Pre-Natal Mulit-Vitamins
Posted by Anonymous on Feb 12, 2007 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
:)
Hi!!!
Does anybody have suggestions for good, vegan friendly pre-natal multi-vitamins?
They MUST contain iron (I tend to me anemic) and ofcourse the very important Folic Acid.
Thanks!
Hi there rigelesc. I can't think of any multi-vitamins offhand, but if you're the one who is pregnant (as I believe your post implies), congratulations!!!!!!
-edit-
Here are a couple things I found:
Q&A Vegan Prenatal Vitamins
http://www.anairhoads.org/precon/vits.shtml
Deva--a seemingly popular Vegan Prenatal Multivitamin
http://www.devanutrition.com/vegan_prenatal_multivitamin.html
https://secure3.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=vegane&BusType=BtoC&Count1=571117579&Count2=488258004&Keyword=prenatal&Target=products%2Easp&Submit1.x=0&Submit1.y=0
No, not pregnant yet...but planning to. Thanks for looking, you are sweet!
Check with your doctor or midwife - in nursing school we learned iron needs to be taken on its own on an empty stomach (needs a very acidic environment to be absorbed.) When you take a pre-natal vitamin with iron, you are actually only absorbing about 5% of the available iron. Good for you for getting your folic acid before becoming pregnant - most women don't realize its just important before as it is in the beginning of pregnancy!
Also watch out for vitamins containing gelatin... I have noticed a lot of them do!
Sorry I couldn't recommend a specific brand - hope I helped some!
Hey! I used to be anemic, (though no experience with being pregnant - good luck!) so I might be able to give some assistance.
First I'd reccomend talking to a pharmacist. Go when they tend to be slow (mid-morning and/or afternoon, especially Tues, Wed, and Thurs). If you really need iron it's probably best to actually take iron pills, and a pharmacist should be able to guide you to different iron pills specifically designed for pregnant women, or women who tend to be anemic around their period. They'll also help you with finding a vegan version, and some tips on when/how often to take them. Pharmacists are a wealth of information (we have to go to school for an extra 4 years, just like doctors), and we don't charge co-pays! ;D
Second, I have to echo kendrakat - you should take an iron pill 30 minutes before eating or 4 hours after your last meal. Right when you get up is actually a really good time. And if I'm allowed to be gross, your feces will probably change colours to an almost black if you start taking extra iron.
I have been a vegan for 16 years, and am happy to say that i now have a very healthy 4 year old (vegan too) daughter, and never even took prenatals...I was lucky to have a supportive partner who said I ate so well that I didn't need them.
If you are an ovo-lacto vegetarian, you may have a harder time with iron (I did before I became vegan...dairy products contain no iron). But if you are already a vegan, it should be easy to get yourself to a healthy level of iron, etc. without having to buy vitamins. It helps to ingest high iron foods with foods that contain lots of vitamin C. (for example, a spinach-orange salad is ideal) Also, beans are a great iron-rich food.
In general, if you eat really really well, and really listen to the cravings of that little person growing inside of you, you will do great...mine constantly said "RASPBERRIES!!"
Veggie kids are awesome!!! :)
I was already a wee bit pregnant when I bought my prenatal vits... (what do you mean I'm pregnant... two weeks later... what do you mean there's TWO)... By this point I was too darn nauseous to even think of swallowing a pill. I'll admit I wasn't too good at taking my vits... on occasion, my hubby would grind up the pill and put it into a smoothie for me. ~ For this reason, If given a choice between vitamins, I would select one where you can open up the capsule and pour the contents into something like a smoothie, or a liquid capsule versus a solid pill ~ Later in my pregnancy, I was also anemic and the doctor prescribed an iron supplement. Anyways almost 3 years later I have two very healthy little boys... and my sister-in-law has inherited a half full bottle of prenatal vits.
K^2
All of you are great and I laughed out loud with some of your comments.
I think I am just going to stick on eating what I usually do, which is a good variety of fruits and especially veggies (spinach and eggplant are my faves) and I will def. go talk to my pharmacist (THANKS SILENTCRICKET)!!!
:D
Hi,
I don't mean to be an alarmist, but PLEASE take a prenatal vitamin, or at least do a little extra research to make sure that you are getting adequate amounts of:
calcium
folic acid
omega-3 oils (for brain development) (okay, I don't actually know if there is a vegan source for this - does anyoneone out there?)
I know as a vegan you probably are more aware of what goes into your mouth than the average person. But you need to be certain that you're getting everything your baby needs.
I had a son who was stillborn. They never determined the cause, but I always wonder if part of the problem was inadequate medical care. I was taking a prenatal vitamin, but not until ater I knew I was pregnant. It is not an experience I would wish on anyone. Do everything you possibly can to make sure your little one is healthy.
Good luck!
I personally am a big believer in eating to get your nutrition and being very aware of the quality of food you consume. If your having trouble getting enough of a certain vitamin or mineral take a supplement but see if you can change something in your diet also to get it naturally. Many of the prenatal vitamins do not have high absorption rates any way and most women experience nausea when taking them. If you are not yet pregnant maybe try to take this time to become really health for you and your future baby instead of relying on additives. Calcium, omegas, and folic acid are very easy to get in a vegan diet and usually easier to absorb than your typical omni diet.
Good luck and have fun trying ;)
I personally am a big believer in eating to get your nutrition and being very aware of the quality of food you consume. If your having trouble getting enough of a certain vitamin or mineral take a supplement but see if you can change something in your diet also to get it naturally. Many of the prenatal vitamins do not have high absorption rates any way and most women experience nausea when taking them. If you are not yet pregnant maybe try to take this time to become really health for you and your future baby instead of relying on additives. Calcium, omegas, and folic acid are very easy to get in a vegan diet and usually easier to absorb than your typical omni diet.
Good luck and have fun trying ;)
You are pretty funny!!!
Well, rigelesc, congratulations to you on planning for your baby. You're one savvy lady. (; Kudos to you!
Myself, I'm like tanevab and have some pretty fervent beliefs in whole food nutrition... especially considering how different nutrients in different foods play off and balance each other--studies are finding that some isolated vitamins taken in supplement form are actually more harm than good, because the chemistry played out between the vitamin and the other nutrients present in whole foods is so delicate and vital.
However, I wouldn't discourage you from taking a prenatal multi-vitamin... just do your research first, and consult a holistic, veggie-friendly nutritionist/doctor before conception. All Naturopathic Doctors should have received extensive training in clinical nutrition, as well as botanical medicine, and should be able to guide you in the right direction. If you can wait til 2012 to have your baby, I'll have my ND by then and would be more than happy to help you. ;) ;D
omega-3 oils (for brain development) (okay, I don't actually know if there is a vegan source for this - does anyoneone out there?)
Omega 3s are relatively easy to incorporate into any veg*n diet. Flax is the most popular source, but some others include kiwi, sea buckthorn and HEMP (capitalized because I love hemp so much--one of the most nutritious plants around).
I was already a wee bit pregnant. . .
Sorry, I'm drugged and not all here, so I'm not actually reading the thread, but this struck some amazingly loud alarm in my brain. . .I've been pregnant many, many times, but always VERY PREGNANT. . .the idea of being a wee bit pregnant sounds intriguingly wonderful to me. . .how do you go about that? ???
The problem is, there aren't really any Naturopathic Doctors. I have looked and there are only two. One of them is my doctor, but there are no OB/GYN Naturapathic doctors, my town is too small I guess. But thanks idioglossia, I sure eat PLENTY of KIWI!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, rigelesc, congratulations to you on planning for your baby. You're one savvy lady. (; Kudos to you!
Myself, I'm like tanevab and have some pretty fervent beliefs in whole food nutrition... especially considering how different nutrients in different foods play off and balance each other--studies are finding that some isolated vitamins taken in supplement form are actually more harm than good, because the chemistry played out between the vitamin and the other nutrients present in whole foods is so delicate and vital.
However, I wouldn't discourage you from taking a prenatal multi-vitamin... just do your research first, and consult a holistic, veggie-friendly nutritionist/doctor before conception. All Naturopathic Doctors should have received extensive training in clinical nutrition, as well as botanical medicine, and should be able to guide you in the right direction. If you can wait til 2012 to have your baby, I'll have my ND by then and would be more than happy to help you. ;) ;D
omega-3 oils (for brain development) (okay, I don't actually know if there is a vegan source for this - does anyoneone out there?)
Omega 3s are relatively easy to incorporate into any veg*n diet. Flax is the most popular source, but some others include kiwi, sea buckthorn and HEMP (capitalized because I love hemp so much--one of the most nutritious plants around).
I am currently pregnant (36 weeks) and didn't take prenatals during my whole pregnancy until about a month ago when I became anemic. I bought mine online at veganessentials.com, I think they are made by a brand called Freida, dont have the bottle close by;). Good luck.
I am currently pregnant (36 weeks) and didn't take prenatals during my whole pregnancy until about a month ago when I became anemic. I bought mine online at veganessentials.com, I think they are made by a brand called Freida, dont have the bottle close by;). Good luck.
CONGRATS!!! I always love to hear of pregnant women, YEAY!!! Thanks for the tip, I worry about becoming anemic and the whole folic acid but I think that if I eat a varied meal I will be okay, hopefully I won't have any food aversions. My boss is currently pregnant and EVERYTHING except Clementine Oranges makes her puke, weird!!!
veglife prenatal one