Midwife's comments on pregnacare

[LongJohnGlitter]

Hi there

This post / question is not meant to upset anyone - I am just looking for some advice or reassurance myself.

I'll keep it short: my midwife told me that pregnacare are a waste of money and that multivitamins in general are ineffective. Speaking as someone who was very unwell (couldn't stomach any meat, dairy, even my beloved porridge) - during most of this pregnancy and barely ate, I was relying on the pregnacare for peace of mind. If she's right, I haven't been getting nearly enough of anything - vit d, zinc, b12, iodine etc . I'm 30 weeks, have been feeling better for the past 6 weeks, baby is measuring fine, my bloods are ok, and I'm clinging on to that.

In my case I felt I needed a multivitamin as my diet was atrocious. All I ate crackers and frozen berries because I was ill. That went on until...maybe middle of April.

Many babies are born having developed under those circumstances, I wouldn’t worry at all about that - they only need tiny amounts of nutrients from you at that stage (think how tiny they are!) you could do worse than crackers anyway, flour is fortified with vitamins and berries are great. You get more vitamins than you think from simple foods. I just ate beige food and grapes for about 3 months and couldn’t even stomach a pregnacare tablet at that point - I only took vitamin D and folic acid until I was about 5 months pregnant.

It's strange as the IVF unit said to take a pregnancy multivitamin/pregnacare prior to an IVF cycle.

they will have been extensively tested, they will be able to break down. Think how many millions of women use solely them every year for their pregnancies. We'd know by now if they were totally useless.

I agree, especially since folic acid has been proven to make such a significant difference - if the folic acid is being absorbed why wouldn’t the rest be? It just sounds like scare mongering nonsense to me. Most vitamin tablets, including pregnacare, generally provide more than you need and your body just gets rid of the excess - it’s often considered a waste of money because you end weeing out most of your money worth.

Lots of women, myself included, suffer fro. HG so our diet and fluid intake is abysmal. This is obviously a worry we have all had.

I was assured first time round that baby takes what it needs from you regardless of diet. That was exactly right. I had HG the whole time so terrible diet. He was born absolutely fine.

You wont be doing your baby any harm, please dont worry. I only took/take vitd and folic acid and have been encouraged to both times.

I felt really ill whilst taking pregnacare. Lots of nausea, and stomach problems. Stopped taking it for a about a month as I had run out felt fine. Started it again when I got some more, felt as rough as hell. Stopped it and then felt fine again. Just took regular multivitamins and then I was fine!

@StoneSourFan I am feeling reassured by all the replies here and i hope you are too. I didn't mean to worry anyone by repeating my midwife's opinion. My GP told me to take pregnacare. When it was found that my iron stores were low she said to keep taking pregnacare. Imagine all the women who are told to take it when they become pregnant - if the folic acid wasn't absorbable it would be a scandal. I'm feeling better, and I hope you are not upset.

In scotland you get given vitamins to take while pregnant the midwifes give you them throughout your pregnancy so they must be helpful or they wouldnt be give out by the NHS..

My doctor and midwife both recommended pregnacare specifically. I can't see any downside of taking it so have down throughout

My consultants at my IVF clinic and my NHS team all told me not to bother with multivitamins as 95% doesnt absorb. I was advised folic, iron and vitamin D, that was all. My clinic refused to allow me to take multis because they said their is evidence that in some women it causes miscarriage. It all depends on what your levels are when your blood is tested.

@Chista normal multivitamins yes due to the vitamin A that can cause miscarriages/foetal deformities.

It hasn't worried me OP don't worry! I have a very health 11 month old. The way vitamins work is that your body takes what it needs and then gets rid of the excess. It's just the different advice people give. I think your midwife was just giving her personal opinion on the matter. I think you have done the right thing by taking them OP xx

Research has shown that expensive multivitamins are not necessary during pregnancy.
In the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, researchers say they looked at all evidence and found that branded multivitamin supplements did not boost the health of mothers and babies.
Pregnancy supplements typically contain more than 20 vitamins and minerals, including vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, folic acid, iodine, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and selenium. They cost about £15 a month.
The researchers added that pregnant women should make sure they take folic acid and Vitamin D, which are available at relatively low cost, often own branded, from pharmacies or supermarkets, as well as eating a well-balanced diet.

Just take b12, vitamin D and folic, and an iron liquid suppliment. The vitamin industry is such a rip off, surely this isn't new information! They are huge companies selling you a brand. When it's clear you can get what you need with supermarket own labeled ones. They even do a pregnacare vitamin in all supermarkets at a fraction of the price.

The obsession with pregnacare is baffling to me.

You can get organic liquid vitamins that absorb better that arnt as expensive as those horse pills.

The NHS in Scotland give all expectant mums free multivitamins for the duration of your pregnancy so therefore would think that your MW is talking nonsense....

To be honest your midwife is brilliant, she's actually telling you the truth and like it is! What more can you ask from a decent midwife. She sounds fantastic, you've got a good one there where later on you'll forget all this vitamin stuff and just be so happy you have a smart independent thinking midwife who is honest with you. Those are gold dust ☺️

@ALC1985 yes standard cheap vitamins that have folic and vitamin D in, and a few other thrown in for the very very few woman who are actually deficient so they don't fa through the net so to speak. They are not encouraging women to buy pregnacare that's stuffed filled with every bloody suppliment under the sun at vast cost!

To be honest your midwife is brilliant, she's actually telling you the truth and like it is! What more can you ask from a decent midwife. She sounds fantastic, you've got a good one there where later on you'll forget all this vitamin stuff and just be so happy you have a smart independent thinking midwife who is honest with you. Those are gold dust ☺️

High praise indeed... are you the midwife??

When it's clear you can get what you need with supermarket own labeled ones. They even do a pregnacare vitamin in all supermarkets at a fraction of the price.

So? I thought you said the midwife was spot on - she basically said any pregnancy combined vitamin tablet is a waste of time because you don’t absorb the vitamins. For some reason she’s under the impression that taking them all separately means you do absorb them... Not sure what the science behind that is but yes she’s utterly amazing and brilliant as you said.

@Pinkblueberry no but when so many pregnant women currently are not even seeing their midwives or being fobbed off about their concerns because there just isn't the budget or the time or the services , someone who's actually come face to face with a midwife who is being honest is pretty much unheard of. Im the op of a due Nov/Dec thread and boy the treatment and support of so many of the pregnant women on there has been outrageous. Some who are nearly twenty weeks have only spoken on the phone to their midwives once.

They are a waste of money.
I had HG and had many conversations with doctors etc as I was worried I could stomach the vitamins; all doctors told me not to worry as they aren't necessary

@Pinkblueberry I obviously meant that you can buy the vitamin D and folic separate or if the op still wants to take the whole 'suppliment' ones that supermarkets do them combined at a fraction of the price which is true. I didn't say they would do any good or do anything, but they will have the same ingredients in as pregnacare if that's what she wants.

Pregnancy is about personal choice so I was giving the option of her at least saving money if she felt she needed or still chooses to take a full suppliment.

Her midwife didn't say this I did. Didnt you read my post? It was quite obvious I was just giving her options

@Pinkblueberry but yes I do personally think she is spot on like many other posters, nurses, doctor's ect ect. Im pregnant with twins currently and wouldn't take a whole load of unnecessary vitamins I can't absorb that will likely make me queasy or constipated. And after twelve weeks folic is useless anyway as it can't cross the placenta to the baby anyway.

I'm sure your comments have been really helpful here 🤦

We are given them off the midwife for free in Scotland. Surely if they were pointless they wouldn't bother? Not pregnacare obviously but a prenatal multivitamin

Wouldn't expect much more from someone who mostly hangs out on aibu though. This is the pregnancy board btw @Pinkblueberry, It's about being helpful here and adding your opinion, not deciding whether other posters are being unreasonable

Thanks ladies for all your help. fwiw I think my mw could have let me know this info before my 30 week mark - after my baby is born i won't be thinking how wonderful she was!

there were comments earlier from a pharmacist and a midwife, who rightly pointed out that millions of women take pregnacare, and if it was rubbish we'd know it. I'm speaking from the perspective of someone who could barely eat and who needed supplement support. If supplements are not required and diet is sufficient to support mum and baby, then perhaps they are a waste of money for some.

Thanks to the ladies too who reminded me that I was doing my best for my baby We'll see in ten weeks what the outcome was x

The consultant at the recurrent miscarriage clinic told me specifically to take pregnacare next time.

Was also advised to take pregnacare by midwives when pregnant with dd.