Pre-natal vitamins

J

jools

Registered User
Hi,
We starting to seriously think about having another child. For my last pregnancy I used Pregnacare vitamins to ensure I was taking the right amount of folic acid. Does anyone know if you can get that brand here? If not is there an alternative that someone could recommend? It has to be OK to take whilst breast feeding as my little girl is still doing so.

Thank you

Jools
 
jools,

i take a 5mg folic acid pill that a mannings pharmacist recommended. it's made by HCL and it is made in the UK. don't know how it affects the nursing, though all my doctors have always given me the impression that folic acid in general is pretty harmless. maybe have a look around the web for info.
 
The following information is taken from the book Medications and Mothers? Milk tenth edition 2002 page 307 by Thomas W. Hale, PhD. This book is mainly concerned about the effects of drugs taken by the mother on a baby breastfeeding and gives the information about pregnancy just for extra information.

Folic Acid is an essential vitamin. Individuals most susceptible to folic acid deficiency are the pregnant patient, and those receiving anticonvulsants or birth control medications. Folic acid supplementation is now strongly recommended in women prior to becoming pregnant due to a documented reduction of spinal cord malformations. Folic acid is actively secreted into breast milk even if mother is deficient. If maternal diet is adequate, folic acid is not generally required. The infant receives all required from a normal milk supply. Copperman determined milk folic acid content to be 15.2 ng/ml in colostrums, 16.3 ng/ml in transitional milk and 33.4 ng/ml in mature milk.

In one study of 11 breastfeeding mothers receiving 0.8-1 mg/day of folic acid, the folic acid secreted into human milk averaged 45.6 μg/L. Excessive doses (> 1 mg/day) are not generally recommended.

Pregnancy Rick Category:
A during 1st and 2nd trimester
(Category A:
Controlled studies in women fail to demonstrate risk tp the fetus and the possibility of fetal harm appears remote.)
C during 3rd trimester
(Either studies in animals have revealed adverse effects on the fetus and there are no controlled studies in women or studies in women and animals are no available. Drugs should be given only if the potential benefits justifies the potential risk to the fetus.)

Lactation Risk Category: L1
(L1 SAFEST:
Drug has been taken by a large number of breastfeeding mothers without any observed increase in adverse effects in the infant. Controlled studies in breastfeeding women fail to demonstrate a risk to the infant and the possibility of harm to the breastfeeding infant is remote; or the product is not orally bioavailable in an infant.)

If you would like more information about other drugs or supplements while breastfeeding please contact a LLL Leader.

Sarah 2548-7636
Maggie 2817-7475
Sacha 2914-2272
[email protected]

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
re: Pregnacare

Hi Jools
I'm taking Pregnacare at the moment and I got them from Watsons. They cost me HKD91.90 which I think is very expensive. My friends tell me you can just go to any pharmacy (the Chinese ones) or maybe Mannings to get just folic acid tablets and are a lot cheaper.
Hope that helps
Shirley
 
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for the very prompt responses. Rani thanks for the website link and Sarah thanks for the detailed response (I'm so pleased to be a member!) Shirley which Watsons, as I tried the one on DB and they didn't have any? The Mannings stocked other vitamins by the same company but not Pregnacare. Thanks for the advice about the pharmacists, but I would prefer the Pregnacare ,as this is what I used before and I know it sounds funny but I trust this brand; don't know why, but I found pregnancy made me funny about what products I would trust and which ones I didn't.

Jools
 
Jools
I bought them from the Watsons in TaiKoo Shing (CityPlaza). Maybe you can try the ones Central or Admiralty (I've seen it being sold here)
Regards
 
I've seen it in the Watsons in the Entertainment Building, Queen's Rd Central.
I tried Materna, but unlike Pregnacare it is not coated so I threw them up a lot! Alternatively, GNC make a very good antinatal/lactation vitamin with extre folic acid - 600 mcg as opposed to 400mcg.
 
Hi Slee,
Thanks for the GNC alternative. I tried that but it had an unfortunate affect; I think it's the dyes they use. Anyway will look into the Watson's in Queen's Rd.

Jools
 
Hi Jools
If you click on the following website :

https://www.vitabiotics.com/pregnacare/pregnacare_tab_proinfo.aspx?ID=20

and order through them, they can post packs of 30 tablets to Hong Kong. At the moment they are doing an offer where you buy 6 packs and get 3 packs free (total 9). The order value is GBP29.70 and shipping fee is GBP10.39. If you divide the total by 9 and convert it back to HK dollars, it works out about HKD67 each (I've used HKD15 to the pound).
Worth having a look.

Take care
Shirley
 
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