Which is the best Prenatal multivitamin?

[Apurva08]

Hi,

I have just found out I am pregnant, and wanted to get suggestions on the best Prenatal multivitamin?

I have been reading about Choline, Omega 3, DHA, etc. And want to ensure I take a vitamin with all the necessary ingredients. I am okay even if it's a bit pricey. Please suggest

Personally I prefer the seven seas one to the pregnacare ones. They have ginger in so are more soothing on the tummy - the pregnacare ones made me feel really nauseous.

Thanks SillyBry! Would you have any thoughts on other brands I read about like Garden of life, baby and me 2 etc

I'm using the Zita West ones which come in different trimester formulations. It has the more bio available forms of the vitamins, like methyl folate rather than folic acid etc. You buy the DHA separately and it is pricey, but I figure I'm saving money on booze etc

"Best" will be very debatable I think. But I agree with you on the likely importance of DHA/Omega 3 and Choline. I eventually decided on the Naturelo Pre-Natal as it was recommended in the fertility book "It Starts with the Egg", although it no longer contains DHA as apparently it made the capsules "fishy".

2 capsules a day gives you more than the NHS recommended dose of Folate, Vitamin D3, B12 and Iron amongst others (and all are the more expensive easily absorbed "versions") - so it costs me about £13 a month. It's does say 3 capsules a day on the bottle but that's because America where it's made has higher limits/recommendations. It contains Choline, but not enough so I just make sure I eat eggs at least every other day - similarly I take a separate Fish oil for the DHA.

Thanks @IamnotwhouthinkIam for the detailed information! Very helpful! Did you get a go ahead from your midwife or GP before taking it?
I asked my GP but she was reluctant to give an opinion

@Newmumtobe08 , Ha, no chance! - I've never been able to get a Doctor, Nurse etc to give me an opinion on supplements and I've been having IVF for nearly 3 years before I got pregnant, so was/still am on lots of supplements.

They just seem to repeat the standard NHS advice - to make sure you take your Folic acid and Vitamin D3 but they don't recommend particular brands (and they haven't even mentioned the possible importance of it being Methylfolate rather than Folic acid in case you are one of the people who can't process Folic acid properly).

The only recommendation I've ever had was for Myo -inositol for PCOS (from a gynaecologist) but most medical professionals are really reluctant to commit themselves about supplement use I think. Luckily (or unfortunately) because I was trying for so long, I've had lots of time to research!

I've been taking a standard pregnancy vitamin (have been through various brands, whichever is in the shop usually). I tried pregnacare and Holland and Barratt ones which came with omega 3 but found the omega 3 supplements had too much of an aftertaste (plus they made my morning sickness even worse!). I've now got bare biology omega 3, not cheap but they seem good!

A private fertility doctor recommended me the following:
Wild Nutrition Pregnancy
Bare Biology Omega 3
Vitamin D

Extremely pricey and I don't really have anything else to compare to as it's my first pregnancy but been feeling ok so far!

I am a supplement snob and did a lot of research and Pregnacare Max seems be the best blend.

I also take Nordic Naturals Omega 3 and vitamin D, and take super clean greens powder by Pukka.

@IamnotwhouthinkIam what is the recommended choline dose in pregnancy? I must admit I hadn't heard of it so might have a look!

Thanks for all the great suggestions! Any thoughts on garden of life or baby and me2 supplements?

In my research, I have Read about importance of folate (instead of folic acid), choline (for baby's brain and spinal cord development), DHA, B12, Omega 3. And also to ensure that vitamin A is from beta carbonate.
Rituals is one of the best fit I found as per the above requirements, but sadly they don't deliver to the UK.
I also read that supplements from food sources (like Garden of life) are easier on the tummy and better absorbed. So I am doing all my research to land on the final prenatal

I take cytoplasm pregnacare multivitamins and bare biology fish oil, plus take an optibac probiotic.

I did a nutrition course and a lot of vitamin tablets were discouraged due to being packed with fillers and the vitamins in them being synthetic, so not easily absorbed by the body.

The ones I take are made from whole foods, the fish oil is mercury free, etc. Pricey, but I know I'm putting goodness inside me 😀

Cytoplan, not cytoplasm

@WetherspoonsCarpet - In the US they recommend 450 mg a day for pregnancy, not sure if it's the same in the UK too. But I have never found a prenatal that contains anywhere near that amount - even Vitafem by Vita West only contains 30 mg. The Naturelo contains 100 mg but I only take 2 capsules (so roughly 63mg) - so I try to make sure I eat eggs regularly as they are highest in choline (it's in lower numbers in other foods too - mainly meat and fish but a little in other dairy and some beans and veg like broccoli and peas.)

@Pitstop1986

I take cytoplasm pregnacare multivitamins and bare biology fish oil, plus take an optibac probiotic.

I did a nutrition course and a lot of vitamin tablets were discouraged due to being packed with fillers and the vitamins in them being synthetic, so not easily absorbed by the body.

The ones I take are made from whole foods, the fish oil is mercury free, etc. Pricey, but I know I'm putting goodness inside me 😀

Completely agree about the annoying fillers - I spent a while trying to find one that didn't have the typical magnesium stearate in but wasn't too expensive.

I really wish I could get on with the Whole Food ones - Cytoplan is a really good price for a whole food vitamin, but the size and the smell/taste! When I tried them a few years ago (when I first started IVF), I could only just stomach them - so I would never have managed them with my first trimester nausea unfortunately. But maybe they've changed formulation?

I take a Optibac too! - I'm on a ridiculous number of supplements

@IamnotwhouthinkIam thank you, that's very helpful!

Thanks for all the great suggestions! @IamnotwhouthinkIam I finally decided on Naturelo after almost 3 hours of research. Thanks for suggesting it! One issue I have is, it gives only 67mg of Choline in 2 tablets (as you mentioned) and I don't eat eggs. So is there another recommended source of Choline? Any tablets/supplement brands?

And is Beta carotene 700ug safe? I have Read that Vit A should be minimum in prenatals as they are harmful in high doses. But wasn't sure if this natural form of Vit A is OK to take or note

Sorry, I've no idea about a recommended Choline supplement brand @Newmumtobe08, although as I mentioned Choline is in a lot of foods (just in smaller amounts than in eggs) so you might be getting some already if you eat meat/fish daily as well as dairy, cruciferous vegetables, nuts, beans, grains etc - it all adds up. See here: ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/

But if you want to have a google - there could be a Choline supplement out there without extra fillers, however if not then I think the standard big name brands like Solgar do them (with fillers).

Hopefully I can reassure you on the Vitamin A though - everything I've read says as long as it's in Beta - Carotene form, it's safe in pregnancy (your body should only convert the amount it needs to Vitamin A).

Sorry is this for when you're pregnant or before? It took me a year to get pregnant naturally at 38 after unexplained infertility.

Terra Nova Prenatal was what I used to get pregnant. Viridian Fertility is supposed to be good too.

I also took daily

• 600mg ubiquinol
• NAC
• Inositol
• R-lipoic acid
• Inositol
• Methylfolate

(All Life Extension or Jarrow brands)

• omega 3 (Nordic naturals)
• vitamin D (biocare)

Plus natural remedies daily / or at certain times in the month

• Messima & Cordyceps mushrooms
• querticin
• schisandra berry extract
• milk thistle
• goji
• shatavari
• red clover
• ginger
• turmeric

Plus

• symprove probiotics
• glutamine
• low dose aspirin
• levothyroxine

A lot of supplements but was just about to start IVF so was preparing body and detoxing, and fell pregnant naturally x

@summerhillgang Thank you for your post! It's really helpful and useful info!