Can I take vitamins less often then I'm supposed to?

[Tithonia]

Here's the deal: I've been reading up on everyone's prenatal vitamin recommendations. (I'm not pregnant, but just in case...) I have serious issues swallowing pills at any time, and when pregnant it's even harder. I also want to take a really "good" vitamin. So I love the look of the Buried Treasure liquid vitamins, with New Chapter coming in second, from what I've read of everyone's recommendations.

But the problem is there is no way I can afford them if I take them according to how they're supposed to be taken. Has anyone done something like take "good" vitamins every other day and children's chewables plus folic acid supplements on the other days? Or something like that?

If anyone has ideas, suggestions, or experiences I would love to hear them.

[Dmitrizmom]

I will confess that I didn't take any vitamins for most of my pregnancy - only started some supplements late pregnancy due to other issues.

[Artichokie]

i took children's chewables plus FA my entire pregnancy b/c regular prenatals made me very sick.

[aims1029]

I've been taking Rainbow Light and I just realized the serving size is 6, not 1. I'm not concerned. As long as you are getting what you need from your diet you'll be fine.

[angelpie545]

Originally Posted by Dmitrizmom

I will confess that I didn't take any vitamins for most of my pregnancy - only started some supplements late pregnancy due to other issues.

Me neither, actually. Prenatal vitamins made me so sick during my pregnancies (the only times I tried taking them) that I just quit and didn't take them at all. At most, when I'm not pregnant I can take a kid's vitamin about once every other day without feeling like I'm overwhelming my system. I don't know why it's like this for me, but eh, I deal with it. My body in general has a hard time processing stuff.

[MaterPrimaePuellae]

If I were you, I would take a liquid Vit D, chewable vitamin C, and folic acid (and probably the FA only before conception and first trimester)....Then a chewable calcium (like the viactiv chews or the gummy kind) especially in the last trimester (supposedly 50% of the calcium baby needs is absorbed during this time)
if you want to do more, there are plenty of reasonably cheap adult vitamin gummies, too-- I think you can find them without artificial colors.

[ASusan]

I take only one of the 3 recommended tablets (New Chapter). I'm currently breastfeeding. Plus I supplement with Bs and D3.

I concur with the recommendation to get folate (NOT folic acid) early: pre-conception and for the first few months. If you are pre-conception, I would think a good diet, SOME prenatal (maybe not the full amount), and folate would be the most important things.

And supplement with a good calcium starting in the 6th month - the 6th month is when the bones start to ossify and calcium (and lead) is released from the maternal stores in the bones and teeth. Also important is a good iron, because if iron isn't available, the fetus will preferentially take up lead that is circulating in maternal blood.

[cloe]

If you can't afford viatmins you might think about investing in good birth control. A baby costs a lot more than a couple of bottles of vitamins. Whatever the variety.

[chattyprincess]

I have been thinking about this alot lately. I could not take any vitamin the first trimester, they made me so sick...and I tried quite a few dif. brands (rainbow life, new chapter, my dds!) I had been taking rainbow life daily for 6 months before conceiving so I was shocked I was reacting that way. For the last 2 months I have started taking them again. If I forget a day and don't take them the next day my pee is normal colored. On the days I do take them daily my pee is bright yellow (not dehydrated but from the b vitamins I think) so I am going to ask my doc what she thinks...should I split the pill in half or take it every other. Obviously my body isn't using all of it...
I would ask your doc if every other day is ok. Or you could flip between two, every other day take a cheaper one like rainbow life just one and then the next day take the other...

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by cloe

If you can't afford viatmins you might think about investing in good birth control. A baby costs a lot more than a couple of bottles of vitamins. Whatever the variety.

Oh my gosh..

I take Raw Prenatal.. they are the only prenatal my midwife has EVER recommended... (she didn't recommend prenatals for a very long long time.. she wanted a separate women's daily, and a separate calcium and a separate magnesium, and a separate.. well, you get the picture.. ) I think I was expecting to spend about $100 a month on just vitamins..

Now that I can take the raw prenatal, they cost about $29 for a month's supply, and I get free shipping from appleadayandbeyond if I order more than $75 worth at a time.. they are $39 a bottle locally.. before I was pregnant I was taking the Rainbow light and then the Rainbow complete.. but my midwife thinks that raw better meets my needs and frankly, it is cheaper, and I only need 3 a day instead of 6.

I think they are high quality and pretty cheap, really.

And to further answer the OP's question.. I don't think that people get the full benefits of the vitamins if they don't take the recommend dose.

ETA: I also take a probiotic, D3, and cranberry tablets.. but the cranberry and probiotic are due to my personal UTI issues, and the D3 is because of my location.. so that is just specific to my case I think.

[Tithonia]

Originally Posted by cloe

If you can't afford viatmins you might think about investing in good birth control. A baby costs a lot more than a couple of bottles of vitamins. Whatever the variety.

Okay, I admit it's a matter of priorities. Although I think we spent a total of approximately $2 on our first one in her first two years of life, thanks to hand-me-down clothes and cloth diapers, breastfeeding, and the Canadian health care system! And I guess I'm assuming an income increase in the next couple of years.

Thanks for the thoughts, everyone. Of course this is a complicated issue with lots and lots of viewpoints... I'll continue you to look around for input until I can come to some kind of decision. My ideal would be to build up the size of my garden and the micronutrients in my garden soil to the point where I feel confident that I'm getting what I need and can feed my family, but that's going to take some time!

[flowers]

I tried to choke down those horse pills with my first, but didn't take any with my second or with this third pregnancy. I try to focus on nutrient dense foods as an alternative.

[secondimpression]

Originally Posted by flowers

I try to focus on nutrient dense foods as an alternative.

Because of how little the body absorbs from vitamin and mineral supplements (there is no substitute for a balanced whole diet), I'm more inclined to think of those little (or big) pills as placebos. If it makes you feel better to take them, then take them.

[soso-lynn]

Originally Posted by cloe

If you can't afford viatmins you might think about investing in good birth control. A baby costs a lot more than a couple of bottles of vitamins. Whatever the variety.

Wow, I can see why other people would laugh at this but I am really annoyed.

I only just started occasionnally taking a calcium-magnesium supplement because I calculated that I was not getting enough from food. With my first, I did not take any kind of supplements. I really think that just taking prenatals for no reason can do more harm than good.

[dollysods]

My recent thoughts

If you eat a healthy, normal diet, prenatal vitamins are more insurance than necessity, with the possible exceptions of folic acid and iron (unless you have higher than average nutritional needs due to a multiples pregnancy or maternal health issues).

What I personally take and think is a reasonable approach for people unable to take prenatal vitamins:

A single daily Flinstone Complete Chewable Multivitamin (400 mcg of folic acid)
plus either a separate folic acid supplement or increased intake of dietary folic acid to reach the 600 total recommended (your body absorbs it less well from food than from the vitamin, so probably would need about 400 from diet to make up the difference). That said, natural folate has not been shown to be effective in lowering risks of neural tube defects.

and
calcium, either dietary (preferred), or in a supplement to add up to 1000 mg/day

and either a very deliberate effort to eat iron-rich foods or additional supplementation. The flinstone complete contains 18 mg, for pregnancy you need about 30 mg/day (more,obviously, if you start off or become anemic).

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by dollysods

calcium, either dietary (preferred), or in a supplement to add up to 1000 mg/day

The problem I see there though is that it was my understanding that calcium and magnesium work together.. so if you increase the calcium, you would have to increase the magnesium..

Originally Posted by soso-lynn

Wow, I can see why other people would laugh at this but I am really annoyed.

I only just started occasionnally taking a calcium-magnesium supplement because I calculated that I was not getting enough from food. With my first, I did not take any kind of supplements. I really think that just taking prenatals for no reason can do more harm than good.

It was my understanding from the OP's statement that she wasn't yet taking that food/nutrient approach yet.. that in fact she was considering some gardening options to go that route, but hadn't developed that yet.. so if one isn't taking all they need from their diet, and not from their vitamins either, what are they left with? Personally I would LOVE to take all my nutrients from my diet, but I live in Alaska- fresh produce is always a challenge.. in summer, it isn't so bad, we grow the world's largest vegetables, but that still doesn't cover fruits like I would like and winter is a WHOLE nother story.. so I think the "taking nutrients from my diet" is pretty location specific- it might work out well for you, but not for everyone. There is no way I could get fruit trees to produce here except for really really small apples for example.

Originally Posted by Tithonia

My ideal would be to build up the size of my garden and the micronutrients in my garden soil to the point where I feel confident that I'm getting what I need and can feed my family, but that's going to take some time!

[dollysods]

The RDA for magnesium in pregnancy is 350-400 mg. The mainstream prenatal vitamin brands I looked at only contain 50-60 mg. It is easily found in diet and deficiency is rare.

Many women do not get enough calcium, pregnant or not. Many women do not get enough iron in pregnancy.

Pinokoi, that was the reason for my rationale in the post above.

Any nutritionists out there?