When you’re constantly queasy, the last thing you can stomach is the thought of swallowing a horse-sized pill chock-full of nausea-inducing vitamins and minerals. The reality is, prenatal vitamins offer extra insurance that you’re getting all of the nutrients you and your baby need during pregnancy.
The first trimester is when much of baby’s most crucial construction occurs — like the formation of the organs and critical systems, especially the nervous system and spine — but that early stage is also when morning (and afternoon, and evening … ) sickness rules supreme.
Insurance is all well and good, you may be thinking, but do you have to suffer to reap the rewards? Of course not. There are plenty of ways to get those most crucial nutrients, either by making your pill more palatable or coming up with an alternative plan with your practitioner:
Change when you take your pill
Try taking your prenatal vitamin at the time of day when you’re least nauseated. Sure, it’s easy to get in the habit of taking vitamins first thing in the morning — right after the deodorant, right before brushing your teeth — but your body doesn’t care one way or another when the nutrients arrive.
Some women find that their rolling stomach calms down late in the evening, and if that’s when your queasiness quiets, give the pill a go then.
Eat first
Whatever time of day you pop the pill, make sure your tummy isn’t running on empty. Many pills, including vitamins, induce less queasiness when accompanied by food, so try to eat something before you take them.
It’s a good idea anyway to avoid an empty tummy when you’re sidelined with morning sickness. Without food to keep them busy, your stomach acids start to chew on you, a process that, not surprisingly, produces nausea.
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Two important exceptions: If you’re prescribed iron supplements and/or thyroid medicine, you may need to take them on an empty stomach. Follow your practitioner's instructions.
Ask your doctor for recommendations
If your prenatal vitamin is still making you sick, your practitioner may be able to prescribe a brand that isn't so tough on your tummy.
The iron in prenatal vitamins can be particularly hard to digest, so you might get a formulation with less or none, for now. It’s not as needed during the first trimester (unless you’re expecting multiples), and it can induce other unpleasant side effects, like constipation.
One high in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) may quell the quease; ask your practitioner if he or she advises extra B6 supplements. Sometimes, over-the-counter formulas are better tolerated, or ask about slow-release supplements or chewables, which could provide some relief.
Also chat with your doctor about whether you need a prenatal multivitamin at all. If you’re using iodized salt, choosing vitamin D-fortified foods and eating a well-balanced diet, you may only need a folic acid supplement for now.
At least there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Your nausea should abate within the next few weeks, and, with luck, you’ll be able to better tolerate those supplements. Here’s to better-feeling days ahead!
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