I Miss Prenatal Vitamins
During our trip to New York and our visit with Dr. Braverman, I stopped taking my prenatal vitamins, my vitamin D and my daily low dose aspirin. In the last few years the only time I have not taken them is during an actual confirmed miscarriage.
I’ve noticed that each time I’ve stopped the prenatal vitamin specifically I tend to get sick and my finger nails start to crack and peal. So, after a miscarriage, I always go back onto them right away because it’s good for the next pregnancy and who likes cracked finger nails?
But this time, now that we know there will not be another attempt at pregnancy, I have not returned to the daily ritual of opening the pill container, pulling out a little pink pill, filling up the glass of water, swallowing the little pink pill and then putting away the container. This ritual has turned into something I seem to be avoiding at all costs. Heck, I’m not even taking vitamin D, which I’ve taken for years regardless of being pregnant.
Simply, I seem to have no motivation to start taking them daily vitamins again – not even my horrible looking finger nails seem to be able to motivate me! I’ve thought about just buying new non-prenatal vitamins, but I have a full bottle of the prenatal ones in the cupboard and it just feels like such a waste to throw them out. So, here I am just not taking anything. Which means today, I am coming down with a cold and I am avoiding even looking at my finger nails which are no longer long and durable.
Well clearly this is not the hardest decision of my week given the focus on our adoption decisions related to race and substance abuse, what is this girl to do? I’ve struggled my entire life to have nice finger nails, and prenatal vitamins seem to have been the answer to the conundrum. I want my pretty finger nails back, and I am really not looking forward to dealing with a cold. Since I’m rather confident that taking the prenatal vitamins while not pregnant won’t actually hurt me, maybe I just need to put the pills in a different bottle so I don’t have to see daily that I’m taking them? Or maybe I could just suck it up and go spend the money on non-prenatal vitamins and hope they work just as well?
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Ha! I, too, have been taking prenatals for years, most of the time not pregnant. I say throw those suckers out or hide them until you’re ready to look at them again, and then buy some non-prenatals to pretty up your nails. You do not need yet another reminder of all that loss right now! Be gone with you, prenatals!
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Thanks for your encouragement. I really should just dispose of them and get a new multivitamin. 🙂
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If you take a regular adult multivitamin it has a lot of the same as a prenatal. The last RE I saw told me that they’re pretty much the same, minus the DHA. Also, biotin, which is a form of vitamin B, is another supplement you can take that is good for hair, skin and nails.
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I’m going to get get some biotin if it will help with my hair, skin and nails! That sounds wonderful. 🙂
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Is the Materna opened already? If not, you could always donate it. Pre-natal vitamins are expensive and I’m sure there’s someone that could use them. Otherwise- you could create a new routine with regular multivitamins, and maybe consider reintroducing the Materna after a period of time, when your wounds don’t feel so fresh?
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Unfortunately it is open. And about 90% full. So, only a couple of hundred pills/days left to use them all up.
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Try eating some avocados! Weird, I know, but bear with me: it’s either the calcium or the folate in the prenatals that is helping your nails out, and I’d put my money on folate, which avocados (and liver [& greens]) have loads of. They’re delicious (unless you’re allergic), and full of other healthy things, and filling, and hopefully won’t have any lingering associations with MPL.
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Avocados, eh? That’s a great trip, I will be picking some up on my next trip to the grocery store. 🙂
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Ugh, I know the feeling. One of the first things I did when I got home from the doctor’s office was hide my bottle of prenatal vitamins, along with some ginger candies I’d been eating to try to help with nausea. About two weeks ago I finally pulled the vitamins out and have taken them on occasion, when I’m in the mood. Some days I just get angry when I see the bottle, other days I look at them as if they are just a normal vitamin (obviously I take them on the days I think the latter). The constant reminders that pop up from day to day are so hard.
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The prenatals are such a little reminder of all we have lost, but yet it totally sucks to see it once a day. I’m sorry you understand my frustration with them.
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I haven’t taken prenatals since we moved at the end of October. I really need to get back on that
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Yup, you really do since you are trying and will hopefully be pregnant soon! 🙂
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I took a break after our loss. I didn’t take my vitamins for weeks. I’m back on it now though. Maybe you could see if anyone wants your pre-natals? I know it seems like giving up, but you aren’t. You are just moving in another direction.
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I’d happily give them away, but unfortunately the bottle is open, so I’m not sure how many people would actually want them.
I love your perspective to focus on moving in another direction. 🙂
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I still love that picture. A lot of the prenatals are basically the same as a regular one a day. Changing the bottle seems like a good idea since you already have them.
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I searched around the house for a different bottle today and was unsuccessful. So I took the pink pill today and will re-address this tomorrow or the next day. I guess there really is not a reason for me to rush and panic over it.
Thanks!
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Back in September when I took an IF break, I ditched the prenatal vitamins. I felt so liberated. In the back of my head, I felt this depressing tether to them, like some daily reminder I wasn’t pregnant. Again.
If it were me, I would throw them out because I had such a tortured relationship with my vitamins. Since you are a sane person, you probably don’t have this problem. Ritual isn’t a bad thing. It creates stability, normalcy- in fact, it could help you move into this next step in your journey.
Yes, yes, I’m getting lofty about the symbolism behind vitamins. Get thee some new ones, and get some health back too!
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I absolutely seem to have the same tortured relationship with them, but for some reason I just keep torturing myself by refusing to buy new non-prenatal vitamins. Yes, you are right I should just go to the store and pick up some new ones and dispose of the opened 90% full prenatal ones. 🙂
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I used to take prenatals when I was training for half marathons because they’re good for running, so I understand taking them for your nails. I’m sure the ritual is upsetting now though. Either way, I’m excited about your adoption!
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I had no idea runners would take prenatals. Interesting.
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You really are a strange bird, you know that? I would have done anything to forego taking those things for any length of time in the past 5 years (I’ve been on them since we started planning our TTC adventure, when I got all of my pre-conception testing and check-up stuff done, then throughout extended breastfeeding and…. well, you know the rest). Only this year did I figure out that I could stop taking the ones with iron, which made me miserable, and take iron separately while finding chewable prenatals (in the US) that had none. So much better. Now I don’t hate taking them anymore. But I would NEVER miss them! If you wish, I’ll send you a great multivitamin and you can donate your pink pills to the local pharmacy to dispose of safely. 🙂
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You are not the first person to tell me I’m a strange one. 🙂
You’d think I’d just go buy some new ones and call it a day, but instead I agonize over throwing out the open bottle that is probably 95% full. What is the multivitamin you recommend?
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I buy Vitamin Code for the LP and would use their multi if I could ditch prenatals (I now order onlinr from well dot ca). Ironically I just ran out of prenatals but I cannot take those ones with 27 mg of iron in them. Or I would propose a trade!
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I’ve gone through periods of bitterness like that after m/c or cycle failure, where the vitamins felt like an intolerable reminder. I say get yourself a regular multi and try to see it as a new-leaf sort of routine as your start the adoption journey. Just think – folic acid is important to all women, not just those TTC.
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I like your approach, turning over a new-leaf as we go through the adoption process. Thank you for sharing this wonderful thought. 🙂
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I’m with the other ladies. Throw out those prenantals and their nasty reminders and get a good multivitamin instead. I agree with Awaiting Autumn, this is not giving up but rather moving in another direction. Hugs hon.
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Thanks, maybe I’ll throw them out once I actually get myself to a store to buy a multivitamin. And yes, Awaiting Autumn has such a great perspective. 🙂
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She really does. Sounds like a good plan.
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A regular woman’s multi should help with hair/skin/nails! And yes, race and substance use are very important factors to think about. I’m interested to hear.
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I guess I just need to go buy some regular vitamins to solve this problem 🙂
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Lol
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I’ll tell you my secret – I still take folic acid even though we’re not trying because it keeps my hair thick and my fingernails strong 😉
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Haha! Clearly I should continue taking it 🙂
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I get why you wouldn’t want to use that particular jar. To clarify, I don’t take my pregnancy vitamins which I have a jar full of. It’s too painful yet I can’t throw them out either – so I get it! The folic acid is a new jar, a tiny pill and what I’ve taken when previously trying so it kind of has no other level of meaning for me. Maybe it’s more of a mental thing and you simply need some more time regarding a journey that is ending. I think it’s not taking the pill that you’re missing, it’s what it represents x
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You could try taking a general multi-vitamin.
Or… my favourite vitamin is called silica compound. It is great for hair, nails, skin, ligaments and connective tissue. It is even recommended for pregnant women as well as non-pregnant women. This is the brand I usually take: http://www.blackmores.com.au/products/silica-compound
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Thanks so much for the suggestions – I’ll definitely check them out! 🙂
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I have a full bottle as well. I stopped taking them when we decided to start our Holiday break. But for me I have been feeling better without them. I tried to buy regular vitamins and haven’t taken them either. I know I need to I just haven’t! I am in the same boat!
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It’s such a small thing in the scheme of all of this, but it’s nice to know I’m not alone with my dread of taking them now. 🙂
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