Vitamins
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Planning Pregnancy (trying for baby)
Forum Name: Planning Pregnancy (trying for baby)
Forum Description: Trying to get pregnant? Going through fertility treatment? Just planning your first or second child? There are many people out there in the same boat to help and listen and share with
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5696
Printed Date: 16 August 2025 at 2:05am
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Topic: Vitamins
Posted By: WRXnKids
Subject: Vitamins
Date Posted: 13 February 2007 at 10:15pm
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Hey All,
Im new in my 2nd month TTC and have a question or two about what vitamins i should be taking. First of all i brought a thompsens womens multi so that i was not only getting folic acid which i read im suppose to take but also getting all the other stuff hoping i would feel good as well until i read the bottle later (I need to slow down when i shop) it said not recommended for pregnant women so thought it wasnt my best option. Next i brought a Healtheries womens multi that said nothing about not taking when pregnant and when i got home out of curiousity looked it up on the internet for reasurance that i was taking the best thing for me and anyone else before i get a BFP which said excellent for 2nd and 3rd tri-mester. Now i have brought straight healtheries folic acid to take thinking it is my best option for now but i still am not getting a top up of all the other vitamins. What is it exactly that is in the others that im not suppose to be taking? Why could a multi vitamin be possibly harmful? My quest to give a baby the best start has already cost me $60 and i still have no idea if im getting it right yet hahaha Thanks 
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Replies:
Posted By: Jennz
Date Posted: 13 February 2007 at 10:50pm
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I started taking a pregnancy multi and topped it up so I was getting the extra folic acid. If you read the labels- most pregnancy multis can be taken from preconception to breastfeeding and then you aren't risking getting too high levels of things that can be harmful.
HTH! ------------- Jen, Charlotte 7 & Kate 3 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 13 February 2007 at 11:19pm
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Vitamin A is the biggie to avoid, and some womens multis do contain Vitamin A. Pregnancy multis do contain Vitamin A but in safe doses.
I took a generic, pharmacist own brand when TTC, switched to Elevit when preg as my OB said it was better but realised that was a con and that it actually contains the same things at twice the price so went back to the pharmacists own brand and still managed to produce 2 pretty healthy sized gremlins. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: EllenMumof2
Date Posted: 14 February 2007 at 9:42am
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I got my doctor to prescribe some for me and they are alot cheaper $3 and then i knew they would be safe http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/">
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Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 14 February 2007 at 12:15pm
| Was just having this cpnversation with someone this morning as am slightly confused!!! Not unusual!! I brought Folic Acid at the supermarket (Red Seal)is 400mcg and says to take one but am thinking that I read somwhere that you are suppose to take 800mcg? If nthats the case I guess I just take 2 but would you take them at the same time or morning and night? |
Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 14 February 2007 at 2:31pm
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Hey there,
I just popped in here to have a nosey ... and I work for Healtheries (Food Technologist and Nutritionist) so thought I may be able to help. 
The thing that you need to avoid is the vit A, everything else in there should be fine. It is only certain forms of vit A though - so if you have a look and the vit A is in the form of beta-carotene it is safe to take (if it says retinol something, then I would avoid it). The reason you need to avoid vit A in high doses is it can cause birth defects and miscarriage. So - the Healtheries womens multi is actually OK to take (contains beta-carotene) but not our Boost Multi (has the other form of vit A). But in saying that I avoided it in the first trimester myself, just to be safe. And usually companies will cover their butts by advising you to avoid most things in the first trimester. I would only take any of them a couple of times a week myself, as you probably don't need them everyday (you pee out the excess vits). I have been taking the Blackmores pregnancy multi (traitor I know!) as it doesn't have as much vit A (don't think it has any) and has omegas for babys brain development too. But I didn't take anything til I was nearing the end of the first trimester and only take them a few times a week (I'm 5mths now). I was getting run down by 10wks tho so I think they've really helped. TTC I would recommend the same thing - take any of the pregnancy ones or womans (with betacarotene as the vit A). Folic acid (for TTC and 1st trimester) - there is a limit to the amount we can add to an over the counter formulation hence you won't find any with 800mcg OTC (I've heard they're out there, but its illegal!) - so check the bottle and take 2X400mcg tablets or 3x300mcg tablets (or get a prescription from doc = cheaper!) I hope that is helpful.
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Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 14 February 2007 at 2:33pm
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Oh, and it doesn't matter if you take them at the same time or morning and night - but probably better to split the dose as you'll absorb more.
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Posted By: Andie
Date Posted: 14 February 2007 at 4:52pm
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I take the Blackmores Preg & Breastfeeding - they were recommended by my midwife. And you're better off getting folic acid on prescription - get a much heftier dose and a far lighter price. ------------- Andie |
Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 14 February 2007 at 6:48pm
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Thanks for all the great advice!!
I didnt even know they had preg specific vitamins i spent ages in front of the shelves at the countdown lookin for a preg one but couldn't see any i thought i was going to scream.
I think ill take a couple of the folic acid ones a day for now and see how my energy goes since i brought them and try get one of the preg ones when they run out. Thanks |
Posted By: Salifer
Date Posted: 19 February 2007 at 7:49pm
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I went to a naturopath for my vitamins and took them for 2 months before TTC. I was prescribed fish oil (great for brain development), folic acid & a multi-vitamin (especially for pregnancy)......I really wanted to get enough folic after seeing programmes on tv that the 400mg suggestion isn't enough and 800 is better. So asked naturopath for prescribed doseage. Very very expensive but worth every penny.
Good luck with your search and its definately a step in the right direction to be taking vitamins before TTC and during pregnancy. |
Posted By: Jennz
Date Posted: 20 February 2007 at 12:31am
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Just be careful with the fish oil that it comes from small fish as most fish oil tablets are made from the bigger fish and have quite high levels of mercury which isn't safe during pregnancy. I'm sure your naturopath would have checked that all out- just mentioning it in case anyone else wants to take them. ------------- Jen, Charlotte 7 & Kate 3
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Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 20 February 2007 at 6:13pm
| Speaking of fish i am alittle confused what sorts of fish are ok and what arent as i read in lots of places fish is good to eat during pregnancy. I know shellfish are a no but what about Cods, Salmon, Trout, or just the regular fish n chip shop battered fish? |
Posted By: Jennz
Date Posted: 20 February 2007 at 9:19pm
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Salmon is fine- really good actually. Go easy on the tuna.
"pregnant women should avoid shark, swordfish and marlin, and limit tuna to no more than two tuna steaks a week (weighing about 140g cooked or 170g raw) or four medium-size cans of tuna a week (with a drained weight of about 140g per can). This is because of the levels of mercury in these fish. At high levels, mercury can harm a baby's developing nervous system." If you're getting fish and chips just order a piece of something else (as most fish and chip shops use shark) as your fish, gurnard, blue nose, flounder etc. ------------- Jen, Charlotte 7 & Kate 3
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Posted By: kiwigal
Date Posted: 21 February 2007 at 11:07am
| I am not pregnant yet but I have been taking Mircogenics pregnancy multi vitamin with tuna oil added and Nutra Life Omega Science Natal for foetus development. |
Posted By: Rachael21
Date Posted: 21 February 2007 at 4:36pm
| man I so didn't know about the shark from fish and chip shops |
Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 22 February 2007 at 10:30am
| Our fish oil capsules don't have high levels of mercury (Healtheries) and they test for it in the lab before packing. So you could check with the manufacturer. The level depends alot on where the fish came from. |
Posted By: NikkiB
Date Posted: 24 February 2007 at 5:58pm
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I totally didn't think about fish (shark) from Fish n Chip shops either!!! ------------- A very lucky mummy to two gorgeous boys: RB 3/10/2008 JB 29/12/2009 |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 25 February 2007 at 2:04am
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Shark from the fish and chip shop is fine. Far too tired to reference this properly atm but in order to consume enough mercury to harm bubs you would need to eat 150g of fish 4 or more times per week. So the odd piece won't do you any harm. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 25 February 2007 at 1:20pm
Too tired? 2am is the *beginning* of the day Emma!  ------------- |
Posted By: Salifer
Date Posted: 03 March 2007 at 4:20pm
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Yes my naturopath did warn that if buying fish oil from chemist/health shop to ask for one that had murcury taken out of it.
The stuff I buy from her is practically free of murcury (has been screened out) - must be why its so darn expensive, but again worth every penny! -------------    
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