Vitamins?

jenmgo

jenmgo

Cathlete
I've read that its good for women who are trying to get pregnant to take some folic acid. I'm sure there are alot of other things that women need to take as well. I have a bottle of centrum and it says it has 400 mcg of folic acid which is just the same as the amount in a folic acid vitamin. Centrum also has everything else in it.

Is Centrum good to take for women trying to concienve? Should i be looking for something else? Or does a doctor normally prescribe something for you? Or did anyone just not take vitamins at all?

Sorry for all the questions :)
 
No apologies necessary for your questions. :)

<<Centrum also has everything else in it.>>

Multivitamins contain a fraction of the thousands (yes, thousands) of phytochemicals and phytonutients avaiable in food. These phytochemicals work together (synergy). I am not a fan of vitamins for a number of reasons and do not believe we should take a vitamin supplement unless our diet is lacking nutrients.

You don't have to rely on a vitamin for folic acid.

CEREALS THAT CONTAIN 100% OF THE DAILY VALUE (DV) OF FOLIC ACID
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/cereals.htm

For more on folic acid
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/index.htm

Centrum passed Consumer Lab's test meaning it lives up to its label; however, this doesn't mean the vitamins are bioavailable.

Doctors usually prescribe vitamins after you become pregnant. That said, there are local docs in my area who do not prescribe prenatals because they believe this is obtained via diet.
 
Thank you for the reply.
I am aware that vitamins can be found in food, but I dont think I get enough of any vitamin really. I eat healthy, but i also have a sweet tooth..and I dont eat large quantities. So I am sure I am lacking in many vitamins. Thats why I was wondering if it was best to take a vitamin to add to what I get from food.

I know I should speak with a doctor and I will soon, I was just trying to get a healthy jumpstart on things :) Thanks for your reply.

And happy easter!
 
You should just get a prenatal vitamin. Its a good thing to be on if you are trying to concieve. They actually say you should be on them before you get pregnant. Goodluck
 
Can i find a prenatal at a regular store or does it have to be prescribed?
I was in the grocery store and didnt see anything for prenatal, so I am not sure if they are readily availble. Or maybe I just need to go to a cvs or a vitamin shop.
Is the Centrum ok in the meantime?
 
Your Centrum is fine for now. Although, I would get a pre-natal as soon as I could(you don't need to run out and get one but if are at a drugstore this week you may want to just pick one up :))

You don't need to get a prescription pre-natal(although your doctor may want to write you a prescription for one...mine never felt there was any difference between drugstore brands and prescription brands.) I always have taken GNC Pre-Natal Vitamins. You can also find many *drugstore* brands in Target, Wal-Mart, CVS, etc.

You can also order from drugstore.com, etc.

HTH
 
My point is vitamins do not contain all the phytos found in food. I believe (and agree with the American Dietician Association) in individualizing recommendaions and would recommend a Registered Dietician or nutritionist if available. Doctors, nurses, etc. (in most cases) have limited knowledge regarding nutrition but not everyone has access to the nutrition experts so utilize the resources available.

Best of luck to you! I will now exit this thread.
 
Just an FYI for what its worth. I reviewed the information I have on vitiamins tested by Consumer Labs and some of the Centrum fomulas didn't pass (I missed this earlier) and a couple of the Prenatals didn't pass in addition to some others vitamins. I wish I could give you more info.

Ok, now I am exiting.
 
HMM..thanks for your advice and replies! You guys are very helpful and I thank you for that.

I suppose I could just leave it up to nature. Women have been having babies without taking supplements since the dawn of time lol.

I just wanted to do whats best while i am trying to conceive. I've never done this before, so i wanted to seek the advice of some knowledgeable ladies :)
 
If you choose to take a prenatal or a multivitamin or your health care provider recommends one, research it. You want to be taking a good one, and there are some good ones. Your centrum may be fine.... just know some formulas passed Consumer Lab's tests and some didn't. :)
 
I am currently taking a normal centrum in a white bottle. it says "new formula" on it and says multivitamin/multimineral supplement.
 
I took an over-the-counter generic prenatal for awhile before conceiving. I still have it and have had to revert to it when I ran out of the samples my doc gave me. And I plan on using them after the baby is born too until my body "recovers."
 
Same here. I took a prenatal vitamin for awhile before I got pregnant - but mostly because I had heard of how good they are for women in general.

400mg of folic acid is what I was taking, and when I got pregnant, I needed to double that to 800.

That said, I take an over the counter vit - as like another poster said - my doc didn't feel there was a difference between OTC ad prescribed vitamins. The first kind that I took (Complete, I think) made me sick, actually. The iron content can get pretty high (over 35mg/day), and in some women, they get sick (and constipated!).

Now I take Metagenics prenantal formula. They're expensive $60/container - but I feel great on them!

Anyway, just my 2 cents.
 
As a pharmacist I recommend folic acid 800mcg (over the counter) daily for women trying to conceive.
I can get Metagenics at cost, contact me and I can see about getting them to you at close to 50% off: [email protected]

~Melanie~

Jadon born 11/23/05
Justin born 1/17/04
Jory born 4/9/94
 
Once you do get pregnant you may want to get some chewable vitamins. I had trouble keeping down my regular vitamin if I could get it down at all. I had some prescription prenatal chewable vitamins and then even had to resort to Flintstone gummies for a couple of weeks. You should still try and get your vitamins and minerals from food but I know it can be difficult that first trimester if you are not feeling well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top