Prenatal Vitamins

Every morning at around the same time I take them- my prenatal vitamins. If you’re like me who suffers from nausea you probably have experienced an immediate upchuck effect. The more I advance into pregnancy- the less I upchuck but I still don’t like taking them. Why do I take something I don’t like? Because my jellybean needs them to develop properly so I have to suffer through the nastiness of taking the pills.

My prenatal cocktail consists of: a Materna® tablet, a Folic Acid tablet, a Fish Oil tablet, & an iron tablet. I normally like to take them right after breakfast so that they get digested with the other nutrients I am eating. I know you’re wondering why I take all those pills and I was wondering myself until I did some research (in my Nursing Assistant textbook & online.) One would think the Materna® (a ‘complete’ prenatal vitamin) would be enough but as I found out there is no such thing as a complete multi-vitamin.

Most doctors in the Bahamas prescribe to every antenatal client they receive folic acid tablets (whose ‘sibling’ folate is naturally found in leafy greens and other sources) because it is a water soluble B vitamin that protects both mother and child from many harmful effects. The most surprising things I found it helped with were that it has been found to lessen the risks of miscarriage and of your jellybean having/being born with birth defects such as spina bifida. I found that my doctor putting me on folic acid & maternal whilst I was on birth control was one of the best things he ever did for me- both help to protect any unplanned ‘oops’ to develop properly even with all that other gunk. But if you don’t want to take it while on b/c consider taking it for at least six weeks before you plan on trying to conceive. As folic acid works best in the first few weeks of pregnancy whilst the baby is developing.

I started taking the fish oil tablet mostly because my hair is natural (means I have an afro, my hair is not chemically altered in any way) and it is known to help with hair texture and softness. As I was researching its benefits I found that it also helps my jellybean’s eye and brain development- not to mention mine. Can anyone say this sister was over the moon? Only side effect for me was the nasty fish burps (cause I refuse to spend the extra for the burp less pills.)

My iron pill is mostly because the doctor’s don’t want me to start suffering from anemia. Another vitamin I have yet to add but know that I need is calcium with vitamin d- for the development of jellybean’s bones. I was born with curved legs- a result of a vitamin d deficiency in my mom’s pregnancy with me. Two years of corrective boots and twenty-six plus years later I still feel the results. I don’t want my child to have that issue.

Trust me vitamins are very important to your babies development. Don’t take them for granted. Suffer through the upchuck reflex because you want your jellybean to be born as healthy and normal as possible. 

I hope this post helps & please remember to discuss with your doctor what vitamins you need for YOUR pregnancy. I am not a licensed professional so my statements are what I have learned through my research and are by no means the ultimate on this topic. Every woman’s body is different and what I drink may not be what you do. Until the next time you keep yourself, your spouse and your jellybean(s) safe & happy!

~Mommy Dearest~