Prenatals - do you take them or no?

[amygrrrango]

I know there's a ton of debate around this - do you take prenatals? Or are you concerned it messes with your cycle?

I've been taking them for a few months and haven't had a super irregular period until now. I'm CD65, definitely not pregnant and anxiously waiting for AF. I came off of BC in May, but am wondering how you all feel about taking prenatals before you're actually pregnant?

 

[MrsWKJ]

I believe prenatals messed up my cycles. They went from 29 to as long as 38. Some say it didnt change anything for them. I stopped using them in the middle of last cycle and in this cycle i ovulated 5 days early. Im not sure how much truth is there to this theory.

 

[allgood921]

Me personally, I say no to prenatals all together. I pay real close attention to the foods I eat and what nutritional value they have. I also take cod liver oil to get my Vitamin D and Omega 3, I take a B Complex (liquid form) which covers all my B vitamins, I take an iron pill as well and recently made a magnesium body butter (magnesium deficiency can sometimes result in infertility, it is also needed to help your body absorb vitamin D)
I stay away from low fat crap because your body needs 'good fats' to absorb the nutrients and vitamins.

As long as you are eating a healthy diet and getting the nutrients your body needs before, during, and after pregnancy, then I say don't bother with PNV. But that's just my opinion :-]

 

[amygrrrango]

I believe prenatals messed up my cycles. They went from 29 to as long as 38. Some say it didnt change anything for them. I stopped using them in the middle of last cycle and in this cycle i ovulated 5 days early. Im not sure how much truth is there to this theory.

Thank you!! Since you got your BFP, I think I'll go with your theory, even if it has nothing to do with it. Switched back to just a multi-vitamin this a.m.

 

[Pearly86]

yeah amy it did mess up my cycle too..well last cycle i dint take it and i got my cycle normal..and this cycle also m not taking ..lets hope thnigs remain normal !!

 

[alicarr74]

I have never taken prenatal vitamins, my doctor just advised taking a multivitamin and folic acid!

 

[babyzoe]

it's interesting that a PP says no to prenatals but uses so many other supplements. not judging, just intrigued.

to the OP, you recently came off of BC so it takes time for your body to regulate, and depending on how long you were on BC, what was normal for you pre-BC may not be normal for you post-BC (because you're older). I got the IUD removed back in February and had pretty normal periods until last month when all of the sudden I O'ed on CD 14 instead of the normal CD21. I was taking prenatal since February too so I chalked it up to my body finally getting back to where it should be....that or the stress..lol.

but yea, the vitamins shouldn't cause any issue, is there anything else that you changed recently? more stress than normal? less stress than normal? did you change your eating habits? sleeping habits?

 

[AshNAmber]

I've been taking PNV for the past 2 and half months my last 2 cycles have been pretty on point.. So I don't think it personally messed with mine a all.. Not as of yet anyway and god I hope it doesn't start.. I take the prenatal gummies I don't like pills lol. And I've never been on any type of BC?. Don't know if that makes a difference or not.. To me a vitamin is a vitamin..

 

[Bee Bee]

I'm not sure if it's messed up mine or not! I just got off BC Sept 23 and started prenatals a few days later as per my docs request. I'm on CD44. Not sure if its just because of being on BC for so long, or because of prenatals. I am assuming the prior.

I can tell you that I feel great on prenatals though! got lots of energy and feel good

 

[Kittymommy]

I would say BC is more likely the culprit. I think vitamin deficiency and hormone imbalance would more likely be the cause to irregularities. It's always good to take a little break here and there when supplimenting, so I always stop taking them when my period starts and start again in 5 days or so. The only negative effect I've herd they can have is sometimes drying up cm but I don't know how much truth there is to that. So in my opinion they help more then they hurt.ie. Babies spinal and brain development in that 5 th week when pregnancy does happen.

 

[Pearly86]

Kittymommy,

thats quite could be apossibility as for me also when I stopped it last cycle ..so the last month I saw so much of EWCM which i feel I havent seen it for so many cycles..as I was on prenatals..so that could be corect!1..hope i see it this month too

 

[amygrrrango]

it's interesting that a PP says no to prenatals but uses so many other supplements. not judging, just intrigued.

to the OP, you recently came off of BC so it takes time for your body to regulate, and depending on how long you were on BC, what was normal for you pre-BC may not be normal for you post-BC (because you're older). I got the IUD removed back in February and had pretty normal periods until last month when all of the sudden I O'ed on CD 14 instead of the normal CD21. I was taking prenatal since February too so I chalked it up to my body finally getting back to where it should be....that or the stress..lol.

but yea, the vitamins shouldn't cause any issue, is there anything else that you changed recently? more stress than normal? less stress than normal? did you change your eating habits? sleeping habits?

Thanks!! Nothing else has really changed - more stress with work, less exercise unfortunately, but nothing that I think would change AF drastically. Must still be the BC.

 

[cancerlib]

I believe prenatals messed up my cycles. They went from 29 to as long as 38. Some say it didnt change anything for them. I stopped using them in the middle of last cycle and in this cycle i ovulated 5 days early. Im not sure how much truth is there to this theory.

U are so on point abot this. Last year when I was Ttc, prenatals messed up my cycle, always delayed my Ov. My cycle got back to normal d mnth I stopped it so am pretty sure it did.
My own rule nw is to nt take prenatals b4 pregg but I'll start once I get my bfp.

 

[labgal]

My goodness, now that I've read this I am going to discontinue my use of prenatal vits - maybe that's why my cycles have been on the longer side - I've been taking them since I started TTC 5 months ago...

We'll see how the experiment goes.

 

[Loch]

This is really helpful. I was debating what to do to help my chances, including taking vitamins since I'm not taking any right now. Prenatal made sense...but I suppose it can work different depending on the person, and if you're pregnant or not.

I like allgood921's strategy of covering all the basis by eating right and covering all the bases.

 

[babyzoe]

for those opting not to take prenatals please please PLEASE make sure you at least take a folic acid supplement. neural tube development begins almost immediately after implantation if you don't have enough folic acid, your child can have a whole slew of neural tube defects, like anencephaly (no brain) or spina bifida

 

[babytee44]

I generally use the rule that I take prenatals after I ovulate. Like baby zone said about the effects of not having folic acid in your diet, I don't want to take the risk. This may be a good option for those of you who feel it delays your cycles... If you just wait until your tww, then it shouldn't be delaying anything and should only help your baby!

 

[amygrrrango]

I generally use the rule that I take prenatals after I ovulate. Like baby zone said about the effects of not having folic acid in your diet, I don't want to take the risk. This may be a good option for those of you who feel it delays your cycles... If you just wait until your tww, then it shouldn't be delaying anything and should only help your baby!

This is so smart! This is my new plan, thanks!