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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Who takes pregnacare beyond 12 weeks?!

29 replies

Bumblealong1 · 30/04/2018 09:53

Hi all.
I keep getting given conflicting advice.
I bought pregnacare tablets for my second trimester. They are ones that are labelled as being suitable for all the way through.
Issue is, all their stuff, contains Folic Acid.

I’ve been told my one midwife that folic acid after 12 weeks isn’t beneficial but does no harm. But then my main midwife yesterday told me it causes increased chance of tongue tie and I shouldn’t take anything with it in.
I don’t understand why pregnacare have it in all their stuff if that is the case.

Can I ask, what are others taking for second and third trimester?

Many thanks

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
pastabest · 30/04/2018 10:03

Pregnacare is a huge massive scam anyway (in my opinion).

After the first trimester you only really need to take vitamin D which only costs a couple of pounds for a whole pregnancy, unless you are deficient in something else too e.g iron.

Both midwives are correct, taking folic acid after 12 weeks isn't going to 'harm' your baby but there is an increased chance of tongue tie. I wa also told that they have possibly also found that higher levels of folic acid causes babies to have more hair as well when they are born but my midwife may have been talking bollocks. I did have a very hairy baby though.

isthismummy · 30/04/2018 10:06

Was Pat Mustard the father though @pastabest?Grin

ShirleyValentineswall · 30/04/2018 10:12

Was Pat Mustard the father though Grin

I took it all through pregnancy and DS didn't have tongue tie but this is anecdata I suppose. Far too expensive for what it is though.

FallenAngel89 · 30/04/2018 10:15

I was taking them, then had the vitamins my MW gave me but they gave me chronic belly ache and constipation, so bad it would make me cry so now I don't and it's gone away. Never did with 4 previous DC just the folic acid in the beginning and they are perfectly healthy 😊

Mousefunky · 30/04/2018 10:18

Tongue tie isn’t serious or debilitating. My son has a small one, I chose not to snip it when he was born so he’s eight and still lives with it. It hasn’t affected his life in any way... hardly a disability!

I would rather not risk being low on nutrients such as iron.

Honey456 · 30/04/2018 10:21

I take them because my iron was getting low and I was starting to get breathless/ faint when walking. Also they have vitamin D etc so just seemed easier to keep taking them. I stopped taking them for a few weeks and I feel better now I’m taking them again- might just be a psychological thing though :)

DuchyDuke · 30/04/2018 10:24

If you are anemic, and some pregnant ladies can become so quite late & are not diagnosed, folic acid and iron can prevent 1) the need for a blood transfusion 2) Result in higher weight babies. Undiagnosed Anemia in late pregnancy is the reason why UK born Indian women have lower weight babies than Indian women in India (they treat it there.

AiredaleFan · 30/04/2018 10:26

Folic acid causes tongue tie? I'd like to see the fully scientific methodology and study with double blind element that led to that conclusion! What a crock...

Bobbiepin · 30/04/2018 10:28

The link between folic acid and tongue tie is anecdotal and not supported by research (yet). It was unprofessional of your midwife to tell you that.

I took pregnacare the whole way through, but I also have a malabsorption disorder and an extra large dose of vitamins wasn't going to do me any harm. I still wound up aneamic, even with the extra iron so I would do it again. In a totally healthy pregnancy, vitamin D is all you need after 12 weeks.

DuchyDuke · 30/04/2018 10:29

If Folic acid in late pregnancy caused tongue tie every Asian person would have it - it’s common to take folate until breasfeeding has finished - but that’s not the case at all.

Nichola2310 · 30/04/2018 10:37

My midwife gave me a sample of pregnacare at my 12 week appointment and told me to start it. Prior to that I had only been taking folic acid. Due to having so much nausea and loss of appetite I’ve continued to take the pregnacare and I’m 21 weeks now.

Ninjamilo · 30/04/2018 10:41

I haven't taken anything since around 24 weeks, midwife said up to 12 weeks and I just carried on for a bit.

0310Star · 30/04/2018 10:43

I've been taking it all the way through bar a couple weeks after 12 weeks (28+6). I stopped at 12 weeks and went on to just Vit D but I was very poorly with the flu in the beginning (2 months straight) and felt an extra dose of multivits wouldn't hurt.
I believe it did eventually help me get over all the cold/flu I kept contracting so have just carried on. My midwife said it is perfectly fine to take all the way through if I felt it helped.

GlitterBurps · 30/04/2018 10:43

Hi I took pregnacare throughout both pregnancies. DS1 had tongue tie, DS2 didn’t.

EekThreek · 30/04/2018 10:58

I was never told that... in fact I was prescribed higher dose folic acid as my bmi was over 30 (actually 30.8, which I find ridiculous in itself, but hey ho).

DD was born with a lot less hair than her older siblings, but did have a significant tongue tie that caused a multitude of feeding issues in the early weeks until it was finally fixed on the second attempt. Still, those days are behind us now (she's 13 weeks) so even if it does cause problems, it's not forever.

Cosmoa · 30/04/2018 11:51

I didn't find out I was pregnant until I was 12 weeks and then took pregnacare until it ran out a few weeks ago. I'm 37 weeks now and I've not bothered to buy anymore. I eat healthy so I'm sure she's getting everything she needs Smile

Ekphrasis · 30/04/2018 12:26

But then my main midwife yesterday told me it causes increased chance of tongue tie and I shouldn’t take anything with it in.

No.

I believe that the issue is that a minority of people have or are missing a certain gene, the 'MTHFR defect,' that makes them unable to process synthetic folic acid into its usable form and they need the alternative version, folate.

Tongue tie is genetic, I believe passed on the father's side, but they think can also be congenital ie caused in the womb and is possibly linked to the midline defects, such as spina bifida.

For people with the MTHFR issue , they are much more at risk of having a baby with a midline defect as the normal folic acid they take is useless. They need folate instead.

The whole thing about not taking pregnacare after the first trimester is because most people don't need anything other than vitamin D if they are eating a healthy and varied diet and pregnacare is expensive. It has iodine in though which is important for baby if you don't eat much fish and dairy, as does the boots cheaper version or just a big standard a-z multivitamin.

I've taken pregnacare throughout both pregnancies; ds had a slight ptt but my husband has a noticeable tongue tie (v at end of tongue, can't stick it out far etc).

Tongue tie is so common that a lactation consultant I saw couldn't google an image of a 'normal' tongue when she was trying to show me what it should look like. Most tt issues can be addressed with careful positioning and support or can be cut.

As said above, find the double blind trial that shows it causes tt.

Ekphrasis · 30/04/2018 12:36

The thing is, if a mother has the MTHFR issue, taking the folic acid in the first trimester isn't going to be helpful for them; they need folate.

And vague googling shows the tongue will be developing during the first trimester and will be structurally whole by 14 weeks.,

StarkintheSouth · 30/04/2018 12:38

I took it all the way through (pregnacare and boots own brand) and DD is fine!

elefunk · 30/04/2018 12:49

I took it all the way through. Even if it was just making my pee extra special, I just wanted to cover all bases.
still taking the breastfeeding ones 10 months post partum Blush

Bobbiepin · 30/04/2018 14:34

@cosmos not that it would make any difference now, but folic acid & vit D supplements are recommended because they are so difficult to get just from food.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 30/04/2018 17:07

just a big standard a-z multivitamin

My understanding is that you shouldn't take a 'normal' multivitamin in pregnancy because of the vitamin A. Which is why I'm still taking pregnacare (28+6) - I take a multivitamin when not pregnant (even though I eat a varied vegetarian diet with a tonne of veg I still seem to get ill less when I do - I'm fully willing to accept that this could be psychosomatic!) and most are marked unsuitable for pregnant women for this reason.

bettydraper31 · 30/04/2018 17:09

I’m 40+2 and have been taking it all the way through. Box ran out last week and haven’t bothered getting a new pack for obvious reasons. I figured it couldn’t do any harm to keep it up. I’ve got my box of pregnacare breastfeeding to start once baby comes.

Ekphrasis · 30/04/2018 17:11

Yes Lisa, my mistake. Forgot about vit a, feels like I've been on preconception/ pregnancy / bf vits for ever.

EastDulwichWife · 30/04/2018 17:31

I've been told to avoid folic acid after 12 weeks due to tongue tie. Every baby born in my NCT class so far has been tongue tied, so it's clearly very common!

I just take Vitamin D, nothing else since 12 weeks.

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