(Part 2) Best prenatal vitamins according to redditors

Cycle: TTC for 22 months


Ovulation cycle day: I stopped using ovulation tests a few months ago as my cycles have always been pretty regular, and I started forgetting and didn't want to spend more money on them. I knew about when I would be ovulating, so we just made sure to hit that window. I noticed EWCM on CD 12 and my app calculated (I assume from previous history) that I ovulated on CD 16.


Relevant BD/BD method (SMEP, Shettles, etc.): BD on CD 9, 12, 14, 17 and 23!


Tracking methods and apps used: Glow app


Symptom spotting: I had fatigue and headache on CD 16 and 17 and the sore breasts began on CD 18 and haven't stopped since! I've also noticed in the past week that my nipples have been sore. The even bothered me throughout the day from rubbing on my bra! I thought it was definitely odd that my breasts were that sore for so long.


Day of positive test(s): The evening of Friday, June 2, CD 28, DPO 12! I bought a test on my way home from work because I just had a feeling. Honestly though, when I took it I was just expecting a negative, as that has always been the result. I could barely finish in the bathroom before it turned a blazing positive!! Didn't even have to use 1st morning urine!


Supplements and medications: I have been taking prenatals since before we started TTC. I wasn't sure how soon we'd conceive, so I wanted to be sure I had a good supply of nutrients in my body beforehand, in case it happened quickly. Here is the list:

New Chapter Prenatal - (3 pills a day)

NOW DHA/EPA - (1 pill a day)

Solger Folate - (1 pill a day)

Vital Proteins Beef Liver -
(I was taking 1 pill a day, now I upped it to 3 pills a day)

Viva Naturals Krill Oil - (1 pill every other day)

Great Lakes Collagen Powder - (I haven't been taking this while TTC, but I've already purchased some and will be using it every day!)


Birth control history, if relevant: I haven't been on birth control in many, many years.


Health conditions/medical tests: Chronic headaches, although I have noticed that it's pretty much food related. That and my acne. I've been eating much better the past couple months and it's made a HUGE difference. I never was tested for anything, since we were TTC for 22 months. Hubs did get tested in March and everything came back completely normal. I had my yearly checkup in July, so that was when I was going to discuss my next steps.


Link to chart: http://imgur.com/a/JvE7v


Link to lineporn: http://imgur.com/a/xOqfr


Other (advice, magic secrets, freaking out, miscellaneous): According to all the apps and my calculations, today I am 4 weeks, 1 day! Hubs and I couldn't be more excited!! I know it's still really early, and that scares us a little, but we've never seen a positive test before and today I AM PREGNANT! It's been a hard 22 months for the both of us, but when we saw that positive, it made it all worth it. As for how I'm feeling today: I have been cramping a little bit and my chest is still sore. No morning sickness yet, but honestly I can't wait for ALL THE SYMPTOMS! I'll be calling my doctor on Monday morning to schedule my first appointment. :D


If anyone has any questions, please let me know!

Our OB specifically recommended prenatals that had DHA, for what that's worth. We brought these in to show her and she said they were perfect, if you're looking for a cheaper recommendation.

I take the SmartyPants Organic Gummies. The Amazon description says "fish oil" for some stupid reason, but they don't contain fish oil. The Omega 3s come from flax seed oil. If you look at the pictures of the bottle, it very specifically says that they don't contain fish.

From what I've read, it's the iron in a lot of prenatal vitamins that makes people sick, and these ones don't contain iron. I checked with my doctor and he told me that if your iron levels are ok (which mine are), you don't need prenatals with iron in them until you're actually pregnant.

First, congrats! :D

Next, if you are not taking any prenatals, you should get some sooner rather than later. The first few weeks are the most critical for getting enough folic acid, because that is when the baby's neural tube is forming and will close by about 6 weeks I think. Folic acid helps prevent spina bifida and other things associated with the neural tube. If you can't get a prenatal soon, eat lots of dark greens like kale and spinach which contain high amounts of folic acid. Personally, I buy one brand of prenatals that I love, but they are kind of hard to find. I took them in my first pregnancy, all through nursing and now with my second and they are very gentle on the tummy and really high quality. It also comes packaged with a DHA supplement which is good for eye and brain development. They are called Rainbow Light DHA Smart Essentials Prenatal Pack. I have only been able to find them locally at Rite Aid, but apparently they now sell them on Amazon too: http://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Light-Complete-Mulitvitamin-Essentials/dp/B001HCDTCG

You also need to call your doctor and make your first prenatal appointment. Unless there is a question or a problem, most doctors will not have you come in for a pregnancy test, whether urine or blood. I've been told by my doctor's office that the HPT's are good enough now they don't do their own test unless needed. If you don't have an OB/GYN, do some research to find one in your area. You also have the option of a midwife. Most doctors won't have you come in until 8-12 weeks, again unless there is an issue. At the first appointment you will usually get an ultrasound to determine viability. This is to check for proper growth and a heartbeat. They don't usually do an u/s before that because you won't be able to see much and it's fairly pointless in most cases. They will also go over what ever questions and concerns you may have and schedule your next few months of appointments. If you need a Pap, you'll get one at that time as well. There will also be other blood work to determine your blood type, your immunity to measles (I think) and an HIV test.

I would suggest buying a couple good pregnancy books. I've heard the "What to Expect" book is awful because it is written in such a way as to scare new moms with information. I don't know how true that is as I avoided it. I do like the Mayo Clinic's book and the Pregnancy Week by Week.

http://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Guide-Healthy-Pregnancy/dp/1561487171/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1319128309&sr=1-1-catcorr

http://www.amazon.com/Pregnancy-Ultimate-Week-Week-Guide/dp/0696222213/ref=pd_sim_b31

I'm taking these Garden of Life My Kind prenatals (and I have been for years). I think they check all your boxes! I like them and they are very tolerable for me. I buy a separate omega 3 with Dha and take a calcium magnesium supplement also.

Garden of Life Organic Prenatal Multivitamin Supplement with Folate - mykind Whole Food Prenatal Vitamin, Vegan, 180 Tablets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K5NELR0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_cWwXzb30AA26K

If you are eating a healthy and varied diet, you'll probably be fine. Folate is probably the most important, which you are taking.

My wife did her research and settled on these. They are horse-sized, and you're supposed to take 4 of them, but they supposedly make with real-food ingredients. They also contain folate, not folic acid.

I've used soley Nature Made brand for over a year now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005G4YCHW/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_skjRub1BCN7NN. Prenatal and DHA in one pill with absolutely no fishy after taste. Pills are sizeable, but are coated so they go down easily enough with a big mouthful of liquid. Definitely recommend!

I did gummies the entire first tri, now that I'm in the second tri and prone to anemia I switched to a natural source prentals and haven't had any problems with puking after taking my pills.

I like these. I haven't had any problems.

https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Brand-Prenatal-Vitamins-Gummies/dp/B07BBNRSBJ/ref=sxin_3?crid=V7C1J292993H&keywords=prenatal+vitamins&pd_rd_i=B07BBNRSBJ&pd_rd_r=40cb78de-2dfa-4388-990b-3596b1dd95f4&pd_rd_w=NBKQm&pd_rd_wg=UJOw1&pf_rd_p=9b4743f4-63fa-45a4-a01a-8d596f1446b5&pf_rd_r=F1S67F44J8YT9E7GK30Z&qid=1557253344&s=gateway&sprefix=prenat

I'm doing Nordic Naturals - Prenatal DHA, (500 mg) in addition to MegaFood - Baby & Me, Prenatal & Postnatal Support. I chose this combination after a post someone put up about how the FDA doesn't fully regulate the amount of nutrients put in vitamins and another commenter kindly posted this link.

So, I've been taking my prenatals for a few weeks now (these) and I just realized that the vitamin I was taking (these) had 420mcg folate (110% DV), as well as some magnesium and calcium. Although the prentals do have more folate (800mcg, 200% DV), they don't have the magnesium and calcium. But they do have 100% DV of iron, which I've never had a deficiency in but I can see how growing a human can lower that. Does anyone have any insight to why they might have taken out the magnesium & calcium? I thought magnesium and calcium were good for pregnancy? Would it be bad to take an additional mag/cal supplement? Or even switch back to my regular vitamin and take a low-dose iron supplement?

I had the same problem at the beginning of this pregnancy.
Liquid prenatal saved the day!

PRO moms https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00QA0A84C/ref=mp_s_a_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1505510317&sr=8-5&keywords=probiotic+pregnancy&dpPl=1&dpID=51Gh7SVKUeL&ref=plSrch

I love the Bellybar Chewables. They are chewable tablets, not gummies, but they have iron and only one gram of sugar. I took these during my last pregnancy too. I will say, though, that I recommended them to my sister and she hated the flavor.

Here's what I take...chewable with iron :) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TEE7Z2Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And I was supplementing with a gummy DHA until I found out it wasn't enough. I switched to these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039LF25A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which are much easier to swallow and give me no fishy burps or indigestion!

I take these at night about 1 hour before bed. I just set my alarm to remind me!

I second GOL. I'm taking these now with no stomach issues.

Ooh, we are almost the same! We get back from Japan in April (for honeymoon, 2 years after the wedding lol).

I've been taking prenatals on a regular basis for almost a year now. I started early, because I actually have a lot of food allergies, so I used the muti to fill in some nutritional gaps while I got my food lined up. Most regular vitamins make me hurl, so I switched to prenatals! Taking the prenatal just fills in all my check boxes: fill nutritional gaps, essential vitamins for migraine prevention, build up vitamin reservoir for parasite baby in future, and nails and hair!

If you do start taking prenatals, you won't need to take a full dosage. For example, the brand I take has a serving size of 4, but since I'm only one person I only take 2 (1 in the AM and 1 in PM, your body can only absorb so many nutrients at a time). Of course you can always consult your doctor as well.

I feel like 3 months before TTC would be a good place to start taking vitamins. As someone else mentioned, folate is very important.

For reference, this is the prenatal that I take. When we get closer to TTC, I will increase my dosage. I've also been thinking about real food smoothies and adding in a supplement to those. But these work fine for me. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GZ9H8PU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Good luck! :)

I tried the gummies one too and didn't like them. Now I'm on these ones: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WJW9DXM
They're not gummies but they do the job, lol.

Either you could commit to eating an incredibly varied and nutritious diet every day that includes tons of fruits and veggies and fish (that's right, definitely eat fish!!! The whole mercury thing is insane. You can not eat enough fish to overload on mercury and pregnant women aren't eating enough fish because they're scared /rant) OR you could take a prenatal vitamin. I like mega foods baby and me because the vitamins are from whole foods and didn't make me sick.

The thing about being pregnant is your whole body is going insane from hormones. You're exhausted and hungry and can't control your emotions. My friend and I were pregnant two weeks apart and literally the same week of pregnancy both craved bloody marys. When you're on that insane roller coaster, it's nice to know you can pop a few prenatals, eat the donut, and not have to worry you're making a demon alien baby (or whatever your current pregnancy fear is.)

Yep, just ordered my prenatal chewable tablets today (I have a really bad gag reflex and can't swallow pills, but made sure the tablets have the iron/folic acid). Also ordered those wondfo pregnancy strips. We've only tried once (hopefully get more tries later this week as it's my ovulation week!) so hubby is like "don't you take those AFTER you get pregnant?"

I think I should sit down with him with some youtube videos and go over the big stuff. Not sure if he'll be interested, but he did say he'd watch a birthing video only after I get pregnant.

I found the prenatals with iron made me feel really crummy (even when taken with food or at night). I’ve been alternating between Olly Prenatal Gummies and Whole Foods / 365 Gummies (they have the same amounts of each vitamin and are both yummy).

I live in the PNW and Vitamin D deficiency is a real issue up here, so I’ve been taking an extra vitamin D gummy as well (doc gave me a high five when I told her).

Also on days that I don’t eat fish (which is most days these days) I’ll do a couple tbsp of Barlean’s Omega Swirl Fish Oil. The lemon flavor is DELISH. No fishy taste or aftertaste. Can’t really get too much fish oil, great for your joints and baby’s neural development.

ETA: because I’m not doing Iron supplements I try to eat plenty of iron-rich foods, and if you pair it with a vitamin C-rich food you’ll have better absorption.

This is the Amazon link, but I always buy in store. I think it's like $20/bottle. My husband just recently had to open a new bottle of his men's sperm health vitamin and I definitely think he felt the anger too lol.

I know you said you're taking biotin, but a simple multivitamin or prenatal can do wonders. I've been taking some since January and they've really improved my mood, cleared up my skin (cystic acne + eczema), and recharged my energy. My hair is also growing in rapidly and my nails are in much better shape. I feel much "girlier" when these basics are in order.

There's a million brands, so feel free to research. I started with the One A Day on the recommendation of my friend, but I actually felt worse (food coloring triggers my migraines + I have the genetic mutation that means I process folic acid less efficiently). Now I use this combo and love it:

New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Vitamins Fermented with Probiotics + Folate + Iron + Vitamin D3 + B Vitamins + Organic Non-GMO Ingredients - 96 ct https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DH5RJG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pLJ-ybTF1KSVW

• 
  New Chapter Wholemega for Moms Fish Oil Supplement, 100% Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil with Prenatal DHA + Omega-3 + Vitamin D3 - 90 ct https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0036BU9FQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FOJ-yb1WKCN6P
  
  Good luck :)

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Try the capsules! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0033ZDGQY?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image

I have them on subscribe and save. I had to switch over from the tablets for that same reason. Ick.

I use Rainbow Light.

https://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Light-Certified-Prenatal-Multivitamin/dp/B0033ZDGQY/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487430556&sr=8-2&keywords=prenatal+rainbow+light

We got all of our IVF meds through Freedom Fertility Pharmacy. I can't really say much about their prices since we had insurance coverage for our meds (with a $75 copay for injectibles), but customer service was really great. There were a couple of times I had to get refills last-minute, and even though I called the afternoon before I needed the meds, they still got them to me the next day. Always super helpful and friendly.

Aside from medications though, I was taking a DHA supplement in addition to my regular prenatals because I read somewhere that it helped with egg quality. I probably took them 2-3 months before we started IVF, and the prenatal my doctor prescribed for me also had a DHA supplement. I can't say with any certainty that it contributed to our success, but we retrieved 13 eggs, 9 fertilized, and 8 embryos made it to the 5-day transfer. We transferred 2 and the remaining 6 were all good enough to freeze, and I'm currently pregnant. So I'd recommend a DHA supplement - I took [Rainbow Light DHA 250 Smart Essentials] (http://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Light-Complete-Mulitvitamin-Essentials/dp/B001HCDTCG) through Amazon.

Seconding Best Nest! Looking at the label I don't see any fish or corn ingredients- check it out here

I dealt with this early on and was not gonna be one of those women later in pregnancy who had awful hemorrhoids and regretted not doing everything in my power to prevent them early on. n the morning, I take my prenatal gummy (few different pills were giving me all kinds of indigestion) and I also take a Prenatal Probiotic. At night, I take my calcium + fiber gummy because I read somewhere that taking that at the same time as the prenatal vitamin sort of cancels out the effect of the fiber or the calcium or something (sorry I'm being way lazy about looking up why I chose to do that 4 months ago). I drink a ton of water, and I TRY to eat some yogurt every day if possible. If not, a prune or two. I am very regular - more so than before I was pregnant. I might continue doing all of this even after the baby! Read the reviews on that probiotic though. It's been awesome.

Not sure if anyone will see this post at this point, but I'll try to repost when it comes up again this week

Mama Bird AM/PM Prenatal Multivitamin

57 capsules left (60 is a full bottle)

I have a weak stomach, and I couldn't tolerate these prenatals. I've heard from others that they're great (and I've since found one that sits better with me). I ordered them in 12/18 (from Amazon; I can show you the receipt), and they expire 10/20. Happy to ship in the US. For verification purposes, I have sold cosmetics before using another username, and am happy to share it with you for review purposes. I hate to see them go to waste, so if you want them, let me know! They're great if you want real methyl folate instead of folic acid!

I take these! They taste very much like fruit leather, but this brand is very nice. But they do have another version that DOES contain fish oil,so make sure it's the vegetarian ones to avoid that (i don't like the scent or taste of fish so even if i have the knowledge whatever i am eating has fish, i will have a hard time eating it) . https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YLCC3T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GuOyDbDWXCPT4

I take amazon brand gummies and they’re great. It’s like a dessert lol

Edit: link for vitamins Amazon Brand - Solimo Prenatal Vitamins & DHA, 90 Gummies, 45-Day Supply https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BBNRSBJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mvtxDbS03R5HT

I also was nervous about getting a prenatal that didn’t have everything, wasn’t the best one, etc. I had a pre-pregnancy check up shortly before we moved out of state, and then found a new doctor after we moved, and both said pretty much any prenatal vitamin works, as long as it has at least 400micrograms of folic acid (necessary for healthy organ development, which happens in the first 2 weeks of pregnancy!). I’m guessing there are strict regulations about what needs to be in them, so variations from brand to brand may not be significant in terms of a healthy baby.

I’ve been taking these for the last few months and I like them a lot (i.e. no noticeable side effects). One of the doctors I saw said to eat something before taking prenatals during the day, because they can be hard on digestion/give you nausea. I was doing that but forgot to eat beforehand a few days, and I didn’t have any negative symptoms. And now I take them without food every day. So either I have a strong constitution, or these aren’t as harsh on your body as some others (I’m guessing it’s option 2, haha).

One thing you’ll want to look for is that the vitamin A is from beta-carotene, and is NOT preformed vitamin A (also called retinol) which can be overdosed on, esp if it’s in something like vitamins which have a higher content than you would encounter from eating a regular balanced diet.


TLDR - Doctor did not recommend any specific brand. These have been good for me so far. Make sure the vitamin A in any multi-vitamin or prenatal you take is from beta-carotene, and not from preformed vitamin A or retinol.

I couldn't reccommend this more, for anyone with mrhfr or folate issues.

Comes in a trimester 1 or a trimester 2&3 + breastfeeding. Now that im no longer pregnant im still going to take it because it helped with the brain fog and waking up feeling like i had actually slept.

NaturoBest Prenatal Trimester 2... https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07PMQKJH1?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Found a variant that seems to be vegan. Is this the one you take?

Mama Bird Mama Bird AM/PM Prenatal Multi+, Best Nest Wellness, Made with a Whole Food Organic Herbal Blend, L-Methylfolate (Folic Acid) and Methylcobalamin (B12), Easy to Swallow, 100% Natural Vitamin

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075X1JCKY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_QlZdAbD3DKTW0

Hey! Vegans unite!

My sister told me about Ritual so I looked at the nutrients included -- it doesn't look to have that much compared to other prenatals and I couldn't figure out why. This is the prenatal I'm thinking about purchasing. It doesn't have choline like Ritual, but Ritual doesn't include the RDA of choline anyway (per NIH recommendations). For this reason, I decided to buy a separate choline supplement.

Right now, I'm planning to take a prenatal, choline pill, and Omega-3 (2 capsules/serving). That'll be 4 pills/day, but I'm more concerned about my intake than the number of pills.

New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Vitamins

I have really been liking the Pink Stork brand as it is liquid and I have suffered Hyperemesis Gravidarum with previous pregnancies.://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00S492VCO/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1511064859&sr=8-2&keywords=pink+stork+foundation&dpPl=1&dpID=41Zv9%2BhZNFL&ref=plSrch
They also have a liquid Folate which is closer to what your body needs than folic acid. www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00S48L28Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1511065033&sr=8-3&keywords=pink+stork+folate

I have a few weeks to go before my first OB appointment as well. But here is my list:

• Prenatals with DHA
  
• Iron Supplement (due to iron deficiency anemia)
  
  Not a supplement, but, I also have asthma and was told to stop using my controller medication, so far I've been OK. I was told that asthma suffers have less symptoms during pregnancy - weird huh?
  
  

Here are a few options I found on Amazon:
Mommy Water
Bellybar Chewable prenatal

I take these New Chapter Perfect Prenatal Vitamins and I looooove them. They're fine to take on an empty stomach/with or without food and they were recommended highly in this conception book I read.

Congratulations! Here's some advice- get a good prenatal vitamin. I was really anemic until I got one that is easily absorbed (I eventually had to take iron supplements too). This is what I took Get the option that says 30 count. This is a really good price, btw.