Seeking the Right Prenatal Vitimin

I really like Simply One Prenatal by Super Nutrition. I think it was the only One-per-day that had 1000mg of folic acid and it was gentle on my stomach. My little one is 22months and I am still taking it as I still breast feed and am hoping to get pregnant again next month.

Best of luck,
C.

Hey S....I know someone else suggested the New Chapter Organic Prenatals too, but I wanted to tell you that they are vitamins that solely are derivitive of fruits and vegetables. My son is 8 months old and because I am breastfeeding, I continue to take them. My doctor and my pediatrician both swear by these vitamins. BTW..you can get them a little cheaper at the vitamin shoppe, they are also online. Hope this helps and congratulations..you have many wonderful times ahead of you.

All I can say is "be very careful" -- one month after my baby was born, I passed a kidney stone, the doctor said is was probably made of calcium, too much calcium in the vitamins, with a normal diet containing calcium also.

Hi S.,

I took Rainbow Light 1 a day prenatal vitamins. I have a hard time swallowing pills, so having the 1 per day option was best for me. .. they were recommened to me by my Chiropractor...Also,
I'm aware of the New Chapter vitamins and have been told by several people that they are one of the highest quality vitamins available...they are fruit and vegetable based...anyway, good luck to you.

All the best, R.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I used midwives with both of my sons, now 3 and nearly 5 years old. They ONLY recommended the Rainbow Light brand. Do not get the 1-a Day as it does not provide everything you need. You should also take a good DHA. I would go to Mothers Market in Costa Mesa as they are cheaper and the staff is HIGHLY trained!

I have a natural mothering store in Fullerton, Belly Sprout, which offers not only products but resources like pre-natal Yoga, Birthing classes and Breast-feeding workshops. Check out our website at www.bellysprout.com. We have a GREAT new blog as well, with a team of experts ranging from midwives to counselors and chiropractors.

Just remember to eat fresh, whole and organic. If you haven't done so already switch your cleaners to non-toxic ones and also your personal products like skincare and makeup (we carry a whole range at the store!)

Have a happy pregnancy and birth! My second baby was born at home in the water and weighed almost 11 pounds! It was GREAT!!

Hi S. how are you? I can imagine the total confusion you are going through right now! A prenatal vitamin that I would totally recommend is by a Wellness Company called Melaleuca! Their vitamin is called Prenatal Omega-3 and is included in their Prenatal Pack. The unique thing about Prenatal Omega-3 is that it "is the 1st and only natural prenatal supplement that includes the recommended source of omega-3s (70% pure cold water fish oils) in the right balance and at the right dose to support baby's brain and eye development. It is also quality tested to be free of mercury, PCBs, and other contaminants." I recommend it personally knowing friends and family that have taken the vitamins and LOVED them and are doctor recommended! Have you ever heard of a lady Bonni McCaughey? Well she was the first mother to deliver HEALTHY Septuplets, and did so using Melaleuca's Vitality Pack! Having SEVEN healthy babies and all of them survive would be all the testimony I'd need to believe in Melaleuca's vitamins! To learn more about Melaleuca's Prenatal Vitamins log on to www.melaleuca.com/prenatal . AND call me at ###-###-#### or email at ____@____.com . I can also show you how to shop wholesale from Melaleuca for GREEN ECO-FRIENDLY products that are safer for the environment, you and your new baby!

Making OUr World a Better Place,
L. Garcia
###-###-####
____@____.com

The saturated market really makes choosing "the right one" overwhelming for us new moms, doesn't it? I've tried so many different prenatals. I am a nursing mother of twins, so gaps in my nutrition is not an option. However, not all prenatals are created equal. A study done by Washington State University revealed that most multivitamins only have a 10% absorbtion rate. The other 90% is either eliminated or cannot be broken down & utilized by the body so it creates free radicals. All of those "unnatural" additives are to blame. Furthermore, the two biggest names--Centrum and One A Day-- are the highest free-radical producing multivitamins out there. Vitamins and minerals in their natural form are soluble, so the solution would be to mimick nature by binding minerals using oligofructose and amino acids. Only one company has the patent on this process. The best part is, they aren't very expensive...and our bodies can absorb the nutrients our babies need, too. They are Vitality Pack Prenatals. I get the Omega-3s, too...very important. With an 85% absorption rate and a 75% reduction rate of free-radical generation, they blow the competition out of the water! My hair, skin and energy level are proof--as is the substantial weight and growth rate of my twins--who are 6th months old and exclusively breastfed!

I really like Shaklee's Vita Lea multi-vitamin with Iron. It has enough Folic Acid in it and is a great multi even when you're not pregnant. It has to be ordered through an independent distributor. Shaklee is a great company in that they do high level scientific testing on all their products to insure bioavailability. If your vitamin doesn't dissolve in a cup of water within 10 minutes, it's not dissolving in your body either. Shaklee is also a great resource if you are interested in healthy household products (water, cleaning, air, etc.)

Another prenatal I have been pleased with is Jarrow Formulas Preg-Natal vitamins. You can get these at Whole Foods, etc. They are good for nursing moms also.

Wow! A lot of responses, that's great.

I 110% agree with Lia G & Kim C!!!!!!!!

Go with Melaleuca-The Wellness Company. They have been around for 23 years and are not some fly by night vitamin company.

Melaleuca's NEW research can actually PROVE by independent studies that many other popular vitamins on the market are not soluble, meaning your body can not absorb them.

They are not as expensive as some others out there either and they are practically odorless! Can help with pregnancy nausea :)
http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/index.cfm?f=ps.contentPage&am...

Best of luck to you and have a healty pregnancy!
www.SaferIsBetter.com/LisaZ

Hi There,
In response to your question of vitamins,
you are correct, many are filled with junk and parabens and coated in petroleum !
The very best vitamin you can take is food form,
paraben and petroleum free. It is called Phytomatrix and it is truly the most superior vitamin/mineral available.

Hi S.:
First and foremost, i would advice that you talk to your Dr. and have him or her prescribe you what your body needs because some people might need some more iron than others or something like that. I take DuetDHA by StuartNatal which is prescibed to me by my Dr, i love it.
Good luck, I hope you find one that works best for you.
M. A.

Hi S.~
I'm a mom of 3 and my last child is just 8 weeks old. For all my pregnancies I used a daily multivitamin and then just added a calcium and folic acid vitamin as well. I chose to use my own vitamins instead of the prenatals because those were huge to swallow...lol But my doctor said the vitamins I was using were even better than the prenatals they gave. The multivitamin I use has vitamin A in it but it's the good vitamin A with the beta carotene in it (20%) to be exact. I purchase the vitamins through my own website...the actual line of vitamins I use were actually the first multivitamin ever made! So they started the supplementation 70 years ago which is pretty cool and they are grown in their own farms, no pesticides,so they are good for you. They actually come from where they are grown and not shipped around from different farms like other brands. Sorry I sound like a commercial, but I use them so I know how good they are and my doctors liked that I was taking them. Here is the site to take a look at the vitamins......

www.mcjames.mychoices.biz

Like I said...I took the Daily Multivitamin, the CalMag, and the Tri-iron Folic. They are under those names in the Nutrition section. They may seem a little pricey, but it's because of the great quality and they actually work! Besides don't we want what's best for our babies! Hope this helped!

C.

Hi S.,
I had not heard about parabens in vitamins. What will they think of next?
I have been on prenatals for about 3 months but am not pregnant (working with a fertility doctor). I spent a lot of time researching this, and so I will share my findings with you.
I have heard great things about Juice Plus because it is a whole foods product, but they cannot tell you the quantity of the vitamin and mineral content in their product. This to me would be important to ensure your fetus has all the nutrients it needs to develop into a healthy baby. Needless to say, I am taking a combination of supplements by Standard Process (which is also whole foods) and all of the vitamins/minerals/herbs are listed along with quantities of each. I also take a supplement called Ron Teaguarden's Dragon Herbs (which is akin to Juice Plus with much more nutrients) which does not list the quantity of the nutrients just their food source.
Standard Process is available through any sales rep. but cannot be bought in stores. I can refer you to my MD who sells them if you need a reference although I imagine someone must sell them on-line. If you need to know which supplements I was prescribed and the quantity feel free to e-mail me back and I'll let you know my doctor's recommendations. Ron Teaguarden's Dragon Herbs can be purchased on-line as well.
Finally I also take Carlson Fish Oil and an EFA supplement.

Just a quick note in addition to the vitamins which I am not sure on...I bought ground Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil (used on salads) when I was pregnant and sprinkled on my food whenever I could. My son was a 9.4 lb super healthy baby and I did not have a single stretch mark....highly recommend in addition to vitamins.

Hi S. - If you want to ensure your baby gets optimal whole food nutrition even before birth that will increase the odds of a healthy baby, please take a look at Juice Plus capsules. It's the nutrients of 17 of the most nutritionally rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains in capsule form. See below the results of a study where participants took Juice Plus in addition to a prenatal and who had drastically reduced pregnancy complications. You can listen to a 15 minute recording by Doctor Odom at University of Mississippi who conducted the study for more details by calling 800-942-1260 (press 2 and 2), or see more research results and doctor recommendations at my website at http://www.Caprice4juiceplus.com. Feel free to call me if you have any questions or would like to order ###-###-#### or email ____@____.com. Juice Plus has all the green leafy vegetables to provide you the folic acid you need along with a wide variety of other naturally occuring nutrition to prepare you and help sustain your next pregnancy. Everyone's different, so it's not a guarantee that there won't be any problems, but the evidence shows by ensuring a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains every day will certainly lower your risk of just about all health problems. Juice Plus is just an easy, more natural way to do that. Thousands more nutrients in their natural combination from whole food, not isolated vitamins. I wish you a happy, healthy pregnancy!

PRENATALS --- Prenatals + Juice Plus+
Preterm (< or = 32 wks.) 35 (20%) --- NONE

Preeclampsia 38 (21%) --- NONE

Spontaneous Labor 16 (9%) --- NONE

PROM 6 (3%) --- NONE
NICU Admission 17 (10%) --- NONE

Respiratory Distress 13 (8%) --- NONE

Ave. Birth Weight 3280 grams --- 3507 grams (+227)

Gestational age 38.2 weeks --- 39.3 (+1.1 week)

What works best for me is a whole foods based, organic vitamin. It is easily absorbable into the body because it is food based, and it doesn't cause me much nausea. Your BEST bet, is to go to a health food store and find a food based liquid vitamin. Liquid is immediately absorbed into the blood stream.

I love the Rainbow lite prenatal vitamins you can find them in most health stores or online...good luck and enjoy!

After a long talk with my OBGYN she told me that she used Nature Made Prenatal...but, if you are truly unsure your doctor can give you recommendations or prescribe something for you. My good friend had to have something prescribed becuase the OTC's made her constipated...

Good LUCK!

Hi S., There is a book that you can check out at your local book store, Nutrisearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements by Lyle MacWilliam. There are 4 brands that received the Gold Medal (over 1500 compared), I personally used Usana's brand (one of the 4) while pregnant with my last son. I had a much better pregnancy, even though I was almost 20 years older than my next previous pregnancy. I feel my body got what it needed. There were even comments by the nurses on how beautiful and healthy my placenta looked (at birth). He has been extremely healthy, and very bright. I would also recommend a very good EFA (Essential Fatty acid) to help with Brain development. Usana again has a pharmaceutical grade EFA (Bio Omega) that is double distilled, so you don't have to worry about getting any Mercury or Toxins in your EFA supplement.
Sincerely, D. Gates

I use Nature Made Prenatals. I found them to be not so hard on my system. They are located at Target.

I can offer you a vitamin that is superior to any prenatal vitamin offered by anyone. The product is organic and comes with a money back guarantee. You don't want to take a vitamin the is "acceptable", you want one that is "excellent"!! I can offer you personal service and a monthly delivery with no shipping costs.

Please call me at 888-600-4380 for more information.

We also offer great vitamins for children and supplements for when you are nursing. All are guaranteed money back for 6 months if you don't like them.

Regards, Jacque

Try the NewChapter Organics "Perfect Prenatal". They're all natural, no artificial flavors or colors. They are a bit pricy though.

I used NATALCARE TAB PLUS with both my pregnancies. This is a Drs. prescribed one. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, whichever brand you use, always test it in a glass with a bit of water or vinegar to make sure that it dissolves. There are vitamins out there, even prenatal (regardless of OTC or prescribed), that do not dissolve or takes longer than an hour to. It shouldn't take longer than 20 minutes. Because that just means that he vitamin will simply go right through your body and not give any nutrient to your baby. I tested a brand once, a prescription one with a box looking so nice and all.., with a beautiful baby on it etc., but once I tested in water, the darn thing didn't dissolve at ALL even after 24 hours.
You can read more about this problem by searching on google. It happens with more brands than people know. I hear CENTRUM multivitamins are the worse. Nurses in hospitals call it the bullet pill (or something like that) because patience would go and the "pill" would come out in whole pieces.

Just wanted to second the New Chapter Prenatal Vitamins. They are more expensive than most, but they are the best. I took them while I was preggo, and now I take the New Chapter Women's Daily Multivitamin. You can get them at Henry's Marketplace. That's the cheapest I have found them.

I got them because my nutritionist recommended the brand to me.

Hello S. R.,

I like Rainbow Light's Prenatal Vitamins (in Tablet form so that you take 3 at a time, 2x/day.)... I have tried them, and I like it alot. You can buy it at Wholefoods market. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call.

Good luck,
O. Rhee
Rhee's Acupuncture Clinic
1995 Paradise Road
###-###-####

Check out Standard Process. I used them and they are great!!

I buy the bulk size bottle at Costco of the Nature Made Prenatal Vitamins. I've had two gynocologists over the past few years, and both said that one is perfectly acceptable. I'm currently expecting and just yesterday ran this past my doctor as a good one to take. You may want to call your doctor's office and ask if the one you are eyeing meets their approval, or see if they can recommend one. Both of my docs said there is no need to buy prescription vitamins as it's more just a money making scheme anyway. If it seems you need something beyond the vitamin components, they'll recommend another supplement, which is still cheaper than the prescription. At least this is my experience! Hope that helps!

I take the New Chapter prenatal. They sell it at Henrys. It is fabulous, but expensive. I take one pill with each meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) They do not make me sick, which is fabulous since I have been so sick with the pregnancy. My obgyn thinks it is a great mixture of all the right vitamins. It was recommended to me by someone else on Mamasource.

Sounds like there are a lot of wise women on this board. Standard Process is amazing, but you have to get them through a natural doctor. Rainbow Light Prenatal seems to be one of the best out there. Juice Plus can be good to supplement as extra fruits and veggies, but taking a complete prenatal is important. Also, taking a good fish oil, not the prescription ones are important. Nordic Naturals has one for prenatal and they are 3rd party tested. It took me 3 years to find a fish oil of this quality. It helps the baby's brain develop, nervous syste, skin, hair, nails, eyes, etc. I took it with all of my kids and NONE of them have the issues with eczema or psoriasis like SO many kids these days. I now give them DHA Jr. from Nordic - nearly daily.

PS - Flax has an impact on estrogen receptors, so I know that it is not recommended usually until the end of the pregnancy.

I took a wonderful prenatal system called Before Baby Boost. Go to http://www.soundformulas.com/bbb.html I absolutely loved this line! It's a 3-step process (one bottle is the multivitamin, the 2nd bottle is the essential oils, and the last is the calcium which you take at night--studies have shown that iron and calcium should be taken separately and taking this calcium before bed truly helped me sleep well at night).

I hope this helps!

Ask your OB/GYN... some, like mine, have their patients on prescription pre-natals. Mine does and that is what I took. Sorry I don't remember the brand... but it was one of the best.

One important thing though... be SURE to take omega-3/DHA vitamins...it helps in the brain/eye/neurological system of a forming baby. And, it's an important supplement for any child or adult as well.

All the best... if I remember the name of the prenatal I took, I will come back and add that.

Take care,
Susan

I love Super Nutrition Prenatal Blend, they are vegetarian and have lots of good stuff in them. Kind of pricey but - how do you put a price tag on prenatal/postnatal care.

I take 3 after breakfast and 3 after dinner. They don't make me feel sick either which is nice.

M.

Make sure what ever vitamin you take is from a FOOD source, you will probably have to take more than one a day but worth it. You can get them at Whole Foods ofcourse. Everyone gave you pretty good advice to regarding all the omega 3, 6, 9! Be careful of fish sources and only eat wild salmon if you eat it at all. Happy pushing!

Hi S.,
I used prescription vitamins from my doctor (I can't remember which). She gave me several samples and I took them all to see which ones made me the least nauseous. You have a lot of suggestions from other moms so why not try a few of them to see which works best for you. I also found that taking them at night before bedtime made me the last sick.

Good luck!

Hi S.,
Shaklee has a vitamin strip called Vitalizer plus Iron that will provide you with everything you need in a prenatal and more. The multi is coated in folic acid for maximum absorption and the strip contains your omegas, probiotics, sustained C and sustained B. This product has 8 patents (which means it has been proven to do what is says it does and no one else can offer it) and Shaklee has never used an artificial ingredient in the 52 years they've done business. The vitamins are derived from natural, organic food sources and are tested for purity (one step further than organic) which is so important when you are pregnant or nursing.
I also have a friend who tried for 6 years to conceive and finally did when she started with Shaklee supplements. Her daughter is now almost 30 ;)
I'd be happy to chat more if you'd like, or check out my website www.shaklee.net/mclemore
Take care, C.

Hi S.,
I took store brands with my daughters-who are now healthy at age 16 and 19, yet I didn't know that most vitamins only have 30-60% of what they say they have in them; now I use, and refer people to USANA Health and Wellness; pharmaceutical grade, listed in physicians desk reference, recommended by Dr Christiane Northrup,
Dr Ladd McNamara, Dr Christine Wood, Dr Ray Strand.You can google those MDs. The 'Essentials' plus biomega are safe and balanced doses to take
when pregnant, according to these MDs.You may e mail me with any questions, I can send you more info,
I am passionate about safety and purity in vitamins and there are a lot of scares out there,and I can send you analysis charts by PHDs comparing vitamins, some are 1 star, some are 5 star.
In Health,
M. Mason-Cover, MS PT, ACE
Health and Wellness Educator
____@____.com

I like the Perfect Prenatal by New Chapter Organics. It's got probiotics which is great for you when pregnant. It does have 2000 IU of vitamin A but it's supposedly pure beta carotene. I take these and switch off with a prescription prenatal called Citranatal which comes with DHA.

I used teh Target brand ad my Dr said they were fine....they never made me sick and went down eay with no after taste

Hi S.,

Just 1 Once by Rainbow Light is an excellent prenatal multivitamin. I took it before conceiving and throughout my recent pregnancy and I take it now while I'm breastfeeding. It's gentle on the stomach and you only take one a day. This vitamin is far superior to the junky prenatals most doctors prescribe. You can get it at Whole Foods. If you want more information, the company's website is rainbowlight.com

All the best,
S.

I am a Family Nutrition Coach and mom of 2. It is not about one vitamin, it is about a healhty you for a healthy baby.

There is no such thing as "too much vitamins" that is a myth in the medical industry.

FACT: last year alone there were 180 000 deaths from prescription medicine (the wrong dosage, the wrong mix etc) and in the last 25 YEARS, there have been 7 deaths "thought to be attributed" to vitamins. That fact alone keeps me on my wellness path.

I would love to chat with you about what you could do.

B. H. B.A.:B.Ed.
Family Nutrition Coach