# Prenatal vitamins **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870 "2002-12-06T05:16:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JerseyDiamond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@JerseyDiamond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyDiamond)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/1 "2002-12-06T05:16:43Z")
Should I take prenatal vitamins while trying to conceive or is there another vitamin I should be taking? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/2 "2002-12-06T06:19:44Z")
This [page](http://www.amazingpregnancy.com/ttc/nutritionandttc.html) says you should, and it looks pretty credible to me. But you might want to pose the question to your ob/gyn (assuming you have one while you’re not pregnant…I’m a young, single guy, so I don’t know these things). ---
**Author:** ![JerseyDiamond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@JerseyDiamond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyDiamond)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/3 "2002-12-06T06:26:41Z")
Thank you ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/4 "2002-12-06T15:25:14Z")
You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/5 "2002-12-06T17:40:16Z")
folate, vit B12, iron, vit D. definitely take a supplement designed for women trying to conceive and not a standard one, as high doses of vitamin A are toxic to the foetus, and it may exert its effects on the baby before you know you’re pg. good luck to you and joe cool! ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/6 "2002-12-06T17:46:14Z")
Hello, My ob/gyn said regular Centrum with a Folic Acid supplement is fine. I also have a prescription for Stuart Natal (PreNatal) vitamins…but these are $15 (co-pay) a month. So for now, I’m on Centrum and eating a ton of foods with folate (beans, greens, OJ, nuts, etc.) Good luck! :o) ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/7 "2002-12-06T17:47:45Z")
Oops. Did not mean to post that smilie…here’s what I meant to post- 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/8 "2002-12-06T19:40:51Z")
You can get damned cheap prenatal vitamins over the counter at any chain discount store like Kmart. That’s what I did. I started taking them before the little buzzard was conceived, and then kept on taking them while I was nursing. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/9 "2002-12-06T22:26:33Z")
What’s the difference between the OTC prenatal vitamins and the ones they prescribe you? ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/10 "2002-12-07T01:14:44Z")
Most insurance plans won’t pay for OTC meds. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/11 "2002-12-07T02:44:13Z")
They had me on them when I was going through fertility treatment. Course, years later when I conceived they made me sick, so I never actually took them when I was pregnant. And since it was years later and I was sure I wasn’t having any bio kids, I wasn’t taking them when I conceived. My daughter turned out just fine. Take them - don’t panic if you get pregnant and you’ve forgotten a few. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prenatal-vitamins/140870/12 "2002-12-07T04:50:33Z")
There is no appreciable difference. Your insurance doesn’t pay for OTC meds, but I found they were cheaper than my copay might have been anyway. My doctor said as long as they had extra folate, the formulation ought to be fine.