problems

donehue · August 2014

My doctor for my first pregnancy recommended flint stone chewables when I was very nauseous. That's what I am taking now. The gummy ones left an awful film behind on my teeth.

letsgox · August 2014

Regarding the gummies not having iron -- if you don't have an issue with anemia (which should have been checked early), you don't have to worry about iron too much.

myrainbowbaby2015 · August 2014

Cool thank you all you've made me feel a lot better. I don't know if I have iron issues so I doubt I do. And yea the gummies leave a gross film on my teeth as well, gross.

[Deleted User] · August 2014

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winecastle14 · August 2014

I only took folate and probiotics from about 6 weeks (prenatals before that...have been taking for a long time since I'm BFing my 20 month old) because they were making me so sick. At 16 weeks I just started taking them again. I'm more concerned about it for me because I'm nursing too and feel like I'm lacking on nutrition. As long as you are eating well, you should be fine. Even if not, I'm sure still fine. Might want to try to take it more in the 3rd trimester since baby will be bigger and take more from you. Don't stress!

longcat07 · August 2014

i just take a regular women's multi and supplement extra folic acid, calcium, and DHA. that probably doesn't help though, since the issue is the gag reflex. if you're worried about lack of iron in gummies (which is a feature to me, since constipation has been one of my worst symptoms so far), besides red meat, green leafy veggies like kale and spinach are high in iron as well. for nutrient availability, i think kale is best raw, but spinach is best lightly steamed or sauteed, so it's just barely wilted/soft. you can also get a separate iron supplement, but you'd have to swallow that, and nutrients in your diet are generally better-absorbed than taking supplements anyway.

luckylady18 · August 2014

My doc told me to stop taking prenatals bc of my MS and to just take folic acid. She said around week 20 the need for DHA increases bc it helps the baby's brain so I was going to add just that into my regimen. I decided last week to try the Target brand of prenatal though and it's a much smaller pill than I was taking before and it's odorless. I've taken it for 4 days now and feel ok so I'm sticking with it. Try that? Or just do folic acid and DHA.

chelcmariedelvalle · August 2014

I have a friend who had extreme morning sickness with her daughter and couldn't keep anything down and ended up being hospitalized several times because of it. She said she never took a single pre natal and everything turned out fine! She has a beautiful 7 year old now.

But it's really up to your doctor, mine asked me if I was taking them and I said yes and she said "good" and that was the end of the conversation. If you're not taking prenatals you should at least make sure that you're eating very healthy to give your baby the right nutrients.

hopeby2015 · August 2014

I also have a very sensitive gag reflex but I've taking the gel capsules for the prenatal vitamin and a calcium pill (also gel capsule) .. SO much easier to swallow than those HUGE regular pill ones. I don't like the Gummies because you have to eat a min of like 3 or 4 a day and I have trouble remembering that ..

rachel+family · August 2014

I was told the most important time to
Take prenatals was 3 months before you got pregnant and until 12 weeks. YOURE GOLDEN!

stephanie7583 · August 2014

They make me sick but I noticed I was experiencing dental issues and dry patches on my skin which OB said was from the LO taking all the nutrients but I think like all the other ladies said you are golden at this point in your pregnancy!

Pips09 · August 2014

I also take the gummies. They work great for me.

danakatiepfoltzer · August 2014

I take target brand - wayyyy smaller!

literarymuse · August 2014

So...probably a bit of an UO here, but my understanding is that most of the store brand vitamins are essentially useless. I just recently listened to a talk with several pregnancy experts, and they addressed the issue of prenatal vitamins. These women recommended taking the vitamins prescribed by a doctor, as these are actually regulated and much more pure than the store brand ones. They also don't contain the sugar and other additives that gummies do. They also recommended that if you couldn't stomach the vitamins or could only afford store brand, then don't bother with vitamins at all. Just make sure that your diet is REALLY good. Which we probably should be doing anyway (but really. I want ice cream).

Tigerlily403 · August 2014

They have gummy prenatal vitamins at several stores for women experiencing the same thing! I know this for sure because I had to use them my first trimester. I got them at target.

Not taking prenatals is fine... If you eat a ridiculous amount of vitamins in all your meals... An entire large bowl of spinach still won't give you enough folate, and while baby develops - baby sucks calcium from your bones like crazy, so... If you want bone density issues, skip the vitamins. I'm joking if course...

Get the gummies girl!

texasmama786 · August 2014

If it wasn't for the deliciously chewy sugar-coated gummies I never would take them. The baby will be fine regardless, those vitamins are for you. I didnt take them with my last son because I was constantly forgetting and although my baby was healthy and fine, I wasn't. My iron got really low and I suffered from vision disturbances, dizziness, fatigue and overall weakness. This pregnancy I bought the yummy ones and keep the bottle right next to my sink in the bathroom. I see them when I brush my teeth.

myrainbowbaby2015 · August 2014

Thank you all a lot. That's all really helpful. I totally didn't think about the fact that a lot of the vitamins ect I would need for me as well as baby (duh) so I might try some different gummies and see about a DHA supplement

Stargirlb · August 2014

get these https://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummi-Bears-Sugar-Free/dp/B000EVQWKC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

sugar free, and you can eat as many as you like!

rainbows · August 2014

I havent been able to take prenatal vitamins since the MS kicked in. My doctor told me not to worry about it, because I started taking them about 4 months before.

I will be talking to my doctor tomorrow to see if there are any individual vitamins I need to take, because the multi vitamins still make me nauseous.

Stargirlb · August 2014

yikes, prenatal vitamins are how we evolved past the other hominoids! Good luck with your baby gorilla.

myrainbowbaby2015 · August 2014

Haha I love gummie bears!!

AutumnJane · August 2014

I was on a roll taking gummies until a few weeks ago. Suddenly, I began to get repulsed by gummies. Now I'm swallowing huge prenatal pills like candy. How odd!!

LovelyLips · August 2014

I think we all get lax and forget to take them at times. It's hard to remember all these things with pregnancy brain!

I had trouble taking mine with DS as I had bad HG and couldn't keep them down. So I just stopped taking after 1st Tri. I did become anaemic from the mix of HG and lack of being able to eat properly. Extra vits would have helped there but HG was too bad for that.

So I would recommend trying to eat well if poss and getting iron into you plus calcium and Vit D for you and your baby's bones etc. Ask doc options and what you might need Vit wise.

This time round as I really don't want to be anaemic like that again I've been taking my vits when I'm less likely to throw them up or gag on them. So lunch time for me. In eve I tend to forget more. In morning gag reflex is worst.

I also bought DS some kiddy vits so he can remind me to take mine as he wants his!

Maebb · August 2014

Random question but somewhat related - if you take a PNV and then puke 30 minutes later, would you take another?

12chachacha · August 2014

I also have a strong gag reflex when it comes to the vitamins. There was a time when even thinking about the vitamins would make me gag. This is what works for me: take the pill and water, hold them in my mouth until I gag, and then swallow immediately. It gets them down.

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