s/o on best vitamins thread......during pregnancy?

[ahousefullofjs]

I didn't want to hijack the other thread but I'm curious to know which are best during pregnancy. I just found out last week that I'm expecting and wondering if I should alter the vitamins and supplements I normally take?

Multi- I don't have one but I'm looking at the many wonderful suggestions for (whole food) multivitamins listed on the other thread. Also, like the OP, I cannot handle Iron in pill form.

(Which is why I don't have one, having a hard time finding iron-free)

 

Omegas- I normally take Ultimateb Omegas by Nordic Naturals. Any reason why I shouldn't continue this while pregnant?

 

D3-1000mg no special brand, I haven't had any problems with this. I'm checking out the ones that have been suggested by other. Again, any reason why I shouldn't continue this?

 

C-500mg same one the kids get, Animal Parade chewable.

 

Iron-I'm looking at the other thread at all the different iron suggestions. Iron has been a problem for me, I have a tendency to be low in iron, but I my system cannot handle iron pills, especially when pregnant. When I start to feel the effects of my low iron, I try to boost it through food, beans, meat, spinach, etc. Many times that works but not always. I had a couple of episodes during the last 2 pregnancies where I would get very dizzy (near vertigo), shaky, cold. But the doctor never tested. Each time it got bad, I took a pill, which helped the dizziness after a couple of days, but then my system paid for it.

 

Anything else I'm missing?

[Annie Laurie]

Congrats!

 

I take Rainbow Light prenatals, which are whole food multivitamins. I take the 1 a day form, not the multiple times a day kind.

 

I take Evening Primrose Oil, but that may not be recommended in the 1st trimester.

 

Also, Read Rasberry Leaf Tea. It's not a vitamin, but is nutrient dense and IME, has really prepped my uterus for labor. Again, not recommended in the 1st trimester.

 

Good fats are important. What is in your omega supplement?

 

The only thing I would watch out for, is taking so many other things along with a mulitvitamin. I'd just want to be sure I wasn't overdosing on anything that could be harmful for the baby.

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

Jennifer, were you taking whole food source of iron or prenatal with a food source. Maybe that was the problem? For whole food vitamins you've got Garden of Life, New Chapter, and Megafoods that I'm aware of. Sometimes a reg. multi for a brand can have more nutrients and cost less than the prenatal product! Make sure your D vitamin is a natural vs. synthetic. Make sure what you take is D3. I like D3 from a fish source the best. HTH some!

[ChrisB]

Congratulations!

 

Natrol My Favorite Multiple w/out Iron

 

Solgar Gentle Iron

Edited September 17, 2010 by ChrisB

[ChrisB]

Jennifer, were you taking whole food source of iron or prenatal with a food source. Maybe that was the problem? For whole food vitamins you've got Garden of Life, New Chapter, and Megafoods that I'm aware of. Sometimes a reg. multi for a brand can have more nutrients and cost less than the prenatal product! Make sure your D vitamin is a natural vs. synthetic. Make sure what you take is D3. I like D3 from a fish source the best. HTH some!

I couldn't agree more. For myself, I can't take fish oils, so I take high lignan flax seed oil for my omegas.

[ahousefullofjs]

Congrats!

 

I take Rainbow Light prenatals, which are whole food multivitamins. I take the 1 a day form, not the multiple times a day kind.

 

I take Evening Primrose Oil, but that may not be recommended in the 1st trimester.

 

Also, Read Rasberry Leaf Tea. It's not a vitamin, but is nutrient dense and IME, has really prepped my uterus for labor. Again, not recommended in the 1st trimester.

 

Good fats are important. What is in your omega supplement?

 

The only thing I would watch out for, is taking so many other things along with a mulitvitamin. I'd just want to be sure I wasn't overdosing on anything that could be harmful for the baby.

Exactly. I just wanted to make sure none of the levels were too high. I will look into the prenatals mentioned. I've never taken EPO during pregnancy, I'll check into that one too. I love Red Raspberry Leaf Tea! Almost forgot about that one, I usually start that during trimester 3. Okay, my Omegas have Vit E-30IU(100%daily amt), EPA 650mg (35%daily), DHA 450mg (25%daily), Omega9 56mg (3% daily)

All from natural fish source.

Jennifer, were you taking whole food source of iron or prenatal with a food source. Maybe that was the problem? For whole food vitamins you've got Garden of Life, New Chapter, and Megafoods that I'm aware of. Sometimes a reg. multi for a brand can have more nutrients and cost less than the prenatal product! Make sure your D vitamin is a natural vs. synthetic. Make sure what you take is D3. I like D3 from a fish source the best. HTH some!

Thanks, I've heard a lot about Megafoods and I think my Whole Foods carries Garden of Life brand, I'll have to check though. I'm really not sure about the iron, I've tried many over the years but can't say for sure if they were whole food source supplements or not.

I just checked the D, yep it's natural fish source D3. But I'm curious, is 1000mg (250%daily) too much for baby?

[flobee76]

I took Trader Joe's prenatals.

 

Folic Acid pills

 

Fermented Cod liver oil from Green Pastures

 

Pregnancy Tea from Traditional Medicinals

 

later in pregnancy, added: Evening primrose oil, red raspberry leaf

[ahousefullofjs]

Congratulations!

 

Natrol My Favorite Multiple w/out Iron

 

Solgar Gentle Iron

Thank you. And thanks for the links, going to check those out right now.

[ahousefullofjs]

I couldn't agree more. For myself, I can't take fish oils, so I take high lignan flax seed oil for my omegas.

Just curious, how do you use your flax seed oil? Do just take it straight up, smoothies, or ?

Thanks

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

 

Thanks, I've heard a lot about Megafoods and I think my Whole Foods carries Garden of Life brand, I'll have to check though. I'm really not sure about the iron, I've tried many over the years but can't say for sure if they were whole food source supplements or not.

I just checked the D, yep it's natural fish source D3. But I'm curious, is 1000mg (250%daily) too much for baby?

 

Personally, I would take 2,000 IU of D when pregnant and nursing along with 20,000 IU of vitamin A from fish source. I follow this guideline. Here is another article with some vitamin D safety info. Here is more info on the vitamin A for fetal development. Iron is really important to babe's optimal health. Try to not let yourself get depleted! If you have time, read the reviews of blood builder on the other thread...many ppl could finally do iron (and take it on an empty stomach even!) by switching to a whole food source. My pregnancy musts are: a good prenantal with and extra b complex and/or blood builder, fish oil, vitamins A and D. *and calcium if you're not getting enough through diet. A wee bit of magneisum before bed is a great health benefit as well.

Edited September 17, 2010 by mommyjen

[ChrisB]

Just curious, how do you use your flax seed oil? Do just take it straight up, smoothies, or ?

Thanks

 

My favorite way to take it is through the caps. Right now I need to exhaust my supply of liquid (cheaper & needs refrigerated), so I just take it straight off of a spoon. You can put it in a salad, on toast, in a smoothie, really, anything that isn't hot. I need to take about 1 tablespoon/day. That works out to be about 9 caps/day. (:w00t:, I know) I've actually squeezed out the oil from the caps to see how much I was getting in each cap...

[jg_puppy]

Congrats!

 

I take Rainbow Light prenatals, which are whole food multivitamins. I take the 1 a day form, not the multiple times a day kind.

 

Also, Read Rasberry Leaf Tea. It's not a vitamin, but is nutrient dense and IME, has really prepped my uterus for labor. Again, not recommended in the 1st trimester.

 

 

I recently had a miscarriage, but I would like to try again in a few months so I am still researching vitamins to take during pregnancy. I tried several different prenatal vitamins while I was pregnant. I like the Rainbow Light one a day the best, but I noticed that they have Red Raspberry Leaf in them. Should I take something else during the first trimester?

 

Jan

[Carrie12345]

My midwives recommend Rainbow Light, particularly when someone's copay is ridiculous when it comes to prescription vitamins.

 

I never remember to take them though. :leaving:

[Heather in OK]

Prenatals - Anything whole foods based. And please, for the love of Pete, do NOT take Flintstones as prenatals.

 

Pregnancy Tea from Traditional Medicinals

I prefer this for clients over the RRL only tea. A pregnancy tea is going to contain other beneficial herbs in addition to RRL.

[Annie Laurie]

I recently had a miscarriage, but I would like to try again in a few months so I am still researching vitamins to take during pregnancy. I tried several different prenatal vitamins while I was pregnant. I like the Rainbow Light one a day the best, but I noticed that they have Red Raspberry Leaf in them. Should I take something else during the first trimester?

 

Jan

 

I'm sorry for your loss. :grouphug: I've had a miscarriage in the past, and it's so hard not to worry about the subsequent pregnancy.

 

I have never noticed that about RRL in the Rainbow Light vitamins! And wouldn't you know that my latest bottle had this weird label that peeled right off when I opened it, and I threw it away. Now I'm curious how much is in there.

 

I have taken Rainbow Light from the beginning, with 3 pregnancies, and never had an issue. I think the amount of RRL must be small. I started the tea in the 2nd trimester and have been fine. But I don't have a history of irritable uterus or anything like that.

[Heather in OK]

I highly doubt the amount of RRL in the Rainbow Light (ingredients list here) is enough to be the cause of a miscarriage.

[jg_puppy]

I'm sorry for your loss. :grouphug: I've had a miscarriage in the past, and it's so hard not to worry about the subsequent pregnancy.

 

 

 

Thank you. That is exactly how I am feeling. I know that the red raspberry had nothing to do with this miscarriage. I am just trying to figure out which vitamins would be best for me. I am glad to hear the Rainbow Light ones worked well for you. They are the prenatal vitamins that I like best. I will probably add an omega and a D3 with them.

 

Jan

Edited September 18, 2010 by jg_puppy
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