too many supplements?

[UKlady]

Hi there,

I just had my first appointment with my doctor after finding out I'm pregnant. I'm 5.5 weeks now and so far had been taking a pre-natal supplement from the UK. My doctor told me to stop taking that, and gave me Materna (1 per day), calcium tablets (2 per day) and folic acid (1 per day). Does this seem like a lot of supplements? I thought Materna was formulated to cover any possible deficiencies? I eat a very balanced diet and have been careful to include at least 3 portions of dairy products in my daily diet. I'm reasonably sure that in the UK doctors only prescribe folic acid, but this is my first pregnancy so I don't have a point of reference. I'm concerned that taking too many supplements could cause problems.
Can anyone else share their experience or give me any advice?
Thanks!
UKLady

 

[jube]

When I was pregnant I only ended up taking Materna and then did add in some Calcium supplements in latter months to help reduce swelling. Materna doesn't provide enough Calcium and as your body is drained of calcium, it isn't unwise to take some form of supplements - I ended up making a conscious effort of drinking more milk, dairy products and calcium fortified juices.

My aunt is a GP in Australia and she also recommended I take Folic Acid but the amount in Materna was enough so I didn't need to take it separately.

Something else you may want to consider taking is Fish Oil supplements - 3 a day.

 

[capital]

the amount of folic acid in materna is enough for most people, but people with a higher risk of neural tube defects are often given extra, like if you have a previous child with a defect.

 

[rani]

My Dr gave me Folic Acid for the first 3 months and then switched to Materna for the remainder of my pregnancy.