Hi ladies!
My partner and I are trying to conceive at the moment and I'm wondering if pregnancy supplements and multivitamins are really that necessary? Is it just another marketing ploy or are they really that essential? Which brands/products do you recommend?
5 Replies
Talk to your GP but my understanding is it's important to take folate to protect against Spina bifida
Folic acid and iodine are the main ones (blackmores i-folic is good) if your diet is balanced. If not invest in a good general pregnancy multivitamin. Good idea for GP to also check iron and vit d levels prior to conception as you may need to supplement these if deficient.
Elevit is the only one I could stomach in my first pregnancy. I have been told since though that i-Folic is really all we need if we have a balanced diet. Folate supplements are important to protect against neural tube defects,
I took a good quality multivitamin, and once pregnant took additional folate, zinc, etc. Your midwife will help you decide what you need. But I think the pregnancy multivitamins are unnecessary and expensive.
Multivitamins fills the gaps in a diet. We all don't eat 100% healthy all the time... Sometimes missing meals due to being busy... Or grabbing a pizza due to being to tired.
Pregnancy multi are basic nutrients that our body needs during pregnancy on a daily basis. Don't forget Bub will drain most of them. Iron is a big one in pregnancy that women tend to get prescribed by doctors. Fish oil is also needed for bubs brain development...
We don't store water soluble vitamins and most of us are lacking or even deficient in magnesium, zinc, iodine any way. If you shop at Coles/Woolworths you probably wouldn't even get much vitamin c from an orange these days due to gas ripping, pesticides etc.
Ideally it would be great in today's society to be able to have a "balanced diet"..... if you can manage it for 9 months.. I take my hat off to you.. Or you could take a simple multiple once a day to ease your mind when your complete unable to get of the couch and make a nutritional balanced meal when your 8 months pregnant. I took Blackmores pregnancy gold all the way thru... All my bloods came back great every time..
It's your choice in the end and what ever you decide is what is best.. Good luck with everything! :-)