whoops! csn someone help on the vitamin front?

[K8eee]

for the last week or so I've been taking berocca tablets, and swallowing down my iron & raspberry leaf tablets with it. I've just Google about berocca & pregnancy and it says not to take them with pregnancy vitamins does anyone know why? and would I have harmed my baby in doing so?

I suspect it's because taking two types of multivitamin at the same time can result in an overdose of a particular vitamin. Some (like vitamin C and folic acid) are water soluble, so any excess will be excreted, but not all are.

It's not clear from your post whether you've been taking another type of multivit though -- you just mention iron and the rl tablets. Does Berocca contain iron?

They do contain folic acid, as do my iron tablets. so I guess it would be a good idea to split the two up?

Hmm, I think folic acid is water-soluble, so AFAIK an overdose of that would be highly unlikely. In fact, there was a recent thread on here about massively upping the dose (I think it was in the conception forum) and how it's being recommended in some countries.

I should stress that I am NOT an expert, and you should double check with your midwife, doctor or a pharmacist to make sure I'm not talking out of my arse, which is a distinct possibility.

I think the main danger with doubling up on vitamins is the fat-soluble ones (like A, D, E or K), which can build up in the body. If it's just folic acid, I strongly suspect you don't have anything to worry about, but I think it's still worth checking with a pharmacist just to be on the safe side.

Can anyone recommend a chewable ante-natal vitamin? I absolutely cannot stand taking large pills, and the after taste of multi-vitamins. I used to take chewable (like a gummy candy) back in the US and loved it. Every day I worry I'm going to throw my vitamin back up, since I usually gag on it!

Folic is a B vitamin - you have to take a great deal for too much, it runs out of you continuously as it is water soluble. Mostly you just wee the extra out.

Bluegrass, it's not strictly to do with pregnancy but the Vegan Society do a chewable multi-vit, it's all I've ever taken pregnant or not. It's here if you want to have a gander: click

I think berocca contains Vit A, so avoid.

Boots Pharmaceuticals RE-ENERGISE is similar in terms of providing the folic, but it has no Vit A so is safe. It comes in various flavours, and is still a soluble tablet.

Boots Pharmaceuticals also do gummy vit D :)

Bluegrass, 7seas do chewable vitamins, very much like sweets, they don't do specific pregnancy one so you'd need to check the vit a content but they do several types.

People with diabetes are recommended to take more than 10x the usual dose of folic acid so I don't think that alone would be a problem.

BluegrassLass You can get VitaFusion gummy prenatal vitamins on Amazon UK. Only thing is I've tried a few gummy prenatals and none of them have iron so you might need to supplement that with another vitamin. But if it's an issue of not keeping the down then definitely go for whatever you can tolerate.

bluegrass can you get the ones you like from the US on Amazon?

Berocca has caffeine i think too as well as vitamin a.

The 'energising' vitamins contain stimulants (eg caffeine) as such even without a vitamin A included they are not recommended for pregnancy.

I can't see any stimulants in the list, except possibly the sweeteners. Unlike with a lot of things, the packaging says nothing about consulting your doctor if you're pregnant. Here's the link:

www.boots.com/en/Boots-Re-Energise-Berry-20-tablets_1435059/

I'd avoid all supplements except for the standard, NHS-recommended Vitamin D and folic acid. If you're not deficient and have a normal, balanced diet, there should be no need.

I was appalled this evening to have a Boots pharmacist try to push Pregnacare when I made enquiries about the strength of the vitamin D I was buying.