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doing research to see if i can be okay with a superb diet. saw an article stating that according to the National Academy of Sciences if you do not have any of a few risk factors (eg smoking) you don't need them. also read that the best source of folic acid is raw fruits and veggies, which i plan to eat plenty of. calcium is generally easy in dark leafy greens and some good salts (my himalayin pink has a ton.) i don't see why taking the time to eat really well shouldn't be enough and am a bit wary of vitamins a supplements. wondering what others have thought and done. obviously we don't want to take unnec risks, but my sense for my body is the best way to go is lots of high vibe organic fruits and veggies across the color spectrum, nuts, coconuts, avos, generally a good raw diet. sorry to sound like such a hippy.
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Mon, February 11, 2008 - 5:58 PMI know that in Italy they don't take prenatal vitamins. The doctor prescribes a special diet. -
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Mon, February 11, 2008 - 6:16 PMwow. that's so interesting. good lead. any idea what the diet is? i'm off a-googlin'.... -
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Unsu...
Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Mon, February 11, 2008 - 6:25 PMrainbow light -one a day- food derived prenatal vitamin, no synthetic stuffs-
health food stores and targets
i ate well and took these, but i must say that as breastfeeding, i slack wayyyy to much and wonder what effect that will have later....
there is a book, try amazon--can't remember the name for sure..pregnancy cook book--all about what to eat during the trimesters to get the right amount of the right vitamins as the baby needs it....maybe my friend i loaned to still has it.....get back to you.... -
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Wed, February 13, 2008 - 11:25 AMi took the rainbow light as well during my pregnancy. they were the only thing i COULD take haha. every other prenatal that i tried made me sicker than a dog. i could smell it on my fingers even after i would wash my hands. blech! then a good friend of mine who worked at whole foods at the time brought me those and i was like OMGTHANKYOU!!! haha.
i continued to take them the first few months after i had my daughter for breastfeeding but honestly i never remember and i have stopped trying to remember. i feel that i eat a very healthy well balanced diet and there isn't a need for them. plus you have to remember that in third world countries mamas still breastfeed their babies!
i think that with the next baby (i am not pregnant but i plan on being again someday!) i will take the rainbow light prenatals again just to be on the safe side but i am sure that with a healthy diet you (theoretical you) would be fine.
that book sounds great! you will have to let us know what it is!!
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Mon, February 11, 2008 - 7:37 PMI was traveling in Italy when I was about 8 weeks and my Italian friend was astounded that I took "pills" instead of changing my diet. I just know that you have to increase folic acid, iron and calcium. -
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Mon, February 11, 2008 - 8:15 PMmy midwife just reccomended tons of greens and other veggies and floradix (iron & herb supplement). it worked great for me.
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Wed, February 13, 2008 - 11:33 AMI just kept taking the same chewables I take normally. The binding ingredients in regular tablets and capsules make me horribly ill so I was not about to take any chances when I was pregnant. My midwife, actually tried to sell me Shakelee vitamins from day one (that should have tipped me off from the start) actually conned me into buying the liquid multi with iron at the end of my pregnancy which made me ill so after two doses, I chucked the bottle. What a vile product.
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Wed, February 13, 2008 - 8:37 PMi also took the rainbow light prenatals. i figure, why not add the supplement of things the baby needs? i also eat a very healthy diet full of leafy greens and fruit, but you need to eat pounds of raw greens for enough iron and other necessary nutrients. magnesium is key, too when trying to absorb the calcium. i'm sure you, and the baby, would be fine without the prenatals but we know that those vitamins are so important, one way or the other. especially for mamas who were as sick as i was, and could barely eat the meals i knew i should....
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Fri, February 15, 2008 - 4:10 AMI never took anything during pregnancy, and as I had an unassisted pregnancy, I was told by many people that I was going to harm my baby by not taking pills. Ha.
I dont take supplements ordinarily either, but I guess if you had an obvious deficiency in something it might help.
I was vegetarian and was very into healthy whole live foods to begin with. In the last few months of my pregnancy I pretty much went 99% raw foods. I felt WONDERFUL! I did have yoghurt often for the probiotics. I never had any of the 'normal' pregnancy problems such as heartburn etc. I carried my son till 44 weeks and felt awesome the whole time, still walking to and from town( a few miles) up till the day I gave birth.
The biggest thing I believe is combingnig your foods in ways that make the nutrients of those foods easily assimilated and absorbed. For example, I still ate organic eggs thru out pregnancy, for protein and iron and to boost the iron absorption I always had fresh squeezed organic orange juice with them( vitamin C helps iron absorption).
Things like Green Leafy Veg are probably the best thing to include plenty of in your diet. Do you have a juicer> I juiced daily and still do. I layed off the fruit juicing however as I didnt want to make my blood sugar shoot thrut he roof, lol. But a good mix of Carrot/celery/cucumber/fennel/ginger/ green leafy veg, about a pint, once a day would be far more helpful than any pill/supplement, as the nutrients adn minerals will be absorbed quickly and efficiently by your body.
Good luck!
Puella -
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Thu, February 21, 2008 - 7:16 AMVitamins don't sit well with me and when I was preggo I would just throw them up.. ick. I drank nourishing herbal teas (like nettle and red raspberry) every day, brewed for at least 30 min covered to get the full benefit. This has helped me feel healthy during breastfeeding too. that along with a good diet and you'll be fine. listening to your body is the best you can do -
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Thu, February 21, 2008 - 8:44 AMi too took the rainbow light prenatal vitamins and i am still taking them daily.........early in my pregnancy, everything else made me feel ooky, but not these....i, however, am and have been since way before i pregnancy been a regular vitamin taker with very few issues swallowing pills and such, so maybe i am not the best one to chime in.
i wouldn't skip the prenatal vitamins, but that is just me.
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Wed, October 7, 2009 - 12:49 PMi really admire your ability to stick to the whole foods and veggies. im about 23wks along and i wanted to know if you had any favorite recipes? any foods you absolutly keep in you cabinets? ( bell pollen, miso, flax..) any advice or tips for healthful living?
ive been doing yoga regularly for about six years. ive experimented with food and herbal cleanses but now that im pregnant i really want to experience the maximum benifits for my baby and i.
did you do any yoga during pregnany? crave anything strange or out of the ordinary? any massages, acupunchture? any herbal teas you can maybe recommend? what did you try for you headaches? feverfew?
im not completely a vegetarian but ive cut of red meats and most processed foods.
also how did your birth go if you dont mind sharing. this is my first preganncy and i feel a scared antisipation.
thanks for the advice
- Missa
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Fri, March 21, 2008 - 5:12 PMI developed a revulsion for greens during my pregnancy, though I would eat any fruit that wandered within reach.
My midwife friends all said it doesn't matter what brand or type so much as the importance of consuming a prenatal vitamin.
Doctors recommend taking prenatals now, if you are of childbearing age & ever plan to have kids. When you look at the cost of medical care, even the cheapest supplements start to look like reasonable insurance. -
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Wed, April 2, 2008 - 11:42 AMI actually did not take any vitamins with either of my children and they and I turned out fine. They would make me immediately through up. I was a very healthy eater for the second and atee nothing but crap with the first and the first is healthier than the second!
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 7:52 PMI take the New Chapter Organic prenatal vitamins (recommended by my acupuncturist) and they sit well with me. I also started taking "Berry Green" also from New Chapter because I have been concerned about not enough green leafies in my diet. My midwife said I should eat something like 7-8 servigns a day of green leafies which I find impossible. I say trust your intuition on the matter and you'll be better off than listening to the docs who in my experience always err on the side of "worst case scenario" diagnoses. I also take fish oil every day, also recommended by my Acupuncturist.
Berry Green Ingredients: Organic Spinach, Organic Blueberry, Organic Kale, Organic Parsley, Organic Cranberry, Organic Red Cabbage*, Organic Green Cabbage*, Organic Broccoli*, Organic Brussels Sprouts*, Organic Okra*, Organic Papaya*, Organic Rose Hips*, Organic Pomegranate*, Organic Concord Grapes*, Organic Oats*, Organic Brown Rice*, Organic Turmeric*, Organic Ginger*, Organic Cinnamon*, Organic Chicory*.
New Chapter Organic Perfect Prenatal 180 Tablets
Probiotics, Prenatal Made with Organic Ingredients Nourishing fulfillment for you and your baby. America's favorite whole food prenatal. Nature's organic probiotic whole-food prenatal vitamin. Promotes physical stamina and emotional well-being while nurturing mother and baby. Perfect Prenatal delivers 23 different easily digested, energizing and protective probiotic vitamins and minerals as well as 13 stress-balancing and free-radical scavenging herbs cultured for maximum effectiveness. Herbs like lavender and lemon balm have been revered for their soothing properties while other antioxidative herbs like peppermint, clove and rose hips provide key health benefits that support and sustain. Your health, and the health of those you love, are precious and deserve the finest nutritional support. We welcome you to the living world of New Chapter's Probiotic Nutrients-a vital organic choice for the fullest potential of life. Why Organic Whole Food Complexes? Our bodies understand-and seek-organic nourishment, for organic whole foods deliver the ideal form of essential micronutrients that allow us to thrive. Our Earth understands-and celebrates-organic cultivation, which reduces the burden of the toxic "ides"-pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. And our organic whole food vitamins understand and speak your language-the language of life itself. -
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Unsu...
Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 7:56 PMi love the new chapter organic food based prenatals but they are very expensive.... if you can afford it they are the best.
i found them WAY cheaper here.... (than my health food store or whole foods)
www.vitacost.com
shipping is only $5 per order so if you order a few months (and any other supps you need) its definitely worth it!
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Unsu...
Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 7:57 PM'if you can afford it they are the best. '
- IMHO, of course. :) -
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Sat, May 3, 2008 - 8:07 AMyeah, i wound up taking a whole food vitamin b/c it got so rough to eat. it took me four months to get back to my green juicing ways and while i thought this lousy eating in the first trimester must be natural -- it happens to so many of us, of course -- i decided vitamins would probably not be *that* harmful short term, esp if they were whole food vitamins. they did not make me sick at all, which was cool. an ob/gyn gave me a bottle of regular old prenatals recently and i tried one out of curiousity and got quite sick to my stomach, even though the morning sickness has passed. i think whole food vitamins are worth the money for those who can afford them at least in that early period where so many of us just can't get our greens. the whole food vitamins seem to be much, much easier on the belly.
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 5:39 PMI buy the New Chapter prenatals here: www.oraganic.com (yes, misspelled is correct)
they are only 33.00 a bottle. Whole Foods grocery charges something like 65.00 a bottle. -
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Unsu...
Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 6:17 PMdang, they sell a 6 month's supply for $129...
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Sat, May 3, 2008 - 7:11 PMHi. I also tend to be weary of taking any pills. In this case, however, I would strongly encourage you to take your prenatals. I work in a pediatric hospital (not a doc, by the way) and there are certain conditions that are soooo preventable (like spina bifida)... Anyway, I'd recommend the Whole Foods brand. You only have to take one a day and they are vegan. I took them when I was pregnant and they didn't bother me, eventhough I was nauseous all day long. I'm still taking them, but I've added calcium (also vegan) and vitamin D3 (for breastfeeding moms!). Of course, I only take them when I remember... and when I'm not rebelling against taking pills.
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Re: anybody skip the prenatal vitamins?
Wed, October 7, 2009 - 1:57 PMI took pretty much the same vitamins and minerals that i take year round because I have certain minor conditions that seem to do better when I supplemnt...B complex in pretty high doses, calcium and amgnesium (with zinc), and otherwise I relied on food sources for Vitamin A (beta carotene etc, some Vitamin C supplementation but mostly get that from food.I'm vegetarian too), sun for Vitamin D. I sometiems took extra calcium (I don;t drink milk). I eat a lot of leafy greens, ccabbage-family vegetables, fruit in season, grains, beans, tofu, and I did fine with all of these.
you are right about folic acid; absolute best sources are streamed dark lafy greens 9salads help but probably not enough volume), and some of the Vitamin C fruits - citrus, kiwi, bell peppers, cantaloupe, and while beans (tofu not as effective.
