I popped one in my mouth as soon as I got home, and went about my day.
Thirty minutes later, I was glued-to-the-bathroom sick.
Experts in This Article
At first, I thought this was regular, run-of-the-mill morning sickness.
Did my prenatal vitamins and nausea go hand-in-hand?
I switched vitamin brands to find out.
Then I switched again.
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Physically, I felt horrible, and even more troubling, I wasnt able to play with my two-year-old.
I was barely eating and could hardly get out of bed most days.
Even so, I was struggling every day.
I didnt know how much longer I could keep taking the vitamins.
(Evensinger Halseysaid she had to stop taking her vitamins while pregnant because the vomiting got really bad.)
So, its particularly unfortunate that this supplement is said to make morning sickness symptoms worse.
Having an iron-rich prenatal vitamin can certainly be a likely culprit for gastrointestinal issues, Dr. Waldrop says.
Some patients have nausea, constipation, diarrhea, or nausea and vomiting concurrently.
Still, theres hope.
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So, sometimes simply switching to a new prenatal brand, with different ingredients, will do the trick.
Some experts sayinghaving some gingercan also help.
To my surprise, each nutrition panel was completely unique.
Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
One contained about 150 percent of each vitamins daily recommended value.
Others had 200 percent or 300 percent on nearly every line.
Luckily, experts say that higher percentages in prenatal vitamins arent generally something to worry about.
She explains that some companies incorporate higher levels of nutrients simply as a way to lower costs.
Dr. Chuang notes that vitamin takers will simply urinate out the excess, water-soluble, nutrients.
This is why your urine smells different when taking prenatal vitamins, she says.
So, before choosing a supplement, Dr. Waldrop suggests asking an OB-GYN for advice.
If the parent-to-be is already taking a supplement, she recommends bringing the bottle to the doctor.
Further, Swick warns that some vitamins contain unwanted ingredients.
Supplements often contain unnecessary filler and additives to help keep costs down during the manufacturing process, she explains.
Still, finding a safe, effective prenatal vitamin isnt too difficult.
She suggests looking for vitamins that areNSF or GMP certified.
Of course, pregnant people may want to do a little research on their own as well.
Are there heavy metals or do the heavy metals exceed the acceptable limits?
Is the company willing to share any analysis on heavy metals or pesticide use?
The ideal company is transparent and has nothing to hide, she adds.
I was frustrated with and even confused about my symptoms.
After all, I hadnt had any negative reaction to vitamins when I was pregnant with my first.
So, what changed?
Dr. Waldrop simply says that different symptoms are to be expected in different pregnancies.
I tried taking my gummies with bigger meals, and I asked my OB-GYN for brand recommendations.
While some of it helped, I still felt a little nauseous every day after taking a vitamin.
I started to wonder if I was simply going to feel crummy for nine months.
The symptoms were gone.
I wasnt sure what happened.
Maybe Id finally figured out the right combination of food, timing, and brand.
Either way, I was glad I could finally take my vitamins comfortably.
Now, in my third trimester, Im glad I didnt give up on my prenatal vitamins.
Nutrition is quite humbling in how powerful a lever it is for human health, Swick says.
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