Tuesday 6 October 2009

The barren woman's hate list: item #9 - Pregnancy vitamins

It amazes me that I have not yet mentioned how much these little puppies vex me.

Let me first say that I believe they are extremely valid and important. I would advise any woman trying to conceive to make sure she at least takes her 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, even if she doesn't want to go the whole hog with the Omega-3 oils, because the advantages proper folic acid consumption give a growing baby are immense and proven.

But hell. My problems with pregnancy vitamins are manifold.

For a start, it's the marketing. Every brand is the same: a smug, beaming woman grinning beatifically and yet with some measure of surprise at her bump, as if mildly astonished to see it there. I start every day by waking and wishing I had a child. To then trudge downstairs and be confronted with said woman's joyous countenance before I've even ingested orange juice is sometimes more than I can stomach.

Secondly, the price. These vitamins are at least a third more expensive than regular daily multivits. If you go for one of the super-duper Omega-3 brands - "for brain and eye development!" sings the packaging, as if any wannabe mother plans on having a brainless, blind child - you're talking £10 to £12 for a 30-day supply.

Fair enough if you're one of the blessed souls that produces offspring using the following maths: select preferred month of birth (hmm, spring baby or autumn baby?), count back nine months, mount husband on appropriate day.

However, that's a lot of money every pay packet when you've been trying three years or more.

Yet still, doggedly, one almost feels pointlessly, I take them. Every day. Religiously, with my cornflakes and OJ. It actually bothers me if I'm away from home and forget to bring my vitamins with me. "What about the brain and eye development of the big fat fucking nothing that's growing inside you?" my inner voice yells.

I'm on Pregnacare at the moment. It's always either those or Sanatogen Pro-Natal, depending which are on special offer. (Both fulfil the brain and eye criteria, so it's an even toss.) I hate Pregnacare especially because they come in truly inconvenient blister packs, with a purple oblong folic acid tablet in one and a bulbous oil-filled brain-and-eye capsule in the other. The blister packs don't quite fit in the box with the instructions, which tend to get crumpled at the bottom and take more room than they ought, meaning you end up ramming and cramming the blister packs back in the box while pounding the whole lot off the kitchen counter (smug pregnant lady facedown, obviously) for good measure.

And this is how I start my days. Is it any wonder I'm losing my mind?

13 comments:

tishi said...

Ha, I never really noticed the glowing happy pregnant lady on my prenatal vitamins! Its not bad enough that every second woman I see on the street looks like this, now i have them hiding in my medicine cabinet.
Maybe I will tape a different picture on there :)

Anonymous said...

Synaura, shut your yap, won't you?
This comment is really out of place here. And the product placement move is so inappropriate, I have no words to describe it.

This said, I can only convey MY feelings on prenatal vitamins. I have been popping them for 9 months, with no live baby to benefit from it. Told that to my doc, and she said 'Well, then you have a lot of folic acid, haven't you?' A lot? I have the mother of all folic acid, lady, I've been taking the forte variant, 800 mg per pill, for NINE months - I repeat that, because I find it ironic, although compared to your three years, it's just peanuts next to doughnuts, not quite the same, although both have 'nuts' in them ;-).

And I celebrated the start of a new cycle by NOT taking my folic acid. That's right. Deliberately NOT taking the friggin' stuff. Gosh, what a rebel... Of course, it lasted two days.

I hope all goes well for you. I keep my fingers crossed for you.

Burkey0906 said...

Hi, I too am taking Pregnacare (the ones with the Omega-3) and over the last 2 years I dread to think how much I've spent. But Boots do a great deal on 3 for 2 so I've stocked up!!

I'm half way through stims on my first IVF cycle and feel it's not as bad as I thought it would be.

Good luck with your upcoming treatment, your blog is amazing! It really makes me LOL and I relate to so much of it it's scary! Cxx

adsf said...

I hope you don't mind me following your blog. I found you through stirrupqueens. LOVE your writing. :) Hilarious and heart-wrenching.

Hope Springs said...

I always get mine on Boots 3 for 2 as well - Wellman for DH and Pregnacare Conception for me, or the his 'n' hers Prenatal Conception set. I panic every time I miss a day, despite the fact that I've been taking them for a year and a half now and must surely have a reasonable build-up of folic acid.

I've been reading your blog for a few weeks now, having found you via Stirrup Queens, and love it - there's an award for you over at my blog if you're interested.

Illanare said...

I get my folic acid from Boots. This time I went for some in a fancy plastic dispenser. The dispenser doesn't work so I have to break a fingernail prising the lid off every morning...

Also, I nominated you for an award on my blog.

Sarah said...

I have been reading your blog almost in its entirety yesterday and today. I am just starting clomid and coming to the 2 year ttc mark and I can totally relate to everything you are saying.

Thanks so much for writing and for sharing the true bitterness and shittyness (is that a word?) of this experience. Sometimes it's good to be positive, but I find sometimes it's even more therapeutic to admit the whole thing is really shit & we don't deserve it. The best of luck with IVF and thanks again for sharing with us. It feels comforting to know that even in the darkest of dark days you are not alone.

S xx

Veronica said...

Thank you for sharing your journey.

sasha said...

thanks for sharing a blog about women health pregnancy and
tubal reversal

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pregnancy vitamins said...

I agree that for a start every brand is a same because of marketing tool. you have helped me a lot to choose vitamins that I need.

Unknown said...

Many pregnant women struggle with taking the supplement and battle adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, or other discomforts. Starting a prenatal multivitamin-mineral is one thing, but continuing with it is another.
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