HELP: Prenatal Vitamins, Probiotics, and Birth Control

sunnshhiine

Any ladies out there on birth control for medical reasons? that's me. I'm also a vegetarian.

my question is this... I've been told I should take prenatal vitamins because they're so complete and help with so many things. However, is it a good idea to take prenatal vitamins while on birth control...?

Also, is it necessary to take prenatal vitamins if I'm already taking a multivitamin and probiatics, along with iron supplements and a few other extra vitamins...?

anyone have any thoughts on this...?

deannakittygirl

I think that you would replace your other vitamins with the prenatal vitamins not take them in addition to the ones you're already taking. I would compare them at the store side by side and see what the difference is. if prenatal has everything you want then take those. don't really think the birth control pill has anything to do with it but I'm not a doctor so ask the pharmacist.

now_or_never13

Don't take a prenatal with the other vitamins and multi you are taking.

I may be wrong but I believe the only main difference with prenatals to regular vitamins is the folic acid.

I take prenatals since they were the cheapest at the store at the time and are good vitamins. If you are thinking of starting a family it is good to take them early... no real need to take them unless you are looking to get pregnant soon.

Ensure none of your vitamins have issues with each other (calcium for example lowers the absorbtion rate of other vitamins)... also, things like multi vitamins should be taken half in the AM and half in the PM as your body can only absorb so much at a time.

auddii

My gyn recommended I take prenatals (or any complete vitamin) and she knows I'm on birth control, so there shouldn't be any conflict between the two. As for your other vitamins, you shouldn't be doubling up on anything. The more vitamins you take, the more your kidneys and liver work to filter out everything you can't absorb (not to mention fillers that make up the bulk of pills). So, the prenatal should be everything you need except for maybe calcium, fish oil, and calcium (don't take calcium at the same time as the prenatal since the iron inhibits uptake of calcium). If you want to take probiotics, that would need to be separate too. Basically, if it's covered in the prenatal you don't need it on it's own (definitely won't need the daily vitamin).

bms34b

...This feels like an ask a doctor or a pharmacist thing.