Pregnacare - when to stop it

[Tea1Sugar]

I took Seven Seas Trying for a Baby for a month before bfp followed by Pregnacare Plus as soon as I fell pregnant. I'm now 13+2 and the iron in it is not working alongside my IBS. I took it throughout my whole last pregnancy but is it needed after the 1st tri?

I've taken Pregnacare throughout my whole pregnancy and I've purchased the follow-on breastfeeding tablets for post birth.

I don't take any other vitamins so didn't think it would harm although my midwife did advise that I should have just asked for the free prescription ones rather than buying expensive brands!

Try a different brand that doesn't contain iron and keep taking it. Vitamins C, D and folic acid are the most important things to take but many preparations contain other vitamins and minerals. Just make sure it is a tablet intended for pregnancy. Folic acid alone can be stopped after the 1st trimester, but the other vitamins, partic vit D should be continued. There is no harm in continuing folic acid throughout though (it is often included in the multivitamin tablets for pregnancy so difficult to avoid).

Multivitamins for pregnancy are NOT available on prescription. Your GP can prescribe big chalky chewable tablets for vit D but it is much more palatable to swallow the over the counter pregnancy vitamins. Own brand pregnancy vitamins contain all you need, although many choose to buy the more expensive Pregnacare as it contains more. It depends if you are (able to) eat a good balanced diet.

That stuff made me feel so sick., had to stop them.

You don't really need any additional vitamins if you have a healthy diet. Aside from folic acid in the early days and iron if recommended by your midwife, you can manage without.

If you want to continue, some people have better luck with spartone for iron.

At my booking in appointment I got given a form to take to any children's centre/sure start where I can get free vitamins. Think they are called healthy start or something like that and contain vits c, d and folic acid, no iron. Were you given anything like this at your booking apt, would imagine it's fairly standard?

Not everyone qualifies for Healthy Start vitamins, but if you do qualify then go for it!

If you have a booking BMI of >30 then you should take vitamin D throughout pregnancy. (BMI >30 should also have the higher dose of 5mg folic acid for at least 1 month before conception up to the end of the 1st trimester). This is relatively new advice from the Royal College of Obstetricians and not all GPs are aware. Vitamin D is also important to take during breastfeeding and more so for those who are non-white and living in the UK (more at risk of deficiency due to the weather).

NHS advice about vitamins

I got pregnacare on prescription, so will probably just keep taking it for a while longer (currently only 10 weeks)

Out of interest Ginformation can I ask what makes you qualify and what doesn't on the healthy start vitamins? Dh and I never qualify for anything and I'm pretty sure we weren't asked anything different at booking in which would have given any indication to our financial status etc, or do you mean qualify in another manner? I'm pretty sure by us everyone is given it as standard. Not saying you're wrong just intrigued as to how come I've got these if it's not standard!

Everyone should take vitamin D for the whole pregnancy. It's just even more important if you are more overweight.

For healthy start coupons (incl vitamins) you need a form which is filled in by you and signed by the MW or GP. I think it may vary in Wales and Scotland, but for England it is means tested.
C&P from the healthy start website:

You qualify for Healthy Start if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four years old and you or your family get:
Income Support, or
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or
Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit unless your family is receiving Working Tax Credit run-on only*) and has an annual family income of £16,190 or less (2013/14).

You also qualify if you are under 18 and pregnant, even if you don’t get any of the above benefits or tax credits.

*Working Tax Credit run-on is the Working Tax Credit you receive in the 4 weeks immediately after you have stopped working for 16 hours or more per week (single adults) or 24 hours per week (couples).

If you are claiming Universal Credit and are pregnant or have a child under four years old call the Healthy Start helpline on 0845 607 6823 for more information about the Healthy Start scheme.

f;ixy102 my local medicines management group would shit a brick if I prescribed Pregnacare! You must live in an area not so bound by budget constraints as ours is.

I have the healthy start vitamins and i think they are fab, because they dont contain iron. I started on pregnacare but got given these by the pharmacy at my GP (on my second lot now at 33 weeks) and i have had no problems with them, they are tiny like the size of the pill so nice and easy to take in a morning.

I do not fall into any of these brackets:
"Income Support, or
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or
Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit unless your family is receiving Working Tax Credit run-on only*) and has an annual family income of £16,190 or less (2013/14)."

So i guess its worth a try and asking. If i was charged for them i think i would still choose these over pregnacare.

I'm in NI so thats probably why it's different!

Nope I definitely don't fall into any of them categories either! Wonder how come I have then, didn't have to fill in a form or anything so might be worth asking as dellybobs says, I imagine it's a blanket think across my area so other areas might be the same? Either way hope you find something suitable!

I would continue taking something - I only took Pregnacare for 1st trimester and ended up iron-deficient by end of 2nd trimester so had to go back on it