Let's talk vitamins

[brusselssprout]

I bought prenatals last week, to replace the folic acid I was taking. They are the most well known brand here, but they don't have any calcium.

So I walked to the pharmacy and asked to buy calcium, they only had ones with vitamin D, and I already take vitamin D with my DD every morning (she loves it when I take the vit D drops too), plus the prenatal has vitamin D so I didn't want an overload of D. Which caused the pharmacist to get suspicious, and I explained I just wanted calcium since the prenatal (pointing to it on the shelf) has no calcium.

To which she went on a huge rant (in French) about how that is specifically formulated and the best possible mix of vitamins and I can't just go adding something to it like Calcium and why don't I just eat some dairy products. Which left me feeling stupid for even asking, and so I smiled and left.

What's in your prenatal vitamin? Does it have calcium? Should I try again at another pharmacy or online? Or should I just ask my ob when i see him next month?

Vitamines Par comprimé % AJR*

Vitamine C 180 mg 225%

Nicotinamide 20 mg 125%

Vitamine E 12 mg 100%

Vitamine B5 10 mg 167%

Bêta-carotène 3 mg 63% (vitamine A)**

Vitamine B6 2,2 mg 157%

Vitamine B2 1,6 mg 114%

Vitamine B1 1,5 mg 136%

Folates : 600 µg 300%

Acide folique 200µg 100%

L-methylfolate (=Metafolin®) 416 µg 200%

(Équivalent 400 µg acide folique)

Biotine 100 µg 200%

Vitamine D 10 µg 200%

Vitamine B12 2,7 µg 108%

Minéraux Par comprimé % AJR*

Magnésium 70 mg 19%

Fer 28 mg 200%

Zinc 15 mg 150%

Cuivre 1 mg 100%

Manganèse 1 mg 50%

Iode 150 µg 100%

* AJR = Apport Journalier Recommandé

** 3 mg de bêta-carotène correspondent à 500 µg Vitamine A

[adouces06]

I take Rainbow Light Prenatal One. I took them with my first and loved them. I get mine off amazon!

Here's the write up on what's in them:

[walterjenne]

I take the prescription my dr calls in. If the dr writes one, then I can use our HSA to pay for it and I don't have to look at all the bottles at the store. I feel sort of like a sheep, but it helps simplify life so I go with it.

[jwinct]

I take Nature Made Prenatal Multi + DHA. They do have Calcium. I buy them on Amazon and they are $15.22 for a bottle of 90 (I do Subscribe & Save, so with that discount they are $14.46). I like that they have DHA in them and you don't have to take a separate DHA pill.

[Deleted]

I take the ones from costco.

Medicinal Ingredients per Tablet:
Vitamins:
Beta Carotene 1500 mcg (2,500 IU)
Vitamin A (acetate) 300 mcg RAE (1000 IU)
Vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate) 13.5 mg ATE (30 IU)
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 85 mg
Folate (folic acid) 1000 mcg
Vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate) 1.4 mg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 1.4 mg
Niacinamide 18 mg
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) 1.9 mg
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) 2.6 mcg
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) 10 mcg (400 IU)
Biotin 30 mcg
Pantothenic Acid (calcium pantothenate) 6 mg

Minerals:
Calcium (calcium carbonate) 250 mg
Magnesium (magnesium oxide) 50 mg
Iodine (potassium iodide) 220 mcg
Iron (ferrous fumarate) 27 mg
Copper (sulfate) 1 mg
Zinc (zinc oxide) 7.5 mg
Chromium (chromium chloride) 30 mcg
Manganese (manganese sulfate) 2 mg
Molybdenum (sodium molybdate) 50 mcg
Selenium (sodium selenate) 30 mcg

[hikingmama222]

Feb 3, 2016 10:20:20 GMT -5 @snuff9861 said:

I take the ones from costco.

Medicinal Ingredients per Tablet:
Vitamins:
Beta Carotene 1500 mcg (2,500 IU)
Vitamin A (acetate) 300 mcg RAE (1000 IU)
Vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate) 13.5 mg ATE (30 IU)
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 85 mg
Folate (folic acid) 1000 mcg
Vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate) 1.4 mg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 1.4 mg
Niacinamide 18 mg
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) 1.9 mg
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) 2.6 mcg
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) 10 mcg (400 IU)
Biotin 30 mcg
Pantothenic Acid (calcium pantothenate) 6 mg

Minerals:
Calcium (calcium carbonate) 250 mg
Magnesium (magnesium oxide) 50 mg
Iodine (potassium iodide) 220 mcg
Iron (ferrous fumarate) 27 mg
Copper (sulfate) 1 mg
Zinc (zinc oxide) 7.5 mg
Chromium (chromium chloride) 30 mcg
Manganese (manganese sulfate) 2 mg
Molybdenum (sodium molybdate) 50 mcg
Selenium (sodium selenate) 30 mcg

These are the ones I take as well.

[raechay]

Ah, the French (I'm half, lol). You should have told her you were lactose intolerant and she can shove her dairy products where her puff pastry doesn't shine or something.

Anyway....may I suggest Amazon delivery? I take garden of life's vitamin code raw prenatal. I used to take rainbow light which @adouces kindly provided ingredients as above, and they were great too (I liked that they were one a day) but I have reason to think I don't process synthetic folic acid well, so I switched to vitamin code for the folate (plus taking L-methylfolate on the side). Calcium supplementation is important.

As an aside, extra vitamin D is usually not only ok but some OBs consider it beneficial- I'd call your OB to find the upper limit of what they'd recommend in first tri, as the calcium plus D3 might be perfect (even with the drops- but call the OB to be certain).

[WittyLittle]

Well you know what the dutch say about the Belgians! seriously rhough that makes no sense. I use 'dagravit mama&baby'. Maybe DH can pick some up when you've run out? Dosage is 120mg calcium in case you want to add it in the meantime!

www.ah.nl/producten/product/wi176841/dagravit-mama-en-baby

[WittyLittle]

Btw here also all the calcium tablets are mixed with vit d (or more). Was about to suggest that i send some over to you but it's not available. Maybe switching prenatal is the best idea? These dagravit ones come in packs of 100 so will last you quite a while!

[jen3225]

Feb 3, 2016 9:32:34 GMT -5 jwinct said:

I take Nature Made Prenatal Multi + DHA. They do have Calcium. I buy them on Amazon and they are $15.22 for a bottle of 90 (I do Subscribe & Save, so with that discount they are $14.46). I like that they have DHA in them and you don't have to take a separate DHA pill.

This is what I take as well.

OP-obviously ask your doctor but I take 1000% daily recommended value of vitamin D since the beginning of my first pregnancy when my levels were low. All that just gets me into the normal range. I think it's not terribly well absorbed and I think the amount you make with bare skin in the sun is quite high, so maybe overload is not a big concern?

[mamagerman]

The Prenatal One vitamin made me sick as did Nature Made last time. I am doing gummies at the moment and taking Nordic Naturals DHA

[adouces06]

mamagerman that's funny, the gummies made me sick! I now take mine at night right before bed and that helps a ton.

[mamagerman]

Feb 3, 2016 16:24:02 GMT -5 adouces06 said:

mamagerman that's funny, the gummies made me sick! I now take mine at night right before bed and that helps a ton.

Lol that is funny. I think it is actually the taste of the rainbow lite ones that makes me gag every single time. The morning I got my BFP I lost my breakfast when I tried to choke one down lol.

[jwinct]

I also take mine right before bed and it doesn't bother me at all.

I just added this slow release iron (this brand is sooo much cheaper than the Slow Fe) to my Amazon Subscribe & Save order, so when that arrives in a week or so, I'm going to start taking that in the morning (with food). I was iron-deficient for both my pregnancies, so I'm just going to start taking it now rather than wait until my glucose test at 24w, when I know they're going to tell me I need to start taking it.

[hikingmama222]

I made the mistake of taking my prenatal in the morning on an empty stomach the other day. I thought I was going to get sick. As long as I eat first I'm fine with taking them in the morning. I forget what I did last time.

[adouces06]

Feb 3, 2016 16:28:38 GMT -5 mamagerman said:

Feb 3, 2016 16:24:02 GMT -5 adouces06 said:

mamagerman that's funny, the gummies made me sick! I now take mine at night right before bed and that helps a ton.

Lol that is funny. I think it is actually the taste of the rainbow lite ones that makes me gag every single time. The morning I got my BFP I lost my breakfast when I tried to choke one down lol.

Oh ya, I can see why then. The taste is awful. I always pound mine with orange gatorade lol

[iwantbacon]

I take the Up&Up prenatals from Target. The pills are a little large, but no issues from them that I know of.

[brusselssprout]

Thanks all for the reassurance - I think I'll order some on amazon and have my parents bring them when they come to visit at the end of March! At least they are much cheaper in the US than here.