BEST vitamins/supplements???

[MistyBxx]

Hi all,
I'm newly preggers for the first time! Aside from learning about everything I can't eat and drink, I'm worried as I'm generally not very healthy!
I don't like fruit and veg so never ever have my 5 a day, I eat takeaways and fast food and don't drink much water so obviously this has to change!! I'm going to actively adjust my diet but I'm also looking for some good pregnancy supplements!
A friend mentioned Pregnacare, are these any good?
I used pregnacare conception for a few weeks and it threw my cycle out completely when I was ttc so I'm a bit wary of going for the pregnancy version now in case it does something!!
Can anyone offer any reviews or experiences on anything!?
I've just been taking the odd folic acid (when Ive remembered!) so I'm really looking for something of an "all-rounder" supplement while I work on getting my body and diet healthy!!
I'm not overweight or anything and do go to the gym, but just concerned about what I eat and my lack of goodness really!!
So any vitamins/supplements for a healthy pregnancy and strong healthy baby!! Please share away :) xx

You only need folic acid (EVERY DAY)
and vitamin D

Pregnacare is a waste of money

I have pregnacare but can't always face the huge tablets when my nausea is bad. On those days I take a folic acid tablet.. they are small and just slide down. Folic acid and vit D are the important ones to take.

I've taken seven seas pregnancy vitamins throughout my pregnancy and haven't suffered with any sickness etc which may or may not be related (I've read some people think pregnacare can cause sickness)

You do only need folic acid and vit d but I was like you and wanted to take an additional supplement.

I don't take anything. When I went to my first appointment with my gynaecologist (I'm in Germany) at 11w + 0 (couldn't face any earlier due to being off this world with sickness, even getting upstairs to bed was a chore), his first question was, 'Do you take vitamins?' 'No.' He gave me two free boxes of these huge vitamins (they must be designed by men, I'm sure) with an equally huge price. Free packets mean he has been visited by a pharmaceutical representative, and as I have inside knowledge of market studies in the pharmaceutical industry, I can see through that in a second. Needless to say, I haven't taken them as they are huge and they frighten me. Besides we mainly cook from scratch.

At any rate, at my next scan about 3 weeks later, he said he was 'satisfied' and 'contented' with how baby looked, and I've only been taking tiny folic acid tablets that contain some vit B12, B6, D3 and iodine. Iodine is also important apparently, as is vit D.

IMO pregnancy supplements are a waste of money unless you eat absolutely nothing of fruit and veg (incl. juice and things) or you are completely malnourished.

However, vitamin B deficiency seems to have to do with morning sickness, as all over-the-counter medication for morning sickness here seems to contain them.

Anyway, I wouldn't take anything that made me feel ill. Sorry.

I took 7 Seas as well and they were fine. I found them easier to take than pregnacare which had a funny after taste I found. You may well not need them if you have a decent diet (although a folic acid supplement is recommended regardless of how good your diet is) but as you say that your diet hasn't been great previously I reckon a vitamin wouldn't hurt. You can always stop taking them if they don't agree with you.

Your midwife will be expecting you to take pregnacare, and it certainly wont harm the baby. But its your choice. I know I feel better taking vitamins to fill any gaps in my diet.

I just take vit d and folic acid, although I have a fairly varied diet.

I did take pregnacare or own brand pregnancy vits last time and didn't have any problems with them.

Also, babies are exceptionally efficient at getting what they need from you, so I wouldn't worry too much about supplements (apart from the folic acid in the first trimester).

Supplements are expensive and over rated in my opinion, many aren't very bioavailable. A great example is folic acid which our bodies are poor at converting to folate which is what is actually needed (if getting a supplement get FOLATE).You plan on overhauling your diet which is by far the best thing you can do. Get plenty of veg and full fat dairy.

Thanks all. I'm completely new to this so I honestly haven't known what to think lol a mum-friend of mine swore by pregnacare so I have bought them for now, I'm pretty good with swallowing tablets (until I feel sick anyway!) so I'm going to see how they go but if I feel uncomfortable or weird, I will just stop taking them. And definitely need to overhaul my diet, I'm a junk food addict and how I'm not overweight is a miracle but whereas it's more than just my waistline I'm worried about now, I'm looking for proper healthy nutrition.
Can anyone offer any websites/links where I can find some good info on diet/healthy living when pregnant? Or any books?

I use tesco. Pregnacare made me sick

Asda and Tesco own brand pregnancy vitamins have identical ingredients to Pregnacare. I have the Asda ones and they are about £3-£4 I think- a lot cheaper and you get more in the pack.

I take pregnacare max. They have omega 3 tablets with them.

I've taken pregnacare with my other three children too no problem.

The main thing to take is the folic acid. If you struggle with big pills, the supermarket folic acid tablets are usually tiny unlike a few of the pregnancy multi vitamins.

Best quality, but they are not cheap are Viridian. High quality ingredients, much better than the pregnacare style ones, which are hard vitamins, rather than the capsule, powered Viridian ones which are absorbed better and natural.

www.viridian-nutrition.com/why.aspx

I originally took pregnacare but switched to Centrum as they're a little smaller. I did have some of the Boots own brand at one point but they were disgusting!