Vitamin confusion and size!

[Jay0512]

Hi all,

I’ll be 12 weeks in two weeks and so far have been taking boots own (separate) vitamin D and Folic acid. My midwife informed me that I should stop taking both after 12 weeks and change to Pregnacare plus and take this throughout the rest of my pregnancy (one with omega 3). When researching this, the pregnacare plus actually has folic acid and vitamin d in it, the two vitamins that she told me to stop taking. So what’s the deal? Why has she told me to stop taking them to just continue to take them with a different brand? Am I missing something?

Secondly, I really struggle to swallow large tablets and the pregnacare plus with omega (and other similar brands) are HUGE! If I do need to take them, has anyone got any idea if they (or another brand) come in a smaller size? Or even liquid?

Thank you :)

Pregnacare does a liquid version, I thought you have to continue vitamin D but not the folic acid so I would get further clarification. Midwife didn't advise me about it and I m 12 weeks tommorow so going to stop the folic acid and carry on with the vitamin d.

There is a specific amount of vitamin d and folic acid women are advised to take so pregnancy vitamins have the correct dosage (I don't know the amount off the top of my head). I expect the midwife is advising a multivitamin just in case you become deficient in any other vitamin, anaemia is pretty common in pregnancy.

I agree about the size of pregnacare tablets! I preferred the Asda own brand pregnancy vitamins which have a separate omega tablet.

I have carried on taking folic acid and vitamin D in one tablet now as my midwife said folic acid is fine to keep on taking as it also contains iron which is needed during pregnancy.

She just means start taking pregnacare because it has both of them and more. She has only said stop taking them on top of the pregnacare so you're not taking too much.

She's just recommending a full pregnancy multivitamin, opposed to taking two tablets that don't give you the full range of supplements you might need to add to your diet.
Why she would specifically recommend pregnacare is strange though, they're hecka spensive and supermarket brands do the same job.

As PP have said, it probably wasn't meant as much as a 'Don't take folic acid or vitamin d' but rather a 'take a multivitamin so you're getting everything in one tablet'.
I think there's 30-odd vitamins in the pregnancy ones (doesn't need to be pregnacare) and all at the correct dosage. If you took those along with your current tablets you'd be taking too much.

You need the vitamin d all through pregnancy. You don't really need the folic acid after 3 months but lots of people take it the whole way through (I don't). Pregnacare plus has both of these plus omega 3 plus a load of other "nice to haves" so you don't need anything else.

Personally after 12 weeks I take vitamin d, omega 3 and iron.

NB if you are taking them separately do check to see if they have anything extra in them and make sure you're not doubling up.

Thanks for the replies, very helpful! I’ve just seen the liquid version online so might give that a go then, dread to think what it will taste like! It doesn’t have omega 3 in it, should I try and find a separate supplement for this or am I okay without? Thanks x

@Jay0512 you don't need it as such, but it's supposed to be good for the baby's brain development, especially in the last trimester. The capsules are a bugger to take though - so big! I actually puked on the kitchen floor at one point directly after taking them

Now I take "Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA" which has slimmer capsules so easier to take. Or you could just make sure you're eating 2 portions of oily fish a week (you shouldn't have more than 2 portions due to the pollutants in them).

Thank you x

You dont really need the other vitamins in pregnacare. They are expensive too. I'm sure there are cheaper versions that do the same job - or just take vitamin D as that's the only one that's recommended after 12 weeks

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/vitamins-minerals-supplements-pregnant/