Help: Vitamin A consumption.

[JKemp123]

I'm really worried. I am currently 10 weeks 5 days pregnant. I am now taking pregnancy multi-vitamins but for the first 5 weeks of my pregnancy I was taking normal mullti-vitamins which contained 800 micrograms of vitamin A. I'm worried I have harmed the baby, I have read the label and it is retinyl aceate form so definitely the type you shouldn't take. Will any damage show in the 12 week scan? has anyone else been in this situation before? and if so what was the outcome?

OP I don't know the answer but offering a hand to hold. Can you call your midwife to ask? I'm sure it will be fine, lots of women don't know they are pregnant til 6 weeks or later and so drink/smoke/take vitamins/take drugs. But I suspect you'll need a HCP to reassure you.

Ahsan that has to be one of the least helpful responses I have ever seen on Mumsnet. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If you don't have anything nice/supportive to say, especially in the pregnancy forum, I suggest you don't say anything.

What RobberBride said from me too.

Yes i understand that now, but I didn't know the risks involved with taking vitamin A as it is my first pregnancy and no one told me otherwise. I feel bad enough as it is I don't need rude comments just people to answer my questions.

Ignore Ahsan. I find maternity care baffling in that by the time you get told anything at your booking appointment the critical first trimester is nearly over anyway.

Thank you RobberBride, I will call my midwife on monday when she is back working.

Hi OP, I was the same as you and when I found out I was pregnant I stopped taking normal multi vitamins and started taking pregnancy ones. I did worry but I decided to think that I can't change it so tried not to worry as like RobberBride said I'm sure people do a lot worse when they don't know they are pregnant or even when they do.

Jkemp - I think you will be fine at having taken that dose. Although not a pregnancy vitamin supplement that level isn't ridiculously high. Obviously seek reassurance from your midwife but don't worry too much.

Have a look at this (not a medical source but some quick info to maybe reassure you) livewell.jillianmichaels.com/much-much-vitamin-during-pregnancy-5283.html

Ahsan-

I don't think it would have been a high enough amount over a sufficient amount of time to do any damage so think you may be worrying unnecessarily

Try not to panic. I read somewhere that the Vitamin A advice is the result of one case where a woman decided she would eat lots of liver (think multiple times a week) during pregnancy as she was brought up being told how good it was for her. The resulting problems with the baby are apparently the result of this one woman's actions.

I don't think the amount of Vitamin A in your multivitamin will be anywhere near as high as if you had been eating lots of liver and you definitely will not be the first woman to continue taking (or even start taking) a standard multivitamin in pregnancy without realising.

Unfortunately we can't all be as clever and Ahsan who clearly knows everything about everything and would never make a mistake of any sort

www.care2.com/greenliving/is-vitamin-a-safe-for-pregnant-women.html - says don't take more than 6000IU which works out about 1800mcg I think

Hmm my first paragraph was not clear. The last sentence should have said that the resulting problems with this one baby sparked the advice to avoid Vitamin A (hence, don't worry too much as I don't think there's been loads of research on this and the amount you will have actually absorbed from the multivitamin is probably not a huge amount).

It's not from one person and it looks as if there have been studies. Too little vitamin A is also bad so it's about finding a balance

That's interesting that too little Vitamin A is also bad.

I suppose the assumption is that we get the right amount from our diet generally.

Thank you all. I do feel reassured, especially after reading the attached articles.

DH and I are about to TTC so I spoke to a pharmacist regarding whether I needed to stop taking my normal (cheapy) multi-vitamins and switch to special (expensive) TTC multi-vitamins. He said the level of vitamin A in a multi-vitamin is fine but don't overdo it on top in terms of liver/other foods with lots of vitamin A.

Tbh you only need to supplement folic acid and vitamin D in pregnancy so no real need for expensive pregnancy vitamins

I'm not trying to not be supportive or anything, was just asking the op why she hadn't switched if the baby was planned. Also feeling tired so my responses may be off. They do normally suggest that you book an appointment with your GP if you are planning a pregnancy as they give you all the information you need to plan for your future pregnancy. Information on pregnancies do change all the time OP
So do feel for you, just try relax yourselve op as stressing will cause more harm then anything else. Sure your little one will be ok but as others have suggested talk to your midwife about it.

Think emwithme is spot on.

INeedNewShoes that's really unhelpful. How bloody childish. Op is looking for support not looking for you to slam me. Think most of you slamming me by the way are stupid as I only asked a bloody question or is the strictly forbidden.

Wouldn't worry op as many people do worse things and think the level wouldn't be high enough anyway so just relax enjoy your pregnancy and ignore ^their remarks as it was only a question. Thinking OP that it is your first pregnancy? Hope I'm allowed to ask that 😊

Bunch of hormonal women on here lol not a good mix

Ahsan - sorry. You're right. It's not helpful to anyone for me to have a go at you.

Your post came across as criticism aimed at a poster who was already upset, but re-reading it you did just ask a question.

I quite agree with you, the OP was just looking for support. Does your questioning her sound supportive? That's up for debate. But I agree with you that my dig at you served no purpose whatsoever and I should have kept quiet!

Shut up Ahsan.

OP , try not to worry I am sure it will be fine.

Op my friend is a midwife I'll ask her for you😊. I wasn't criticising her and I'm sorry op if you took it like that, I have worked with midwives and I guess was just asking a question while sleepy as got low iron levels. Sorry op.

BratFarrarsPony I'm not going to sink as low and simply ignore you.