Hi all!
I had my first prenatal visit to the doc, and he asked me if I was taking any prenatal vitamins. I said yes, an over-the-counter one (Naturemade Multi). In addition to it, I take the Mighty Red Krill Oil pills. He then said he'd give me samples of some prescription ones instead, and to pick one and he'd order them for me.
Here are my questions:
1) Are the prescription ones "better" than the OTC ones? (I used the NatureMade pills throughout my 1st pregnancy & breastfeeding days and never had any problems with them....) When I compared the vitamin facts, they seemed pretty comparable.
2) Does anyone have an insight on the following prenatals I was given to sample? Many of them are huge and look like horse pills!
DuetDHA
PreNexa
Prenate DHA
NeevoDHA
2) When I tried to do a search on the internet on the pills, it seemed like some of them were discontinued. Has anyone been using the above pills and been told that? I’d hate to start taking one, only to find that its not available anymore anyway.
If anyone has any insight or experience with any of the above pills, I’d be grateful to hear your thoughts!
Thank you so much!
Thanks everyone!! I think from what I've gathered here is that for the most part, the prescription & OTC vitamins are pretty similar. Even though the prescription ones may be "better" (better absorbed, higher quality ingredients, etc...) I think I'll stick to the OTC ones I've been using all this time. It hasnt given me any issues and I've got a smart, healthy son out of it thus far! Mostly, the prescription ones are so much larger in size that I almost gag just looking at them and the thought of trying to swallow them. Also, since I've heard about so many women's different tolerances for different vitamins, I figure it's not worth sampling around and getting sick or an upset stomach when I already know that the one I use is fine for my body. Thanks again,ladies! For helping me make a decision that's right for me!
He's probably getting a kickback from the pharmaceutical company. My midwife (hence, no kickbacks) said anything that said pre-natal on it was great!
To be honest, I didn't take prenatal vitamins. I took in the vitmains I was taking (a women's daily, Ca/Mg/Zn & Super B Complex) to my OB and showed my midwives as well, and they said that what I was taking was sufficient. It all depends on the care provider, I think.
The ons Dr's prescribe are not pure. For instance, Prenexa is made from algae, not fish. They use Hexane to extract the Omega oils. Hexane is a neuro toxin. Read about it online. Get to Whole Foods or another health food store and only purchase Nordic Natural Oils or find a natural Dr in your area who sells Biotics Research supplements and get them from that Dr. You can email www.BioticsResearch.com to find a Dr near you. It may be an acupuncturist, MD, ND, CCN, etc. I was a rep for the company before I had my baby. There are no PCB's or mercury in either of these companies oils. I trust them.
OB/GYN's, like yours sell vitamins that are approved by FDA. Most vitamins are not. That means they are classified as a drug - meaning there are synthetic ingredients (because vitamin C, for example, can't be patented) Prenexa and the others have some kind of patent on them - meaning a pharmaceutical company owns them. I don't trust that.
Look up each of those prenatals online and you'll find ingredients for them. Email me if you want more information. Biotics makes a great prenatal too. Floriadix liquid iron is good too. But you should be able to get enough iron from food.
Hi B.-
My sister has a beautiful one year old boy, and let me say that she went to Target for her prenatals. They were exactly the same, and the point of prenatals is to make sure you are getting all of your basics since most people don't get them through food- plus the strain of a baby on your system can steal alot of your much needed health- so vitamins cover the bases for you.
I would find one that is reccommended on line and just use that. If your doc insists, tell him you have done your research and compared it to the prescriptions.
Alot of times, too, doctors are contracted by certain pharmaceutical companies to use their drugs and brands. Also, some doctors have been using the same ones and really like them. It could be nothing more than the comfort of using something familiar.
I don't think there is anything wrong with any of them as long as you get your folic acid, your basic regimen, and then your DHA. These are usually all combined anyway.
On top of that, I take cinnamon- it regulates my blood sugar and flow and I feel great. I also take ginkgo and when I feel the slightest bit under the weather, kyolic garlic and echinacea with goldenseal. The regimen really seems to work.
Again, though I have rambled on- as long as the vitamin ingredients are the same, and you aren't buying random generic stuff that no one has ever heard of.....my sister's son was super healthy. And her doc just told her to get a decent prenatal. There were others offered, but to save her a few bucks, said to just go to the drug store and get what you need. Even costco sells them.
I hope this helps.
Good luck!
-E.
My obgyn told me to just get the over the counter vitamins. She said they are the same.
Most prescription vitamins are synthetic. Many of my patients did not tolerate the prescription ones (made them nauseous) and one even had her OB/Gyn tell her she (the OB) didn't tolerate them either and yet she still prescribes them. It is much better to get vitamins that come from a food source or whole food vitamins. Your body will absorb them better and you will get better nutrition from them during this important time. Most people who don't digest vitamins well have no problem with food-based vitamins. Ask at your local health food store. Also take your vitamins with food.
You are doing fine. The difference is the pharmceautical companies make billions of dollars on prescription drugs. Your doctor is in on the game. (maybe unwittingly.)
I don't take anything that I do not have a list of ingredients for.
If you must get one from a doctor request USANA vitamins. They are a repudable company and can be prescribed.
GOOD LUCK
Hi B. -
I asked about prescription prenatals when we found out we were pregnant with number 2 and my doctor told me they are no better than the ones I am currently on (and I take the same as you).
Hope this helps and congratulations!
B.-
First of all, congrats on the pregnancy!! You'll get lots of different opinions on this. The OB's I have worked for over the years generally have told people that if they can tolerate the OTC ones, they are fine. I could not take any but Prenate 90 with one pregnancy and a multi-vitamin and an additional Folate tab with another, with my twins I could not tolerate any vitamin, all of those children are fine and so am I. Go with what you are comfortable with, the fact that you can take them at all is great. You are obviously trying to do best for yourself & child, you'll do just fine. Have a very happy pregnancy.
D.
Hi B.,
Whole food supplements are so much better for you and your baby.
If you would like to learn more let me know and I will educate you.
Have a great day.
N. Marie
I really like the GNC prenatals because they are 2 pills per day, so I can take one with breakfast and the other at lunch - it seems to be much easier on my tummy, especially during the lovely morning sickness phase. Also, they contain iodine which is really good for organ development and they are affordable. $16 a bottle i think.
Hi B.-
I have used Prenat DHA and I am now currently using DuetDHA with my second pregnancy. My OB explained that the prescription ones were absorbed much easier and better by the body than over the counter. Also at the time of my first pregnancy, only prescription vitamins had the DHA. For all I know it could all me a pharmaceutical company push, but I have not had any problems with eithier.
Good Luck and congratulations!
A.
I have been taking the PreNexa vitamins for about a year now and I really like them. A lot of the other prenates gave me "fish burps" but these don't. They are big, but they're soft and easy to swallow. And I find them to have a pleasant odor which was esp. nice while I was pregnant. My little girl is almost three months old now and is thriving. Good luck on your pregnancy--I have two little ones now and it's a blessing!
I brought my OTC prenatals to one of my first visits with my OB to show him and get his opinion on the amounts of various vitamins and minerals. He was shocked at the amount of vitamin A in the OTC. He said vitamin A in that amount could potentially cause birth defects (and no, he wasn't a scare-tactic kind of guy...he even encouraged me to drink 2 oz. of red wine near the end of pregnancy for the health of the placenta!). So my two-cents is that there are probably some great OTC out there--just have your OB or a pharmacist look at the label.
Congrats on #2...very exciting!
The only thing I would also check would be how many doses of the vitamin you need to take daily to get the value that is listed on the bottle. Most of them say two per day on regular mulitvitamins anyway. YOu also want to be sure that you are getting enough folic acid.
W. M.
Hi B.,
Congratulations. I had similiar problems when I was pregnant with my daughter. The doc introduced me the Prenate DHA. Then my husband switched jobd and we had to switched insurance. We then went with Kaiser and when I tried to order from them, they do not carry them and we had to pay like $200 for it. We asked the pharmacist at kaiser the difference with the one (wegot over the counter at kaiser) and the Prenate DHA..She mentioned about the Prenate DHA has Omega 3...
I ended up using NatureMade pills too...and I have a wonderfull almost 1 year old baby girl...
It just depends on your insurance to be honest with you. I had Sutter with my daughter, and they prescribed them, and Kaiser for the beginning of my son's pregnancy, and they said to just use over the counter. But, I also know that if you have trouble with the vitamins that you are allowed to take Flintstones Vitamins, so I'm pretty sure that a vitamin is a vitamin in this case.
