Prenatal vitamins -- OTC vs Rx

[Anonymous]

Generic and brand name drugs have to go through the same regulations and testing. You're basically just paying more for one over the other. Unless you have need something more than the usual OTCs are fine. I used the CVS brand and checked with my doctors and they had no problem.

A lot of my family are doctors and nurses and pharm companies give doctors tons of RX samples so your doctor can pass their products off to you.

[Anonymous]

Actualy, i believe some prenatals have higher amounts of vitamins. But the OTC's I have already have way more than the RDA of each vitamin (even for a pregnant or nursing woman) to begin with I can't imagine that anyone really needs more. Keep in mind that some women actually get sick from their prenatals and there are some prescription brands have low iron, added anti-nausea vitamins, or stool softeners. My doctor didn't care what I was taking for the first trimester as long as I was trying to take something. I was one of the women getting sick from the prenatals, and he okay'd me not taking them as well.

If you tolerated your former OTC prenatals well, stick with them. If it ain't broke, don't fix it and all...

[Anonymous]

With my last preg I was taking Nature's Made Prenatal Vitamins and when I went to the doctor they gave me a Rx prenatal and told me to stop w/ the OTC ones. No idea why. I took Vitafol-OB with DHA.

Whatever you take, make sure you're getting DHA--if it's not in your prenatal then add Expecta to your daily intake, it's another pill but apparently very important. A lot of the vitamins come w/ it now (at least Rx ones do).

Oh, and don't be surprised if your next preg is completely unlike your 1st. I had no constipation, didn't need a stool softener, never had morning sickness with 1st preg. Well, this time around I'm sick all day, constipated and feel awful. And I'm taking the same vitamins and eating the same.

[Anonymous]

If you have a FLEX plan, you can use your tax free dollars to pay for the prescription ones.

[Anonymous]

I'm a fan of the Rx prenatals and that is what my OB has suggested for both pregnancies. I compared my "Nature Made" prenatal (which I took while TTC along with fish oil) to the Primacare One Rx and I noticed the Primacare had more folic acid, DHA, and the stool softner. Now I don't really know if you need those extras but...if I were to supplement the Nature Made vitamins with pills for each of those things - then the cost savings go down (but still probably cheaper than Primacare) and I like the convenience of one pill.

For TTC, I'd probably just take something OTC. And after this baby is born, I'll probably switch back to OTC prenatals (like I did last time). But while pg, I like to spoil myself a little.