Haven't taken prenatal vits all week. Guilt.

[User24689]

Hi ladies.

After some advice as to how bad this is. I have terrible nausea. I basically have a few hours each day in which I feel well and a very short list of foods that don't make me feel sick. Spent all of xmas day and boxing day vomiting but seems to be a bit more under control this past few days touches wood

I'm 9+4 and haven't taken prenatal vits in a week because I find that they make my nausea worse, even when I take them with food. I'm taking the Swisse Ultravite brand but have also taken the Natures Own brand (I'm in australia) and it did the same.

Has anyone else had this? Do I just need to suck it up and put up with it? To be honest I'm not vomiting often, it is usually just bad nausea but it does keep me awake a lot in the night and is pretty miserable.

Thanks in advance.

[SomeSunnySunday]

I had hyperemesis and didn't take them at all during my last pregnancy. They made my nausea worse. I did take vit D and folic acid, and spatone in my 3rd tri (as was slightly anaemic, but couldn't cope with iron tablets either). I did the best I could with my diet (but it wasn't perfect either).

I'm not saying that this is ideal - I took them religiously with DCs 1 and 2, and did feel a bit guilty. But you're certainly not the only one. DD was a good birth weight and is perfectly healthy so far.

[Rumplestrumpet]

I take pre-natal vitamins on the basis that, well, it can't do any harm can it? But they're really not a necessity in my mind. Folic acid, yes, try to take that daily if you can (and should be easier to stomach than the big old pregnacare), especially if you weren't taking it in the months leading up to conception.

But I've considered not taking the supplements out of choice, and plenty of women I know don't take them. I really don't see any need to feel guilty (unless you're also smoking 20 a day and downing a few vodkas in between?!)

I don't see any point in giving yourself unnecessary nausea - Stick to the essential folic acid (I wouldn't worry too much about Vit D in Australia in the summer, just get outdoors when you can, not that lucky this side of the globe), and try to get a good mix of vitamins with the foods you can stomach. I squeeze fresh lemon juice on nearly everything these days to get the extra Vit C.

Nausea shouldn't last much longer, fingers crossed!

[psychomum5]

It won;t in any way cause any problems with you or the baby if you don;t take them.....anxiety and worry for missing them causes more stress on the body.

Folic acid is proven to help in the early stages, and often before conceiving, but only really for people who are limited in their food intake anyway. Any healthy woman with a good varied diet doesn;t actually NEED extra supplemtents.....the people making and selling the products just like to play on our need to ensure good health for our future babies to encourage us to buy the products.

The baby will take all it needs from you anyway. Taking tablets which make YOU feel worse helps no-one.

I am not medical BTW, just have had five babies, and only one of those did I take the vitamins and folic acid from before conceiving.....it made no difference to her nor me!

The ONLY thing I would suggest is a good thing is spa-tone to help anaemia. I got anaemic in each pregnancy, but was terribly sick with the iron tablets. Spa-tone was a nicer way of keeping up my iron and gentle on my tummy.

Obviously if you feel better for taking them, then take them, but all I am trying to say is.....don;t panic for NOT taking them. Try to relax and enjoy your pregnancy.....well, once over the morning sickness part at least

[Kim82]

I didn't take them at all with my Dd as they made my nausea much worse. She's 5 months now and it doesn't seem to have affected her. I didn't take them with my other 3 children either - and have never taken folic acid - and they all turned out fine too.

[babyblabber]

I only know one person who takes them and I am in baby boom land aming my friends at the moment. We all take folic acid for first trimester & most take iron from around 20 weeks but I don't think a multi vitamin is necessary.