What vitamins/folic acid etc do you take?

[clarebear1]

What ones do you take?

Ive just bought 'Mum to be' vitamins from boots.

I have taken Sanatogen Mother-to-be vitamins and omega 3 capsules (combined pack) throughout my pregnancy (thank goodness for Boots' 3 for 2 offer). I feel that covers all bases and I don't have to get twitchy about how many fish portions I've had this week! I think it's worth it for the peace of mind.

I seem to have managed to get my amounts perfect, I counted them this morning and I have exactly enough to take me through to my due date, after which I will switch to Pregnacare breast-feeding (also with omega 3 capsules) - regardless of when baby turns up, I'm pretty sure there is not much difference except more calcium in the BF ones.

Im not sure if these 'mum to be' ones cover all that i need...

To be fair, the official recommendation is folic acid to 12 weeks and a healthy diet. You don't "need" anything else. Much like any vitamin supplement really, just that if you are pregnant you need to be careful with some vitamins, so if you take any, they should be pre-natal ones, not general ones.

The Boots ones are probably just the same as any branded ones. I picked up the Omega 3 ones later on in my pregnancy because DP won't eat non-white fish, so the only easy way I could get Omega 3 in my diet was the fortified fish fingers (I got fed up of doing posh packed lunches for work, and I don't think my co-workers appreciated me eating mackerel at them), and I didn't fancy fish fingers twice a week.

Its folic acid i was mainly concerned about. Ur ment to have 600 whatever when pregnant, ill have a read of the pack i think.
Didnt think about omega 3. Were not 'allowed' tuna are we?

Omega oil is important for brain and nerve development - but get the right stuff or you will be exposing yourself to too much vit A and potentially too much mercury.

Ordinary (cheap) fish oil is not refined to remove mercury or other heavy metal toxins, so it would be pointless to use these supplements as a way of avoiding to much fish (ie Tuna, you are only supposed to have one or 2 portions a week because of the mercury).

Also many fish oil supplements are made of fish liver, and has high levels of vit A.

The pre-natal supplements (such as pregnacare+omega)have purified, Pharmaceutical grade fish body oil - so no vit a and no mercury.

You can also get pharma-grade omega oil
separately, but check the label says Pharma-grade or Pharmaceutical grade.
The price is a good guide - it's a lot more expensive than plain cod liver oil.

The official recommendation is that you supplement vitamin D as well throughout pregnancy. Personally I think it's easiest to just take a prenatal vitamin supplement for 9 months, especially if you have times when sickness or fatigue may mean that your diet isn't perfect.

Hi Clarebear1
Just to let you know that we are allowed tuna, just in moderation. I think you can have a couple of tins a week or one steak - which should be cooked.

i'm just on the folic acid. Everything else comes from a a varied diet: salmon and tuna for oily fish, greens, red meat, sunshine, cereal. I never needed supplements before and I dont believe in taking them now unless I suddenly get told to be a doctor. If you eat a balanced diet and get some sunshine regularly you'll be fine!

the Pregnacare ones seem to be the most popular ones in this country - that is what I have been taking since finding out I was pregnant.

Before that I was taking Solgar Folic Acid tablets.

Im sure the mum to be ones are prob near enough the same just a cheaper version.
Just checked info on pack loads of vitamins, folic acid per daily dose 400, no omega on the list though!

I started on Sanatogen, then switched to Boots Mum to be, but comparing the two packets, I found that Sanatogen had much more calcium (and be aware that neither brands have enough calcium - this you need to check your diet for).

The Sanatogen also have far more Vit D, which is vital for absorbing calcium from your food.

One thing to note...I found the Boots brand had 14mg of iron and listed that as 100% RDA, but other literature suggested that's 100% when you're not pregnant, you should be almost doubling that when you are! I was mad about this as it sells itself as a pre-natal supplement.

Obviously getting everything from your diet is probably preferable, but I found these a godsend when the only thing that would ease my nausea was cheese and onion crisps

If youve still got the packets lindsay whats the comparison of the folic acid please?

Im quite concerned im not getting near enough of the vitamins i should be as no healthy food is appealing to me atm!

I had my heart set on taking the cheapest folic acid available after quite a few doctors told me the pre-natal vitamins were a waste of money. I have a fairly healthy, varied diet normally and did not take supplements previously. That was until I found cheap Pregnacare Plus in Superdrug and bought a few boxes only because I could not resist the bargain :). The pills are huge, though.

I take the zita west pregnancy vitamins, which are quite pricey but have really high amounts of everything in them. I do tend to eat a lot of stodge when pg so think I need all the help I can get!

Also take a vegan omega 3 supplement (v-pure), but take that normally anyway as I am vegetarian.

Have read folic acid in 3rd trimester an actually be a bad thing but can't remember why or find it again, so not sure what I'll do when I get there.

Will also be on raspberry leaf tablets from 33 weeks!

oooh i wonder if that offer is instore too and still on? will be looking...

I'm taking pregnacare but I'm vegetarian, is there anything else I should be taking?

Pregnacare currently on half price in Superdrug

:-)

I'm taking Sanatogen Mum to Be - the doctor seemed to think they were all much of a muchness but kept saying 'don't take normal multi-vits' because you need to avoid vitamin A.

Later on I bought some fewsh orange with added vitamins and ended up binning it because it had Vitamin A in it.

Pregnacare plus, includes vits, folic & fish oils within 2 tablets. Expensive but on 3 for 2 in sainburys at the moment.