Can Pregnacare Max be THAT good?

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Hi ladies! I was just hoping to gather some first hand opinions on this one.

I'm currently 30 weeks pregnant and up until a couple of weeks ago I'd been taking Pregnacare Max. It's pretty expensive but I'd been getting it when it was on offer, places I can get discount etc. I mainly splashed out because when I looked into it early on in pregnancy, a lot of women did say they felt a lot better when taking it over the cheaper stuff. And to be honest, I have honestly felt GREAT all pregnancy, which believe me I am super appreciative of.

But then I ran out, and as I've managed to gather quite a few free sample boxes of the regular Pregnacare and other non-brand vitamins I've just been taking them. I assumed I wouldn't notice any difference, and baby is doing great in there and won't come out kicking up a fuss that I switched to a cheaper alternative.

But last week or two I've started with a lot of pregnancy complaints, by far the biggest being that my ankles are really really achey and sore like my joints just can't handle me anymore. Even walking up and down the stairs just HURTS. I'm waking up with really achey legs like I climbed a mountain the day before when honestly I've been taking it pretty easy. Also, I'm knackered. And I can't help but realise that it coincides with me running out of the more expensive supplement! Now, I'm not stupid - I realise it also coincides with me hitting the third trimester which is when most women start to feel a bit more of the pregnancy slog.

So just reassure me before I go out and spend a fortune on supplements I don't need - I'd be starting to feel rubbish about now regardless of how fancy my vitamins are, right? All those stories of people saying they felt 100% better on Pregnacare Max were exaggerating and I can keep taking my freebies? Or are you ladies all gonna tell me that yes, in fact, Pregnacare Max made you feel like wonder woman?

I know the real answer is, if I'm really wondering about it, buy some more and do it for science! But honestly I want to spend all my money on baby clothes (like I have been doing, I think I have a problem), not on some possibly placebo pills when I have perfectly good (free) alternatives to hand.

Thanks in advance for your input!

I've just been taking the seven seas one so no advice on specific brands
But when I was looking into them I just stood in Boots and compared what's in them against each other and with seven seas on offer I went with that one as all were much of a likeness (same amounts of vits) and like you bulk bought when on offer

It's the same with any meds, if the ingredients are the same why pay £5 for paracetamol in a known brand when coop do them for 79p!

Hope you feel better soon x

As a midwife I tend to advise women to take the cheapest folic acid and vitamin D supplement available (and that they can swap to just vitamin D after the first trimester) and eat a healthy, balanced diet. If they are struggling to eat a healthy diet, they might need to consider a multivitamin. Everything else is just marketing.

I think it’s likely you’re just starting to feel the effects of being in your third trimester!

Im 30 weeks too and have been hit by achy legs this week. It's horrible - they hurt at night so much! I haven't stopped taking pregnacare max at all so in my case that's nothing to do with it. I've also felt great all pregnancy (apart from early nausea) until now. I doubt it is a result of switching tablets. If you think it will reassure you, you could just pay the money and get another box to see... but I think sadly as we're hitting the third trimester we're finally being hit by annoying pregnancy ailments! I was feeling quite smug when my pregnant friends were moaning about how rubbish pregnancy is... now I am finally understand! Hope you feel better anyway... and let me know if you find a way of curing the achy legs thing!!

I took pregnacare like for 2 weeks in my whole pregnancy when I first found out I was pregnant. I felt fine all through my pregnancy and just made sure I had my iron and ate my veggies. Of course I felt all the ache at the end, legs killed but told it was normal.

The seven seas one is really cheap in savers if there's one near you.

I took pregnancies max with my first and am now with my second. It's 3 for 2 in boots.
I like that it has everything I need to help baby and that I know I'm getting what I need if a have a few off days eating.
If you can afford it for last few weeks I would.