Havent taken any pregnancy vitimins -should I worry?

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

Hi all,

In the early days I took some folic acid tablets and the pregnancy care tablets but I think only for about 3 weeks at most. Maybe 4.

Then to be perfectly honest I just forgot as was sobusy.

Should I be concerned? i am 34 weeks.

Generations of women didn't take them and their babies were fine. So long as you have a fairly balanced diet then your baby should get everything she needs from you. Don't worry (and go drink a glass of milk!)

The main thing folic acid protects against is neural tube defects and these are very often detected on scan (although not always) so if your scans have been fine I would not worry. As Novia says, generations of women didn't take them and had healthy babies.

You can start taking them now. They're so cheap in the UK I've been getting them sent over. They often have iron in them so great for the third trimester as we all get a bit low on iron about now. I take them all through the first exhausting months of bfing too - for general health really. Doesn't the great Gwyneth take them everyday?

I didn't take them my last 2 pregnancies and they were fine, I am taking them this time though as I have a few health issues and felt tired so thought I'd give them a try I found amazon cheapest £6.60 ish for 90 days.

Ask your midwife about Healthy Start, I get these multi preg vitamins for free from her or just take your green book to the pharmacy and they normally just give you them there for free too!

I have chosen not to take any vitamins, throughout all my pregnancies and when trying to conceive, I know I have a good balanced diets with plenty of fruit and veg, and that I should get all of my vitamins and minerals from my diet. I have even managed to maintain my iron levels through diet.

Don't worry about it there is nothing you can do to change the past and assuming you haven't lived for the last 34 weeks without eating any fruit/veg your baby should be fine.

If you are worried talk to your midwife, she is the best person to advice you on what to take especially what vitamins etc are important when breast feeding.

The main ones of benefit are the folic acid but also the vitamin D - the latter you'll struggle to harness for yourself in winter months. At 34 weeks there's probably not a lot of concern to take them now anyway - it's mainly for developmental reasons and you're so far along. Did your scans show a healthy baby?

to be honest, even if you don't have a well balanced diet, the baby will still likely be ok, it will take everything it needs from you, but you may well be depleted from essential things. Which is what I was told by a MW and hospital consultant when I was stressing about nutrition in my second pregnancy.

I had two pregnancies with HG, the second one so bad that I ate pretty much nothing for most of the pregnancy, I certainly did not eat a healthy balanced diet, lost a lot of weight, could not hold down any tablet form vitamins (but did manage to drink spatone for iron most days after 30wks) and my DS was born at 7.5lb, healthy little thing and he continues to be healthy aged 3, gets the normal bugs, perhaps a little more prone to coughs that DD but he is a winter baby, but other than that healthy and meets his milestones etc etc.

On on the other hand was battered! So I would say don't stress, just try to look after yourself as best you can food and exercise and fresh air wise and baby will be just fine.

Yes all the scans have been A ok. Nothing of concern. I think i have had a fairly balanced diet i think - not terrible. My partner saw a news article about a baby that didnt get enough folic acid and is now worried - but i assume 34 weeks is too late to take anything now anyway.

It's the first trimester that the folic acid is key. If your scans were ok, I wouldn't worry!

and, folic acid is added to many foodss these days - bread, cereal etc, so your diet would need to be really really poor to not have enough folic acid in the first few months. Good luck with your new baby when s/he arrives!

No need for anything except folic acid in first trimester, and even then only in some cases. A normal healthy diet is all you need, with an extra piece of toast a day (or similar).

Oh good. I eat tonnes of cereal and bread. Cheers.