Time of day for taking folic acid/pregnancy vitamins?

[weeblueberry]

I know the bottle says to take the tablet with your 'main meal of the day' but I always, without fail, forget to take it with dinner (probably because I'm doing work emails etc during...).

I assume that it saying this just means you should take it with a sizeable meal and that I'd be fine taking it with, say, lunch if it's a decent portion? Does it always need to be taken at the same time each day? Sometimes my 'main meal' is lunch but other times its dinner...or even breakfast at weekends ;)

I take mine (folic acid) with breakfast. Mine just says to take with food, nothing about it having to be a main meal.

I think they advise to take with food so that a) the stomach environment is less acidic and b) is reduces potential nausea from taking on an empty stomach.

Some of the vitamins are fat soluble so that is why it says with main meal, particularly vit D I think.

I read somewhere you should take vitamins in the morning and minerals at night, that's not much help if it's a multivitamin/multimineral supplement, though...

I struggle to remember to take me folic acid, so i've put an alarm on my mobile that reminds me at 9pm every night to take it.

I have to say I take mine at bedtime, just because it's the only way I can remember it if I leave it next to my toothbrush. Does mean it's usually on an empty stomach, but I don't get bad nausea so it doesn't affect me. Hope it means I'm still absorbing it though.

I took mine first thing on an empty stomach once and it made me feel really sick. I think they just tell you to take it with a meal to prevent it making you feel bad rather than any more sinister reason.

I take mine in the middle of a substantial meal with protein (tuna sandwich, etc.). I've found antenatal vitamins make me sick without protein/ dairy in the meal. I take with lunch or dinner usually.

Thanks everyone. I think I'll try and take with dinner during the week then lunch at weekends. The problem is the only way to remember to take the damn things is by leaving the bottle on the dining table and no one knows we're expecting yet. I'm just waiting for someone to pop round unexpectedly and them randomly be sitting on the table lol. Suppose I could put them in another bottle eh? ;)

I take mine at night as its the best way to ensure I keep them down - Damn morning sickness! Keep mine next to the kettle so less likely to forget to take them...

Set a reminder on your phone... I've been taking them for over a year (as I was taking whilst TTC) and I still surprise myself by forgettting most days until my alarm goes off... At least I can blame pregnancy brain now!

I also carry them in an empty Extra mints box for when out and about with people who don't know!

I take mine whenever I feel im least likely to throw them back up again