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I know you're supposed to take prenatal vitamins while you're pregnant. I know, I know, I know. They help prevent birth defects, and keep you and your baby healthy. But I just couldn't do it.
I tried to take them at the beginning of my pregnancy, but the smell made my morning sickness worse. They were huge and hard to swallow. I gagged. I threw them up. I tried taking them at different times of the day—early morning, mid-afternoon, before bed. Nothing helped. I tried the vitamins my doctor prescribed and some over the counter organic ones that Gwyneth Paltrow credited with giving her great hair. I couldn't stomach any of them, and I felt guilty. Big time.
So I ate healthfully and chowed down lots of foods high in folic acid. I also drank pregnancy tea and ate Bellybars—nutrition bars for pregnant women that contain all kinds of essential vitamins and minerals. Mamatinis weren't around, but maybe I would have tried those too (expensive, but my guilt knows no budget).
I never told my ob/gyn I wasn't taking the vitamins because I felt so naughty. But now you all know.
Are you taking prenatal vitamins?
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Comments (17)
i took them at the beginning of my pregnancy but towards the end i can't take them, they make meHUNGRY every hour, if i continue taking them i don't know how much i'll be weighting. i do take them once in a while but i cann't do it daily at all =-/
I took them through my entire pregnancy and I took them for 3 or 4 months of TTC #2 but I just couldn't do it anymore. I'll take them again when I get pregnant, but it's been 14 months of TTC and I got tired of buying them. I love what they did for my hair and nails.
Nature's Sunshine is a company that sells herbs. They have a great prenatal vitamin. I also believe that so does Isotonix another herbal company. If anyone is interested, they both have web sites you can google them and check them out. I did not use the Isotonix so I cannot say but I did use Nature's Sunshine and so did my cousin.
I couldn't take them either. They would make me sick no matter what! Even the iron-fee ones. So I did like you and ate well and also chowed down on some extra folic acid capsules. My OB reviewed my diet with me and said that I was getting sufficent (if not more) vitamins. He said that some women simply don't do well with prenatals, and he works with them to create a plan that will keep them and the baby healthy without them. I was SO glad for that. Prenatals suck.
I couldnt take them either. They made me sicker than I was! She told me to take Fiintstone vitamins so I did for awhile then they made me gag so I quit.. and I never did tell her -- eeek!
I tried to take them but I could hardly keep water down most the time, those pills were hopeless. I did have some luck with the Flintstone vitamins though.
I took my prenatal vitamins religiously 3 months before I conceived and up to about a month ago (8 months pregnant). My first 16 weeks of pregnancy morning sickness was really unbearable and I took Flintstones Complete Vitamins for about a month of it when I could not take my prenatals. For the last month though I just simply keep forgetting to take them. My Dr is one that says, take them if you want or don't. He says quite a few of his patients don't take them. He doesn't care either way. Just as long as you eat a healthy diet then baby will be just fine. I was religious about taking mine because spinal cord defects and hydrocephalus run on my side of the family so I needed to get the Folic Acid before conceiving and after.
I tried with my first. They made me so sick to my stomach with cramps and nausea I couldn't function. I would just lie in bed in the fetal position. My OB tried a few different kinds including one that was supposed to be gentle on the tummy (less iron or something) and I still felt sick. I ended up taking children's chewable ones for most of the prenancy (my OB said that was better then nothing). I did the same with #2 but by #3 I was so sick of vitamins and trying to remember to take them (which I never could remember).
I haven't taken any this pregnancy. I just can't remember to take them. I can barely remember to eat half the time. I have 4 perfectly normal, healthy kids. My OB told me the vitamins were for mom, not the baby because the baby will get what it needs from mom (provided you eat a pretty healthy diet) so mom gets depleated. I survived, though.
Actually, prenatal vitamins are for YOUR health. Your baby will take what he/she needs from you. I took prenatals during all three of my pregnancies but I know plenty of women who didn't and they're fine. I mean... think of all of the women who've been pregnant since the beginning of time who didn't take prenatals. My grandmother had nine children beginning in 1949. She didn't take prenatals and all of her children are in perfect health.