My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Newbie with a couple of questions

8 replies

iamgroucho · 26/04/2013 21:00

Hi all,

Newbie here, just saying hello and having a bit of a look around.

My partner has just found out she is 6 weeks pregnant, which we are both thrilled - and a little freaked out - about, but overall very excited.

I just had a couple of questions I hoped someone could give some advice/opinion on.

Firstly, my partner is a vegetarian, are there any special vitamin supplements she should be taking?

Secondly my partner is having real trouble taking follic acid, it is giving her terrible stomach problems and nausea (we know it's the follic acid rather than morning sickness, as she had a similar reaction taking follic before getting pregnant).

Does anyone have any experience of this, or any suggestions? Could she just take it a few days on and a few days off just to keep the symptoms under control?

Sorry for the essay.

Thanks

OP posts:
Report
Ilovestackingcups · 26/04/2013 21:06

Hi OP, welcome and congratulations!

Vegetarian diets don't mean you need extra supplements. If she knows what she's doing food wise, she'll just need to carry on as normal and she'll be fine.

Folic Acid can make some people feel more nauseous, but unfortunately the only way around that is to not take it and run the increased risk of spina bifida. However, folic acid does exist in foods too Shock so even if she can't take the folic acid for more than the first trimester (when it's most important) your partner will still be able to get some in without her body reacting badly to it.

As well as folic acid, is your partner taking vitamin d? She may also need iron and more vitamin c as her pregnancy progresses. This isn't a vegetarian thing, a lot of women experience a drop in their haemoglobin levels and have to take an iron supplement; vitamin c increases the body's uptake of iron, just as caffeine prevents it.

You'll both be fine.

Report
iamgroucho · 26/04/2013 21:17

Hi, thanks for the quick response, and kind words!

We have a pretty good diet so we should be ok then. As for vitamins, my partner has been taking a pregnancy vitamin supplement with vitamin d. She will also look at an iron supplement etc.

Regarding the follic acid, is there any thing my partner could be taking in her diet that might help alleviate the issues? Our Dr has suggested omeprazol, but we are reluctant as he said there was no understanding of any effects that drug might have on an unborn......

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

OP posts:
Report
cyclecamper · 26/04/2013 21:24

The basic pregnacare vitamin suplement is vegetarian, but some of the more advanced ones are not. They contain folic acid, but it may be easier for her in a mixed vitamin. A lot of multivitamins are not suitable for pregnancy. I'm veggie and doing ok (at 33 weeks), my vegetarian sister has 5 healthy children and my mother is a life long veggie (and doesn't believe in supplements) and managed to have 2 of us with no problems in the 70s! A varied diet is the main thing.

Report
MaryannM · 26/04/2013 21:41

Hello and congratulations :-)

Here is a link to foods that contain folic acid, I had the same problem taking the tablets, even the tiny ones :-( I've been adding a lot of these foods to my diet and at 24wks, my bump is healthy and fine :-)

www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/folic-acid-foods/

Take care :-)

Report
MaryannM · 26/04/2013 21:43

Ps. Looks like a healthy vegetarian diet is naturally full of folic acid :-)

Report
Littlemissexpecting · 26/04/2013 21:43

Congratulations!
I found taking folic acid, or the pregnancy multi vitamin at night before bed easier, or with my evening meal.
My mw recommended vit c and vit d also.

Report
Bunnylion · 26/04/2013 22:33

Congratulations!

I'm also pregnant and a vegetarian. Best foods for folic acid are dark green veg - spinach, kale etc

With the increased amounts of blood in her body she will also need to keep up her iron levels to avoid developing anaemia, so lots more green veg, also peanut butter and tofu will all help.

With a healthy balance diet she doesn't need suppliments. The NHS says to really make sure you get your folic acid up to 12 weeks for early spinal development. If a woman does take suppliments, many don't continue to take them after 12 weeks anyway because early spinal development is complete .

I don't take supplements and my last blood test showed high iron levels, so being vegetarian doesn't mean it's not possible to get a plenty of iron without supplements. As with folic acid, just plan your meals in advance.

I'm cooking this dish a lot lately, it's a quick and easy, well balanced meal and gives you all the nutrition you especially need during pregnancy - protein, iron, folic acid and calcium.

Report
Bunnylion · 26/04/2013 22:33
Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.