starting pregnacare plus not just pregnacare this is why!! wish someone had told me why dont they put omega in the original supplement

[pregnantmimi]

Omega 3 Deficiency During Pregnancy
Having an Omega 3 deficiency while you are pregnant can prove very harmful to you and your baby. Your baby takes Omega 3 from the foods that you eat. The nutrients cross the placenta, helping your baby to grow and develop. However, if your baby does not get enough Omega-3 from the food you eat, he will begin to take it from your own stores. Researchers believe that these stores may be located in the brain, which can result in a loss of up to 3% of your brain cells. Omega 3 deficiency during pregnancy is linked with:

?increased rates of postpartum depression
?increased chances of having a low birth weight baby
?increased chances of preterm labor or cesarean birth

That's a good idea Robyn, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks .

Tangle is right - it's such a scam. Vitamin companies' PR bods will be rubbing their hands together at threads like these!

Mind you I'm such an old cynic about this stuff after reading Ben Goldacre's book Bad Science.

I'm usually a big eater of linseeds, but it's recommended to limit intake during pregnancy because there is some evidence that the lignans may disturb hormone balances. Another good veggie source of omega 3 is quinoa, but it's difficult to build enough into a vegetarian diet through that and limited amounts of linseed! I'm taking an algae based omega 3 supplement - unlike linseed algae is a source of long-chain omega 3, not short-chain. I'm also taking spatone and pregnacare. I don't feel like I've been conned by marketing. I've read the research for myself, looked at what I'd need to be eating to get the right amounts of certain things and decided supplementing is the most effective way to do it (this is as a vegetarian though, which makes a difference).

I've been taking pregnacare plus because a friend had some left over after her pregnancy. Since I've been taking it I've read about the benefits of omega 3 in pregnancy (my Dad sent me this link bit.ly/hbCf9f) but, like MainlyMaynie said, I've weighed up the research against what I'd have to eat (I'm not a sardine fan) and figure I'll take the supplements instead. Having said that, I won't be buying pregnacare when this box runs out as it costs a fortune so I'm just planning to buy a bog-standard omega-3 supplement instead (without vitamin A!).

The other benefit of taking it is that it stops my Dad from "helpfully" sending me tips on the different ways to eat mackerel.

"thisisyesterday that's all well and good, I don't normally take vits as I eat healthily, but all I can stomach ATM is cake and toast so I think my body and baby need all the added extras it can get!"

Ditto. I've spend the last six months eating almost nothing but dairy products and bread (can't face meat at all).

thanks going have a look on amazon thats a great price xxx

Just ordered some of amazon thanks for the link dropdeadfred. I think the omega 3 is really important. If enough isnt in the body the baby can take it from the mums brain and it makes you feel a bit ill. Thats some research I read anyway x

Slightly off topic but if you eat fish you are not a vegetarian, a vegetarian does not eat meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or slaughter by-products.

On topic if you are a veggie omega 3 is generally found in fish oils however you can get algae base products which are fab as it's the algae that the fish eat to get theirs :)

i can't handle pregnacare - can't take iron that way. am taking folic acid, spatone and omega 3 capsules (fish oil, not fish liver oil), and feeling utterly vile.

just ordered off amazon good price for 2 months worth thanks!!!!

H007 I knew I would get that comment off someone lol I used to say I was pescetarian to people but got so many comment like is that your starsign etc that one day I found it easyer to just say Im vegetarian but I eat fish sometimes! But yes Im pescetarian well spotted.xx

Having said that I know alot of "vegetarians" who use lipstick that have animal by products(roadkill) or bath products that contain "natural ingrediants" that can mean animal parts(yes really its true) or wear leather jackets or even eat meat normal bacon sometimes!!!

For those who think it's a rip off - don't buy it. Simple as that.

For those who want/need to make sure that, despite eating a healthy diet as much as possible, their body is getting all of the necessary vitamins to nurture their growing child - keep buying it.

Each to their own. I'm still buying it. Gives me peace of mind and that is what matters to me.

On a final note, I think it is rather rude to 'roll eyes' when making a comment just because someone didn't understand what was said.

pregnangmimi I wast saying it to have a go it just some people actually believe that vegetarians eat fish! I've been invited to dinners before and when I get there a tuna steak or something has been lovingly prepared for me even though I'd said I was a veggie.

"I'm usually a big eater of linseeds"

Do you put them through a coffee grinder first? otherwise they tend to go through unchanged so you don't actually get at the omega acids.

I whizz up a small container and store in the fridge so it doesn't go rancid, means I can have a helping on my breakfast no fuss

Yes, catinthehat, I usually grind them and use them to make linseeds muffins etc. I also have a small container in the fridge so I can grind a few days' worth at a time. I think they're also a nice addition to salads etc. unground. I'm not having them at all in pregnancy though, as I'm taking omega supplements and I haven't needed them for the other reason!

wiki link telling you what has omega 3 in

it's a complete and utter fallacy that vegetarians don't/can't get enough iron or omega 3 every day!
I give blood (or at least did before I got PG), and the level of required iron in the blood is very,very high.
They have a lot of vegetarians giving blood, so it's obviously not the diet that does it!

being sick a lot can change the levels of vitamins etc in your body, so supplements are then a good idea.

omega 3 is also present in eggs- Hellman's Mayonnaise has omega 3 in it.
(it's free-range hens that produce it because they eat fresh grass)
and seaweed.

I have no problem getting enough omega 3 and iron when not pregnant and have never had a problem giving blood. But the level of iron required in late pregnancy is so much higher than usual that I don't think I could manage it consistently without a supplement. Without linseed my ordinary diet doesn't contain enough omega 3 for me to be confident I'm getting enough either, though I do eat some low level sources and occasional high-level sources like quinoa.

I did plenty of reading on this and am sure taking supplements is right for me, but obviously other people may come to different conclusions considering their own diet and levels of pregnancy related paranoia :o.

I use pregnacare original with a fish oil supplement (was about £4.50 for 3 months worth) so much cheaper. As I don't eat any fish or seafood, or seal oil as was listed in the wiki link, I think its necessary. I also don't eat free range hens...
Wow, and I didn't think my diet was that bad... bring out the seals!

the free range was to make the eggs full of omega 3, not hte hens themselves!

Pregnancy vitamins are a total con. Other than folic acid, unless you have a deficiency, you simple do not need them.

An interesting article on the BBC website today (health news) regarding an amino acid and vitamins that reduce the likelihood of pre-eclampsia, according to research in Mexico and the US (written in the British Medical Journal).

The amino acid is L-arginine which is believed a deficiency in this can lead to the disease. This amino acid is responsible for healthy blood flow.

Pregnacare conception contains 100mg of this amino acid.