Community Question: Prenatal Supplements
2012
Prenatal supplements. I get a lot of emails about these guys. Let’s be honest, the idea of growing a person can be very daunting, and most women want to make sure they are doing their best to nourish their children. And while I do have some thoughts on supplements in general, as well as some pretty definitive suggestions about the best kind of diet for pregnancy, I am always a little hesitant to give out “expert” advice on prenatal supplements.
What do you think about prenatal supplements?
The truth is I read a lot of different view points about supplements in general. I’ve seen countless recommendations for particular brands. And I’ve seen a lot of debate about the effectiveness of supplements in general. Some say they are necessary due to our depleted soil (makes sense to me). Some say they do very little and only a tiny percentage is actually absorbed in our body (makes sense to me). And some agree with both of these statements but still feel supplements are important if for no other reason than to give the woman some peace of mind (which also makes sense to me).
This got me thinking… You know what? You guys are really smart. I appreciate your experiences, research, and feedback more than you might realize. And I bet if we put all our knowledge together we’d have a wealth of wisdom that could help each other make the most informed decision possible.
Time to put out a community question!
It’s a simple idea, but it needs your support to really reach its potential. Today’s question is about prenatal supplements. So let’s discuss it. I want this to be an open forum where all ideas are respected, different points of views are presented, and a real sense of community can happen.
With that in mind there are some rules to make the most of this experience.
1. Be respectful.
The questions posed here will often be of a sensitive nature. This means that our words can be full of passion, zeal, and commitment. This is great. But we must remember that not everyone shares the same ideas on diet, nutrition, and living. So while I urge you to post your ideas, any disrespectful or hurtful comments about other ideas will not be allowed.
2. Support your ideas when you can.
I’m not suggesting you need to give me a literary review with your comment, but if you talk about a specific study please link up to it so we can all read it. If you’ve written a post, please link up to that, too!
3. Be open minded.
Try to see the other person’s point of view. This may help us all to come to a better understanding of what really are the best practices. And remember, there is almost never a one-size-fits-all solution. What worked for you may not be the answer for someone else. Be open to that.
4. Spread the word
The more comments we get the greater our “database” of information will be. Ask your friends to join the discussion. Let’s really dig deep!
That’s it! Let’s do this:
Leave your comments and answer any of the following questions:
- What do you think about prenatal supplements or vitamins?
- If you used/use them, what were your favorite brands? Least favorite?
- If you didn’t/don’t use them, why not? What do you do to support your diet for pregnancy/conception?
- Have any other questions about this subject? Ask them in the comments!
And remember, you don’t have to be an expert to have expert advise on your experience. So don’t be shy. Speak up. Comment!
One last thing: Quality makes a big difference. You can find quality supplements here.
This post is part of Monday Mania, Fat Tuesday, and Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival.
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I took a variety of prenatal vitamins while pregnant with my first daughter, and I continue to as I nurse her. She is now 16 months. Here is a post where I discuss each vitamin or supplement and why I take it: http://ashleysgreenlife.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-prenatal-vitamins-and-supplements.html
I’m vegan, so I felt some pressure from others and myself to make sure and cover all the nutritional bases that my diet may have been a slight bit shorter in like B 12 and calcium.
The main prenatal I used was Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Multivitamin. I’m not sure if it was because of this prenatal, or my diet, or my genes, but I did not have any morning sickness my entire pregnancy. This prenatal did not make me sick or queasy after taking it either. And since it’s raw and made of food sources, you don’t have to take it with food. Another benefit is that it was gluten-free and soy-free. I found it agreed very well with my body. Those are my reccomendations! Can’t wait to see what everyone else’s favorites are!
Awesome, Ashley! Thanks for sharing!
I think this is a good reminder that different diets demand different considerations. I love that we have options available to us to help us where we need it.
I also used Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Multivitamin when I was pregnant. I had switched over from a different whole food supplement and found this one easier to get down. I also had a really easy pregnancy.
Thanks for commenting!
I am very leery of any sythentic vitamins because I dont think our bodies absorb them very well. I would prefer to get everything I need from food, but realize my diet isn’t perfect, nor is the soil my food is grown/raised on. That being said, when I do get pregnant I plan on using a home made herbal vitamin like this one: http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2012/01/23/monday-health-wellness-herbal-multivitamin-tincture/#.UDuzEMLCufE
Yes, synthetic vitamins kind of make me leery, too. I think our bodies were designed to get things in the form of food… along with all the complex, synergistic “other stuff” that is in our food that we don’t yet understand. I love the link you included! Thank you!
I followed the dietary recommendations of the WAPF for pregnant and nursing mothers – http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/diet-for-pregnant-and-nursing-mothers.
I don’t believe vitamins are necessary with a healthy diet
Thanks, Tiffany! I agree for the most part. I do know that for some people getting a nutrient dense diet as recommended by WAPF can be expensive or difficult to find. And I sometimes think the RIGHT kind of supplements can be useful to getting people back on track if they have years of poor eating under their belt. But I’ve always felt better about getting my nutrition from food instead of pills.
I had my kids over 20 years ago. I took the prenatal vitamins the Dr, recommended. My diet was really bad at that time and it really made a difference in my energy levels. I now know so much more and would do things differently. I eat very healthy and would only need to take a few supplements as needed. I try to use food as my medicine.
Awesome, Kim. I agree that for some people supplements may be useful, especially if their diet is bad (or they are just getting into healthy eating). I eat a nutrient dense diet, but recently went to my naturopath who did some blood work. I was ridiculously low in my vitamin D (even though I take FCLO every day). I’ve been taking some vitamin D3 (LOTS of it) and it has made a huge difference. Thankfully, I was told only to take it for two months at this “mega dose” until my body balances back out. My ultimate goal, obviously, is to get to where my food is main source of nutrition. But I do think this is an example where QUALITY supplements have their place.
Thanks for commenting!
Hi Robin,
I am in the same situation…I take FCLO but a recent blood test shows low vitamin D levels. Go Seattle! Anyway, I was wondering what brand/dose of D3 were you taking? And did you still take FCLO while mega dosing on D3? I don’t like anything synthetic, but I really don’t want to stay at a low level of such an essential vitamin! Thanks for any help!
Hi Kirsten,
On the recommendation from my MD (who’s also a homeopathic doctor) I was taking 10,000 IU a day of D3 for two months. I honestly don’t remember the brand, sorry. I continued to take my FCLO during that time (but only two capsules a day). I am still taking 5,000 IU of D3 and my FCLO and will go back in a month or so to get tested and see how my levels are. And while I rather not take synthetic vitamins, it has made a HUGE difference. I’m no longer a walking zombie.
Good luck. It can be tricky.
For the most part I think it is important for women to take high-quality supplements during pregnancy. Unless someone who eats a very healthy diet is 100% healthy, has great gut function, and has done some detoxification before pregnancy. Then I think they may be able to do well without supplements.
The problem is that most women are not in this high level of health and/or do not eat this well. So, supplements have a place for sure. But they should be of the best quality (as someone else mentioned), which means getting them from a care-provider. And it is important to buy from a care-provider who is not relying on supplement sales as a major source of income. And she should offer a variety of companies. There is no one supplement company out there that is perfect. I like to source from a variety of companies.
At the least, there have been several studies documenting the effectiveness of B vitamins and ginger supplements to ameliorate “morning sickness”. And essential fatty acid deficiency is very common and can have long-lasting adverse effects on mama’s and baby’s health. I think it is worth it to supplement with a broad spectrum of EFAs.
Awesome advice, Jill. Thank you!!!
Hi Robin – Here’s a post I recently did on this topic:
http://www.holistickid.com/the-outlandish-alternative-to-prenatal-vitamins/
Thanks, Emily! I’m sure this will a great resource for everyone here. I definitely value your opinion on the matter.
I took prenatal vitamins throughout both of my pregnancies. I started months before conception. My second child, unfortunately, has midline defects including a spinal abnormality. Since then I’ve changed my way of eating from SAD to WAPF/GAPS. As I consider conceiving another child I have to wonder if I should even bother with supplements again, given that I don’t feel that they really benefited my second pregnancy. One thing to consider is that those of us with the MTHFR mutation (which is roughly 1/3 of us) can’t convert folic acid into its active form. The folic acid may actually be detrimental to us. Instead we need to eat/supplement folate. I now eat a lot of liver to compensate.
I was hoping that your post was going to give me a definitive answer on what to do!
Hi Liz! I so wish I had the definitive answer. I just think it gets really complicated.
I appreciate you sharing your experience. I think we as women have so much stress on doing everything right, especially when pregnant. And while I do think there is a HUGE benefit to changing our diets for the better, I don’t know if we can ever avoid some of the health challenges that just come with life.
I really am glad you bring up the folic acid thing. This is probably the number one scare tactic used against women to take supplements. Just goes to show that there really is no one-size-fits-all approach. All we can do is do our best.