When I unexpectedly got pregnant with Henrik, I think a couple days later I ran over to our nearby Meijer and picked out a random bottle (probably the cheapest) of prenatal vitamins. Of course, they made me feel (even more) nauseous and (even more) constipated. I took them sporadically but mainly focused on just taking folic acid separately. I think about halfway through my MIL gave me some Shaklee multivitamins that work well for pregnancy and I took those along with extra B vitamins. It worked.
Since that time, I've come to be fairly skeptical of synthetic drugstore vitamins. Does our body really absorb it anyway? So when we started thinking about having another baby I started doing a little research on prenatal supplements.
Here's what I ended up with:
New Chapter prenatal Multivitamin: it's a whole food prenatal, non-GMO, made with vegetables and herbs. It's pricey, but I've really liked it. You can take it on an empty stomach. Never once has it made me feel sick. The serving size is three decently big pills, which isn't ideal, but doesn't bother me enough to not like it. Definitely recommend and think the quality is worth the price. The best deal I've found is on amazon.
Magnesium: I actually starting taking Magnesium at the beginning of this year for energy and digestive purposes. I loved the original kind that I picked up at our local health food shop. I swear I would notice a difference in my energy level when I did or didn't take it. The brand you see pictured above I have not been happy with. I've majorly slacked on taking it because I felt like it wasn't doing anything. Post-baby when I'm super worn out, I'll definitely be heading back and getting the kind at the health food shop.
Many people take magnesium to help with nausea during pregnancy. Personally, I don't think there's anything that REALLY helps with nausea. I tried the magnesium, I tried the ginger, and a few other things. For me, I just have to eat the right things and plug through that stage of pregnancy.
Probiotic: I also got more faithful about taking a probiotic when I got pregnant. Mainly for my own digestion (because it's a seriously huge issue for me in pregnancy) but also for the baby's gut health. I started reading a lot about how consistent probiotics during pregnancy can get the baby on the right track. I've liked the brand I've been taking, but think you can find a lot of good brands. I notice a difference if I'm not consistent with my probiotic.
When I hit the third trimester I'll start up things like Raspberry leaf tea and other birth preparations. I'd love to hear if anyone else has suggestions!
3 comments:
glad you found a cocktail you like :) I didn't ever take magnesium myself, but Christian takes it in a liquid vitamin and it's a pretty big deal for him. What brand did you like better for magnesium from the health food store? And how much is it total that you are taking with the vitamin too? Very curious. :)
Andria
I don't know, Ann! I'm going to go back there this week and figure it out. :) I'll let you know.
you could try upping your mag intake thru natural sources...brewer's yeast or wheat bran in smoothies, almonds & almond butter, dark green leafy things...and make sure your calcium/mag ratios are appropriate-your midwife can probably give you a guideline there
Post a Comment