Vitamin deficiency in pregnancy

[lulu1414]

I went to the doctor because I have had sores in my mouth and tongue for a few weeks. I thought it might be thrush, but the doc diagnosed vitamin deficiency. Has anyone experienced this? I thought I ate well and have been taking Pregnacare most days (got a bit slack with it after the 4th month) but I am a vegetarian.

weird.

have you been having alot of sickness?
because if you're puking and not replacing what you've puked up, then you will be vitamin deficient.

i know it's not nice to eat after you've vomited, but you have to try.

Not sick at all. I'm now over 5 months so left morning sickness behind me (thank goodness!).

very odd.
are you eating properly?
did he say what vitamin it was?

have you started taking your supplement again?

Absolutely eating properly. My only downfall is that I don't eat meat, but haven't done for 20 years and so am careful about my diet. I was fine with my first pregnancy. They gave me vitamin B complex which makes sense as it is hard to get this from other means other than animal products. But my breakfast cereal has my RDA of B6 and B12. They told me just to take the vitamins for a short period of time.

I'm religiously taking my pregnacare again, but I had it most days anyway.

i think B12 is a big one with us, because we can't get it from the "usual" places.

You'll be fine now, i'm sure.

Bloody annoying that hardly anywhere can you find proper information about vegetarians during pregnancy, like they all think that only meat-eaters get PG.

Hi Lulu14

I have vitamin b12 deficiency and my levels are being monitored now I am PG because it can get really low in normal PG women apparently so because I am already deficient I have to take supplements and MW has taken blood to check the levels to make sure I have enough. It can be quite common in vegetarians as vitamin b12 is mainly from meat I am told although I am not a medical person - just a fellow b12 deficient :)

Also, I personally tend to get dizzy spells, weak feeling and my hair/skin/nails can be affected too. If I am low on b12 I also tend to get cracked lips, ulcers, cold sores (I suffer from them already - not due to the b12 deficieny) and cracks at the corner of my mouth.

Anyway, I hope you feel better with the extra vitamins. I have just been taking Pregnacare since getting PG but I think I might need a higher dose but the dosage I was on before getting PG was too high for anyone to tell me if it was ok or not so I will wait for the blood results and take whatever dosage they decide on for me.

Hope this helps a little :) Good luck and well done for getting it picked up! It took me a few years for the GP to realise that was what was wrong with me after having thyroid checked and everything else.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/B12-deficiency/Pages/introduction.aspx I was going to link the wikipedia page but it was a bit too much info IMHO

hmm, according to that, it can take 3 years to develop a deficiency.
that's worrying, because it means that the diet would have to be deficient for a lot longer than OP has been pg for.