Prenatal vitamins when not pregnant?

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JenM610
JenM610 Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
A bunch of my girlfriends take prenatal vitamins even though they are not pregnant. They say that it makes their hair, skin and nails look great and they even feel better throughout the day. I normally take just a regular mulit-vitamin supplement but do not seem to get the same results. I know that prenatals vitamins are loaded to compensate for what your baby takes from you but I wonder if it is safe to "overdo" it. Does anyone else do the same or have any advice? I'm thinking about trying them.
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Replies

  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    I take them occasionally. I don't know if there is any risk or not for them, but you could call your doctor and get an answer on that one.
  • DayDreamer78
    DayDreamer78 Posts: 19 Member
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    If you are thinking of getting pregnant in coming years, take the vitamin.
  • TeresaWash
    TeresaWash Posts: 283
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    I am a lap-bander, and prenatal vitamins were recommended. So I assume it's ok.
  • mjmcdon
    mjmcdon Posts: 33
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    I also know of people who do that. I've even had a doctor encourage me just a couple months ago! I dont see any harm in doing so. :)
  • ebahde
    ebahde Posts: 89 Member
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    I was taking them for awhile, I asked my sister's OB about it when I went with her to one of her doctor's appointments when she was pregnant. He said it was fine to take whether you were pregnant or not. Your body flushes out the stuff that is "excess" just like it does with a multivitamin.
  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
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    I have been told to take them for 2 years after giving birth..
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
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    All women of child bearing age should take a multi with Folic Acid.
  • Rikki444
    Rikki444 Posts: 326 Member
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    I would advice against them... if you want great nails, hair and skin, you want fish-oil supplements, not prenatal vitamins... you may get an iron overload!
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
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    I doubt they're harmful, it's recommended to take one a few months before you even start trying to get pregnant, so with that reccommendation comes the fact that you'll be taking them for at least a few months while you're not pregnant.

    In my case, I started taking them in March, we started trying in May but we're still not pregnant, so I've been taking them for almost 9 months.


    Edited to add: I take the Target brand prenatal, which is only about $7 or 8 bucks, but if you just want them to help your hair, skin, and nails, take Biotin. It is for just that (my hair has gotten much thicker and my nails grow too fast actually) Target has it for under 2 bucks.
  • DenisePenland
    DenisePenland Posts: 21
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    I take them, but Im pumping for my twins!:smile:
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,020 Member
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    Prenatal vitamins are one of the best multi-vitamins out there for women of menstruating age. Period.

    I'm a firm believer in their "goodness". :smile:

    edit to add: My three most recent doctors (have moved twice in two years) all agree with me.
  • mscoco10
    mscoco10 Posts: 527 Member
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    Nothing wrong with it. My doctor recommends taking them. I have a bottle full i just forget to take them.
  • iHEARTcardiacnurses
    iHEARTcardiacnurses Posts: 437 Member
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    The iron level in prenatal vitamins are within safe levels (of course! The manufacturers wouldn't want you to have too much iron when you're pregnant...duh). All women of child-bearing age are encouraged to take prenatal vitamins. I take them and my nails practically sprout out of my fingertips! :laugh:

    Multivitamins are good for filling in any gaps in nutrition that you don't get from your food. Your body won't take in anything it doesn't need so if you eat really well, you're essentially paying for expensive pee.
  • JenM610
    JenM610 Posts: 6 Member
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    Oh, I'm going to try Biotin! I've heard so many different things from people I know so it's good to hear that most of you agree and take them yourselves. :)
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,453 Member
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    They're not only for pregnant women. Actually they are recommended for all women of childbearing age who MIGHT become pregnant, and those planning to start a family are told to start on them before they get pregnant.
    I love them :) Haven't broken a nail since taking them.
  • summer827
    summer827 Posts: 516 Member
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    Your body won't "get rid of" iron and since I'm not pregnant/not planning to get pregnant, I wouldn't longterm you want the extra iron (which is an oxidant) unnecessarily. I think it's best to take a multi appropriate for your age/sex/medical conditions.
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    There's no harm in it especially if there's a chance you could get pregnant. It's the extra Biotin that is good for your hair, skin, and nails.
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
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    I take them because i get so little calcium as im lactose intolerant... they help for me
  • cobarlo14
    cobarlo14 Posts: 582 Member
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    If you are planning to...Yes - If not sure, talk to your Doctor.
  • fae713
    fae713 Posts: 30 Member
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    Prenatal vitamins are fine for any woman of childbearing age. Unless you are already at risk for high iron or excess hemoglobin (red blood cells) then the extra iron in the tablets won't hurt. As it is, you're body has a difficult time processing the iron from multivitamin tablets because the other nutrients, especially calcium and other basic (as in acid vs. base) block the absorption of iron in the small intestine.

    OT - In order to truly absorb iron you pretty much have to take it separately from the rest of your vitamins with a high acid food or drink. I prefer orange juice or grapefruits juice or something similar. It need to be taken with the juice/fruit at least 30 minutes prior to taking the other multivitamin or supplements or medications. This is Very Important if you are also taking a birth control pill in the morning as they can be broken down too quickly by a high acid food or drink. If you want to take the iron supplement and high acid food/drink after everything else, wait a minimum of 90-120 minutes just so they won't interact with each other.

    Back on topic - The real reason why any woman of child bearing age should take a pre-natal vitamin is because of the increased folic acid which is essential in the first few weeks of pregnancy. Women are often deficient in folic acid and it is so important for proper growth of the nervous system in an infant that even a mild deficiency can harm a growing fetus.

    Just so you know, I work as a nurse in the mental health field and often have to review this sort of information with my patients because they have horrible diets and are severely deficient of various supplements. I also worked for a year on a labor and delivery floor and got to go over how nutrition changes after pregnancy and during breast feeding. Every doctor I've spoken with has always encouraged every woman to continue pre-natals if they were already on them or to start if they were not because of the above benefits.

    If you are worried about the higher iron content or too much of other nutrients that are fat rather than water soluble, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits and make a truly informed decision for yourself. It's always best to get advice from a professional if you are truly uncertain or questioning the conflicting advice that you are receiving.

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