Prenatal Vitamin & Pregnancy

Lets start off with the big question – whats the deal with practitioner-only products? As with medications, you can purchase over the counter supplements, but there are also supplements that are only available via natural healthcare practitioners, or that require a script if sold behind the counter. This is because they are more potent which means the form and dose of nutrients will have higher bioavailability and hence therapeutic benefit. Self-prescribing can actually be quite costly, as you may be buying multiple products that are not suitable to your individual needs, taking supplements for longer than necessary, and do more harm than good for your health if not advised or supervised under a qualified health practitioner that is educated on your case history and drug-herb and drug-nutrient interactions (for example taking a supplement may interfere with your medications).

So you may have already been taking supplements in the preconception period if planning for your pregnancy. If you have had a surprise pregnancy, you may be thinking ‘ oh god – I haven’t been taking a prenatal multi’. Don’t stress – its just important to speak to a qualified practitioner about starting on one.

Why do we recommend supplements during the phases of your motherhood journey? Well, you might not be able to reach your nutrient requirements through diet alone. Plus, with pregnancy comes morning sickness, fatigue, food aversions, and lack of time with older children, so supplementing with nutraceuticals is a way to ensure you are covering your bases.

We have access to preconception, prenatal and postnatal supplements to support you through the stages of pregnancy. Elevit is an over-the-counter product, which can be found at supermarkets and chemists. You have easy access to these products as they contain lower dosages of nutrients that do not contain a therapeutic dose. The reason behind this is due to the increased need for nutrients that vary throughout the trimesters. Unfortunately, the nutrients in elevit do not contain the therapeutic dose and are not in the most bioavailable form.

Let’s run through some of the most important nutrients here:

Folic acid: This is the synthetic form of folate that is used in supplements and fortified foods. It’s essential to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, and support foetal growth and development. Our bodies need to convert folic acid into the active form folinic acid and 5-MTHF to function effectively within the body. These active forms are found in practitioner only products to allow for better absorption. Funnily enough, elevit is more often than not more expensive! You can pay $29 for 30 tablets at Chemist Warehouse ($1 a tablet) OR get a good quality practitioner only supplement for cheaper (there are many brands but to give you an example, $68 for 90 capsules). However, I always say that taking something is better than nothing – so if its all you can get your hands on then take it!

Iron: Ferrous fumarate has low bioavailability and comes with side effects – it is one of the least tolerable forms in the body and can lead to constipation, which is already likely to occur in pregnancy. Iron is important for producing healthy blood, transporting oxygen around the body, energy levels, thyroid health and our immune system. In the third trimester, baby starts to build up their own iron stores in the liver that will last for the first six months of their life until they start solids, so mums iron levels will drop. Tip for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: Iron supplements can aggravate morning sickness, so take it at night time!

Choline: An essential nutrient in pregnancy and breastfeeding for neural tube development and foetal brain development and cognitive function is not found in elevit.

Vitamin B12: Elevit contains a low dose of vitamin B12 (2.6mcg), and the form is less bioavailable. This just doesn’t cut it when it comes to supporting DNA synthesis, fetal growth and development, neural tube development and brain health for bub and reducing anaemia in mum (works alongside folate to make red blood cells).

Vitamin D: The daily dose for vitamin D is around 1000IU daily, elevit only offering 200IU. Vitamin D is great in the prevention of postnatal depression, reducing risk of pre-eclampsia, regulating calcium levels, and in bone development of the fetus. Luckily, you can reach that goal by sitting out in the sun for 10-15 minutes daily (longer in winter).

The supplements that we can prescribe are formulated with key nutrients with a therapeutic dose. We choose products based on your individual needs, and there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach taken. You can book in for an early pregnancy supplement review. You may have just found out you are pregnant and there are some critical windows for development in those first few weeks so lets get your bases covered so you are feeling well supported and confident. We look at reviewing your current supplements, or starting you on supplements for the first trimester, as well as refer for any testing. Otherwise, book in for an initial consultation so that I can support you more thoroughly wherever you are on your fertility journey. Let’s make sure you are taking the right supplements to support you through each trimester, provide symptom support for fatigue, constipation, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, refer for and review testing, and provide postpartum and breastfeeding support.