Superior prenatal vitamin

claireanne89 · October 2014

Was wondering if there is a prenatal vitamin that is "the best"? I order mine from a private website. The brand is "promise"... But my doctor told me they give them free at shnucks and a vitamin is a vitamin. I kind of disagree with my doctor given the research I've done... And I pay a significant amount for mine. Worth it or no? Do you guys take a higher grade prenatal or just regulars from shnucks or walmart?

stine28 · October 2014

I would trust your doctor. I take Materna, which is the standard used in many clinical trials. But again, trust your doctor. Odds are good that (s)he's got more experience at reading and interpreting studies than you, and is on the up and up when prescribing prenatals.

drudolph11 · October 2014

I have tried a lot of pre natals. I was even given prescription strength ones from the pharmacy. I was unable to keep any of the pills down so i had to switch to the gummy pre prenatals like @earthian‌ which i get from Walmart. I get the vita fusion ones which I LOVE cuz they are yummy lol and only 10$. The only difference with these is the i have to take them twice a day instead of once. My doctor told me the exact same thing that a pre natal is a pre natal and that they were all the same, he knows much more than me so who am i to argue? Lol i have even mentioned it to the mid wives and got the same response. ..FOLIC ACID CONTENT i.e. all that they are worried about was how much folic acid is in it. You have to look at what is in it. Take yours to the store and compare the ingredients and amounts of those ingredients with the others. That's what i did to make sure i was getting everything i need. The gummy ones that i take have the exact same ingredients and exact same amounts as all the pills, even the prescription strength ones. Good luck :-)

SBmomma · October 2014

I use New Chapter prenatal multivitamin. IMO, they are the best.

claireanne89 · October 2014

I don't honestly believe that a vitamin is a vitamin... I think different vitamins have different bioavailability and are made different. I love my doc but that's why i asked if other ladies knew of an awesome prenatal.

SBmomma said:
I use New Chapter prenatal multivitamin. IMO, they are the best.

What's so good about new chapter? Just curious bc I'm ready to buy a new bottle for my second tri bc I'm almost out

Whitfry · October 2014

I take prescription prenatal plus because it's what my mom prescribes me and all of her patients. The only reason it's prescription is due to the folic acid content, which is higher than you can get OTC. I've had no problems with it and everything is going great, but I've not tried any other prenatal vitamins so I can't compare.

Aeml1985 · October 2014

I asked a dietician at work and no, they are not all the same. If you compare content of vitamins from one to another they are different. Some have omegas in them which my OB said everyone should be taking anyways pregnant or not. Also some have less quality "filler" for lack of a better word.

mangomimosa · October 2014

There may be minor differences in content, filler, & bioavailability. But in the end, there are no measurable differences in outcome (maternal & fetal health) -- so your doctor is right. A vitamin is a vitamin, as far as baby is concerned.

It is FAR more worthwhile to spend your money on high quality food & use your energy to worry about your general diet. You absorb nutrients better from food & diet DOES make a difference in pregnancy outcome.

But if you can afford it & prefer expensive ones, there's no harm. I take Rainbow Light Prenatal One -- was interested in the herbal content & liked the reviews. I add calcium & extra vit D in my diet + other supplements. And I will soon be adding DHA because I'm not the greatest at getting enough in my diet. But I certainly am aware that I don't need to be spending the money & don't think these are going to make me grow a healthier baby compared to free ones.

DM718 · October 2014

My drs office gave us a list of things to look for in a vitamin. IIRC, iodine was the nutrient we had trouble finding, but it's in the Up&Up / target brand dual packs (fish oil and standard vitamin). The only other one we found locally is One a Day in a similar format.

Mostly vitamins give you expensive pee.

sh0709 · October 2014

I third the Rainbow Light - one of the favorites in the more "natural" category, according to my research.

jordanbohr · October 2014

I too am on the Rainbow Light bandwagon. I take a prenatal DHA supplement as well. It has a lot of benefits for the baby, but I suffer from depression and DHA has been shown to help some mothers with this while pregnant.

corabrie · October 2014

I take my more expensive pills on days when I'm not feeling "gaggy" and the gummies when I gag even thinking about swallowing a pill.

tinypug · October 2014

I have a prescription for PregVit folic 5 due to absorption issues. They're fairly expensive but luckily they're covered through my work benefits so I don't have to worry about it. Before my doctor prescribed them to me I was just taking a generic drugstore brand. I think that unless you have a specific reason to need something "special", a vitamin is a vitamin.

lynndavid6912 · October 2014

I took a prescription with DD. Since she came along though I've made lots of changes to my diet and life style so this time around I started taking Garden of Eden's Kind prenatals. When I ran out, I switched to Rainbow Light and they have made me miserable, so I quit taking them about two weeks ago. I just got the Garden of Eden Raw from Amazon so I'll be trying those plus my DHA supplement.

I agree with other posters, I don't believe one or the other leads to a healthier baby, I'm just trying to be more consistent with what I normally put in my body. You know, other than the pastries and sweets this little one seems to love....Ahh pregnancy...

stepherly · October 2014

I hate taking pills, so I opted for the Vita Fusion gummy ones from Walmart. They taste good and don't bother my stomach at all.

My SO tried to be a smart ass at one of the doctor appointments and asked if the vitamins I chose were "good enough" and my OB said absolutely. They have the folic acid & omegas that the baby needs.

claireanne89 · October 2014

Rainbow light it is!! Thanks ladies. Also, my doctor told me that the prenatals aren't for your baby. They are for you because your baby will take what it needs regardless.

kmvisioli · October 2014

My OB basically just says as long as you're getting enough folic acid, which brand you're taking is not too big a deal. I use Nature Made with DHA and supplement extra folic acid.

Engineer81 · October 2014

I take Up and Up from target and vitamin D. And I thought the prenatals were for the baby. The extra frolic acid helps prevent neural tube defects and you need extra iron for the baby. I took generic vitamins with little dude as well and he is just great. Buy whatever vitamins you like, it really doesn't matter.

mangomimosa · October 2014

claireanne89 said:
Rainbow light it is!! Thanks ladies. Also, my doctor told me that the prenatals aren't for your baby. They are for you because your baby will take what it needs regardless.

FYI good price @ Amazon w/ subscribe & save discount!

Disneygeek77 · October 2014

I do take prescription vitamins. They have extra folic acid and a DHA supplement I can tolerate. I get them at Costco and they are only $3 a month. You can always check out what Schnucks offers if you are curious.

jordanbohr · October 2014

I was going to add the amazon plug for Rainbow Light. It's so much cheaper than buying at any store!

ruemorgan · October 2014

I buy mine from CVS because theyre pretty much always buy one get one free. No one has ever even hinted to me that the expensive brands are better.

randomnames · October 2014

I take the New Chapter Organics prenatal. I like them because they are derived from real food.

jillie127 · October 2014

I take the Target brand women's daily prenatal combo pack.

blinksmb · October 2014

knitnut said:
I take a vitamin that is sourced from food. I find it a lot easier to digest since I have a damaged digestive system and issues with absorption. I use Rainbow Light. I have also heard that New Chapter is good.

This is me, too! I take Vitamin Code 3x a day, they're the only ones I can handle. Then some non fish oil dha, about 2000 additional mgs of vitamin D, and then another prescription vitamin I just started and don't want to get up to look in my cabinet. Aren't absorption issues fun?!?

blinksmb · October 2014

knitnut said:

hollmb said:

knitnut said:
I take a vitamin that is sourced from food. I find it a lot easier to digest since I have a damaged digestive system and issues with absorption. I use Rainbow Light. I have also heard that New Chapter is good.
This is me, too! I take Vitamin Code 3x a day, they're the only ones I can handle. Then some non fish oil dha, about 2000 additional mgs of vitamin D, and then another prescription vitamin I just started and don't want to get up to look in my cabinet. Aren't absorption issues fun?!?
I take more than just my prenatal too. I am getting pretty used to it since I take meds each day. I'm sorry you have to deal with this too.

I have become a big fan of my prenatal and added vitamin D supplements, because my D level is finally up from 9 to 26. I am thinking I'll actually have a normal in range value at my next appointment!

Nice! I'm jealous! Well, kind of and also mostly sympathetic. Lol. I've been stalled out around 7 for the last couple of blood tests. I guess they don't want to put me back on those 50,000mg ones while pregnant unless they absolutely have to, which is understandable, but come onnnnn. 7???
I actually take less pills now that I'm pregnant since we had to temporarily cut out a couple prescriptions so hey, can't really complain.

JCWhitey · October 2014

Don't you technically pee out most of the nutrients in vitamins, anyway, since your body can only absorb so much?

Enigma87 · October 2014

I take rx VitaPearl because it's just one small pill I take every morning. I am bad at taking pills so only taking one a day is easier for me personally, and my dr recommended it so *shrug* lol.

caribeth80 · October 2014

claireanne89 said:
Rainbow light it is!! Thanks ladies. Also, my doctor told me that the prenatals aren't for your baby. They are for you because your baby will take what it needs regardless.

My doctor told me the same thing. She said in Europe its rare for them to even take a prenatal, maybe just folic acid.
I just started the Rainbow vitamins and they dont make me sick but they are big to swallow and my gag reflex kicks them back out sometimes

cesquer · October 2014

I take prescription ones. They are free because of the new ACA rules. I used to take the big honking blue pills and my doc just changed me to waaaay smaller ones called Prenate Mini. I am kind of in love with them.

JCWhitey · October 2014

lorindriel said:

Don't you technically pee out most of the nutrients in vitamins, anyway, since your body can only absorb so much?
If the vitamin/mineral in question is water soluble, then yes. Some vitamins are fat soluble which means they get absorbed and stick around rather than passing through you. This is why you can't ever really take "too much" of a B vitamin, but you have to be really careful not to over-take vitamin A.

Thanks! My prenatal are the one-a-days and I always worry I'm just peeing most of it out. My gummies instruct you to take two a day spread out with a meal so I always felt like I'd get more that way. But maybe not! Maybe I'll try the Rainbow Lites.

Btw, I think it's funny how much difference a year makes. On my son's BMB everyone was all about Belly Bar, and I haven't even heard that brand mention here yet!

BrandiLynn83 · October 2014

I take Nature Made + DHA, Nature Valley Triple Strength Fish Oil pill, and a Magnesium supplement because the vitamin doesn't include the magnesium and it's supposed to help keep the leg cramps away.

claireanne89 · October 2014

Thank you ladies for such awesome input! Very informative

rilgrl1 · October 2014

claireanne89 said:

Was wondering if there is a prenatal vitamin that is "the best"? I order mine from a private website. The brand is "promise"... But my doctor told me they give them free at shnucks and a vitamin is a vitamin. I kind of disagree with my doctor given the research I've done... And I pay a significant amount for mine. Worth it or no? Do you guys take a higher grade prenatal or just regulars from shnucks or walmart?

My midwife this time around (and my doc last time around) recommend a food-based vitamin. The brand I take (and they suggested) is Rainbow Light.

bumpuser10572325 · October 2014

My neighbor is a personal trainer and nutritionist (he always seems to be outside when the pizza guy comes. He catches me every time!). He told me that your body can only handle so much of each type of vitamin at a time. Those amounts are higher during pregnancy. He told me that you usually pay more for premium vitamins but end up peeing out the extra.

thursday · October 2014

When I was pregnant five years ago with DD, DHA had just become the new big thing. The over the counter prenatal vitamins didn't include it yet so my doctor recommended Duet which was $150 for a 30 day supply. I didn't know any better so I bought them. Now I use The Honest Company prenatal vitamins and DHA it is way cheaper!

finallyourturn2 · October 2014

The most superior prenatal is the one you can keep down. For me, the only one I have kept down is vitafusion. They are gummies and they taste pretty good.

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