Common Problems With Prenatal Vitamins

You probably already know that prenatal vitamins are recommended for all pregnant women. The reason for this is that many women have a hard time getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of all the nutrients they need every day when they're pregnant...especially when there is morning sickness to contend with.

It is also recommended that women who are trying to conceive or who are breastfeeding take prenatal vitamins as an insurance policy against the irregular diet.

But what difficulties may occur due to these vitamins?

Some women find that their churning stomachs are due to their vitamins rather than to morning sickness, or that their vitamins make morning sickness worse. You can try changing prenatal vitamin brands. If that doesn't seem to make a difference, consider taking your vitamins at night, right before you go to bed.

There are various tricks you can use to jog your memory. Try changing the time of day you take your vitamin or purchase a pill reminder case. Leave your vitamins somewhere you can't help but see them. Some women even set an alarm on their cell phone or download a pill reminder alarm app.

When constipation occurs due to prenatal vitamins, it is typically because of the iron levels they contain. There are women who make their constipation disappear by switching from a pill form to liquid vitamins, or even by going to a different brand entirely that contains less iron. You can also ease pill-related constipation by being very careful with your diet.

If you experience difficulty swallowing your vitamins, try switching brands or cutting caplets and tablets in half. Some women even prefer liquid vitamins.

Some practitioners recommend that you split the tablets in half and take them at different times of the day. 

There may be many reasons why your prenatal vitamins are not working well for you. Don't panic. These issues are common. Talk to your midwife or doctor to figure out whether a different prenatal vitamin might work better for you. You can also get over-the-counter (OTC) prenatal vitamins. Bring them with you to your appointment to confirm with your doctor that they have everything you need, or have your health care practitioner tell you what should be in them.