When should you stop taking your prenatal multivitamin?
Are prenatal vitamins really just for pregnant women?
3 months before conception
We covered the reasons why starting 3 months before conception is ideal in this post, and how to select your prenatal multivitamins here.
The foundation of your babys | spinal cord and brain happens before you even see the little + sign on the pregnancy test. Taking a prenatal multivitamin is recommended to provide sufficient folic acid and iron. It doesn | t replace a healthy and balanced diet; it complements it.
In an ideal world, the decision to start a family would come with a professional assessment of your family nutrition habits. It | s the perfect time to make healthy food choices and create new family traditions to be happy and healthy…. but it | s also the most challenging time to make any changes! Like you need to add more to your list! For some families, it is the motivation to make changes. For others, it | s not the right moment. Both are okay. Don | t force anything on your family, be honest with yourself and be kind towards your feelings.
A prenatal vitamin before conception ensure you have all the nutrients you need to welcome this little miracle!
During pregnancy
We suggest to take a daily prenatal multivitamin for the duration of your pregnancy.
If you are constipated or if you have digestive discomforts after taking your current prenatal, talk to your doctor, midwife or dietitian. There are strategies to alleviate the digestive discomforts. Here are some ideas to start:
Try various brands: fruity gummies, chewable tablet, big or small pills, a daily dose of 1, 2 or 3 pills as per the bottle | s indication… there are lots of choices and maybe something will suit you better.
If you have morning sickness and throw up a lot, take your prenatal multivitamin after dinner or even at night.
Take your prenatal multivitamin with food, so it doesn | t sit on an empty stomach.
If taking a prenatal vitamin makes you constipated, make sure you check these factors:
Do you drink plenty of water?
During pregnancy, you need 3L of water per day
Yes, it has to be mostly water, but it can also be coffee, tea, soup
Get yourself a water bottle, measure its volume capacity and determine how many times you need to refill it during the day
Do you eat enough fibres?
Fibres are found in fruits, veggies, whole grains products
Take a look at your meal and at your lunch box: what does it contain? Can you add 1 item that will bring more fibres?
More fibres = more water. If you eat more fibres, make sure you drink more water (otherwise you will be more constipated, vicious cycle!)
Do you move your body enough?
Walk, bike, swim, play badminton, do yoga… anything that you enjoy!
Chose activities that don | t put too much stress on your body: not the time to go horseback riding or do karate.
Get moving. Everything counts! A 5 minutes walk to the furthest washroom (I bet you are visiting the washrooms often!), a bike ride around the block, vacuuming the house, working in your garden…it doesn | t have to be a formal workout at the gym if that is not enjoyable for you.
when to stop taking prenatal vitamins?
