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Pre-Pregnancy Preparation

Folic Acid alone  or Prenatal Vitamins??

In preparation for getting pregnant, I am confused on what is best in terms of vitamin supplements. My doctors says to take a folic acid supplement so I have started to take 1 mg. per day. Some of my female friends tell me that I should be taking the prenantal vitamins already to prepare but I am not taking  their word for it as maybe too much of a good thing isn't good. I try and eat a balanced diet although with my busy schedule it is sometimes difficult.

I want to give myself the best shot possible at having a successful pregnancy and would appreciate an educated professional's advice on the best choice.

Thank you.
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sc1
Hi my baby was born on 7/7/08 wow she's our miracle healthy and beautiful baby girl. She's 3.5 months now. How about u? did u have the baby yet?
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hey have you had your baby yet??? I'm also having another girl!!!
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sc1
hi ladies i'm signing in to see where everyone is?
how's everyoen doing?

Charliegirl - what's new?

Palanaki i think u had the baby or ur'e due anyday right?

i'm doing well things are good; growing by the day i'm 7.5 months now woo hoo,
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sc1
Hi ladies i see that no one had a chance to give us any updates.
I hope all of u are doing well.
I wanted to give u an update and let u know that we did another ultrasound and the Dr said that we are having a GIRL. Were so excited i'm planning and started shopping around for cribs, decorations, etc......
Keep in touch
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sc1
Hello Ladies, wow it's been a long time and we haven't heard from Palanaki. Hope all is going well. U don't have too many more months hah?

Charliegirl i'm so glad that u feel better now. I feel really good esp in the last couple of weeks. I have appetite i eat, and don't feel too sick which is so great for a change. I'm in my 23rd weeks and i cant believe that next week i'll be 6 months wow. Time is really going by fast. My next Dr's appt is on the 8th i'm hoping 4 another ultrasound.
Maui was great but coming back and going back to wrk i feel like i'm back to square 1 tired again and stressed. I feel like due to the pregnancy my efficiancy is not as good as it was before at work; do any of u feel like that or is it just me? I don't know if the baby is taking all my brain cells away but @ times like this i wish i wasnt working and didn't have too many responsibilities.
Oh i feel the baby movement now all the time; at times he/she plays so much that it's non stop and very strong but i love this feeling; there's nothing else in the world like this wow it's amazing. My only concern and i dont know why i'm stressing over this now is the labor. I'm so scared of it. Any advice from u gals since u already have 1?

take care and stay in touch.
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Avatar universal
Hey all,

Hope all is well!

Sorry I haven't been writing but I started to get impatientwith this site because it takes forever to upload so wth my patience  and hormones and patience, I am not surprised!

I am doing well, just over 18 weeks now and feeling better finally.I went form y last ultrasound at 12 weeks and also did my IPS test wihich all came out negative for problems thank God! My next ultrasound will be anywhere from 20 weeks onward, I'll find out next Tuesday when it is.  

I'm glad to hear everyone is doing well and tarajanes it is nice to hear how you're doing as well.

Some tragedies have been reported from yougirls, pretty sad but also makes you think twice about your own life and to appreciate what you've got huh? Life is hard on some.

So you're all having girls huh? I'll know what we're havingsoon and will keep you posted. I have a feelingit's a girl but everyone else around is telling me it's a boy, I'll bet that's cause I already have a girl.

I'm still really tired, low energy. I don't have anemia or anything but it's still present! Most have energy second trimester right? Well where's mine? LOL

So anyway.

Keep in touch and Sc1 Ihope youhave a great time in Maui!!
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Avatar universal
sc1
Hello ladies hope all of u are well.

Palanaki - what a beatiful name that's very neat. Were going to Maui next week we figured we need to relax and celebrate our 1 yr anniversary 1 month early lol since i don't want to travel much after 6 months. I was told by my Dr that they will do that test at 24 weeks just like u said. I'm so sorry about ur aunt it is a terrible disease and sad that with all the money that goes to research we don't have some type of a cure or something that would allow ppl to live longer even with the disease.

Tara so good to hear from u. I'm sorry about ur friend so young it's very sad but u're doing an awesome job being there 4 his wife. Wow how exciting ur wedding day is getting closer; i felt the same way i was so nervous and that day it was like oh ok i'm just gonna enjoy my day and sadly it goes by soooo fast so make sure u enjoy every second of it bec it will fly. I'm glad i have my video to refer back to and we watch it all the time and say oohh so and so was at our wedding oh we danced to this song? so it's great for memories. As far as the baby - i have good feelings for u this year and it's going to happen when u least expect it; enjoy ur life and be happy and it will happen!!!

Charligirl haven't heard from u in while; hope all is well.

I saw my Dr today and he didn't do another ultra sound; he said i should wait till next month and he'll do 1 at 6 months that way the chances of the accuracy for the sex of the baby will be much higher. So we'll be waiting 4 another month. I hate this waiting time bec. i'm so inpatient when it comes to things like this; i wanted to know to shop
for the baby from Hawaii. Oh well :(

That's all from my end i'm starting to feel little very little kicks from the baby. Hope it will get stronger and more frequent. Cant wait.
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283175 tn?1295537265
Well Hello you guys,how you all doing,lots been going on aye.i cant believe how quick your pregnancys have progressed,it only feels like yesterday you all found out.
well no change for me,still trying but content not acting like a mad women trying to concieve,bit difficult at the moment my other half works away and only home weekends for few months,um wonder if there special courier service to deliver sperm........lol..well 7months till i marry now.getting nervous already,see im the one that said i would never marry,sadly we just lost our best friend,he took his own life,at age 30,gutted.so i have his wife staying with me at the moment,its so difficult just dont know what to say,she is taking to drink at the moment,trying to keep her out of pub,but soon as back is turned she down the pub,dont want another funeral to go to,

so any scan photos up yet.cant wait to see them..check in soon,all the best...
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Avatar universal
I don't think the Diabetes screen is mandatory, just highly recommended because if you have it and don't monitor yourself, you & your baby could suffer from various consequences.  For example, your baby could end up being larger than the norm, which means a C-section would be in order just to get her out. Or, the baby could be born with low blood sugar from having to compensate for your high levels while in the womb.  There are just so many risks when you're dealing with pregnancy & diabetes, so it's better safe than sorry.  I think I took the test at like 24 weeks, somewhere around there.  The diet is very basic, but it's really easy to get used to.
We decided to name our little girl Okalani Kai, and just call her Lani.  Cute little Hawaiian name, and hopefully she won't get teased too bad in school.  
As for movements, everyone is different, but if you're nervous about it, talk to your doctor.  My little one gets crazier everyday.  My first didn't move a whole lot, just enough to let me know he was doing fine.  This one is all over the place, so I guess I know what I get to look forward to.
sc1, I'm sorry to hear about your co-worker.  That's so sad.  I have a co-worker who just lost someone to cancer just yesterday, and I lost my aunt who I loved dearly to cancer just last year.  Such a scary disease, my stomach gets all weird just thinking about it.  
Anyway, I'll check back soon.  Until then, take care.
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Avatar universal
sc1
wow so good to hear from u guys; i heard about the glucose test. So that's mandatory?
at which week do they make u do this?
i'm almost done with my 19th week halfway there woo hoo although when i think about the labor aspect i get so scared; first one u know so i dont know what to expect.
palanaki i feel the same with the names except i just throw names out there 2 get my husbands reaction i dont want to push anything since were not 100% sure on the sex yet.
I haven't felt too many movements i think i only feel the baby when it shifts positions.
Is this normal?

Guys i wanted to say that life is so short we should all enjoy it to the fullest. My coworker just died yest. age 49 from cancer and it all happened sooooo fast. Were all in shock and it just made me realize that we need to enjoy life to the fullest.

Take care guys and hope to hear back soon.
Charliegirl i'm glad that ur nausea is going away slowly; mine is sooo much better than before. I'm loving month 4  :)
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Avatar universal
Hi there ladies!  Sorry it's been a while. Things have been hectic around here lately.  Anyway, I have some updates for you...
I had to take the 3-hour fasting glucose test, which revealed gestational diabetes.  However, after my first week & a half of monitoring my sugars and documenting a very boring diet, the dietician was very pleased with my readings and cut back the number of times I test in a week from 4 times everyday to only twice on Mon/Wed/Fri.  So, the good news is I don't have to do the dreaded insulin shots that I've been hearing so much about.  I do have to remain on the diet, but it's a good idea anyway so I don't have a problem with it.  Cutting desserts out is the only real hard part, but I keep telling myself that it's for both my & the baby's health, so suck it up!  
What else?  Oh yeah. My husband & I continue our arguement over what to name the baby.  You wouldn't think it was a difficult task, but for us, it has been.  
So, are we all having girls???  How cool!  What about movement? You guys feeling anything yet?  My little girl is all over the place.  The movement started around my 15th week or so, and has gotten stronger & crazier ever since.  It's awesome!  My heartburn is becoming a nuisance more & more these days, my back is starting to ache, I'm always blowing my nose, and I think I've developed an incontinence problem. Sometimes, my undies will be damp despite the fact that I'm wearing a liner and it's the grossest thing ever. But I'm actually getting worried because I'm afraid if I'm not leaking urine, that I'm leaking something else, if you get what I'm saying.  Anyway, I will mention it to my doctor at my appointment on Monday. Anyway, sorry for the detail, but it's just gonna get grosser from here on out.  I can remember the day I had my son, I kept saying that everything I was experiencing was gross.  Everyone thought it was so funny.  Not me.  I was so annoyed, between my water breaking to the excessive bleeding after birth, and all I wanted to do was take a frickin shower.
Sorry, I really got carried away, didn't I?  Hormones.
Okay, so I hope you're all doing well.  I'll check back with you soon...
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Avatar universal
Hey ladies,

Things are okay here I am just over 15 weeks now and nausea is decreasing as time goes on. I had my first ultrasound, heart the heartbeat (LOVELY!) I also saw my baby jumping around like crazy! So cute!

OMG sc1, a girl.. LUCKY DUCKY! That's wonderful, you will love having a girl! I think I am also having another girl,not sure yet though, I will find out in 4 - 5 weeks.

Anyhow, I hope you're doing well!

Hi Palanaki!

Take care.
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Avatar universal
sc1
Hi ladies checking in to see how u guys are doing
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sc1
Hi Charliegirl wow i'm so happy 4 u it's really amazing to hear the hearthbeat huh i was in shock when i heard my baby's heartbeat.

So now that ur past ur first trimester did u tell family, friends, co workers yet? if so what was their reaction like?

Things are good with me i'm starting to eat more although i do have the sourness still not as bad as before but i do have it; the last 3 months i lost over 7 lbs so i guess now i'll be adding the weight back. The ultrasound was good the baby is growing normal which i was so happy to hear; the downsyndrome and other tests that was taken came back all negative which we were extatic over and the baby was kind of in a sitting position so it was very hard for the Dr to see the sex but after a while he thought that it's a GIRL   WOO HOOO!!!

So he wants to do another ultrasound in a month to check again to confirm, He said temporarily it's a girl   lol

Were very excited can't wait to know for sure before i start going crazy and shop till i drop  haha

How r u doing?
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Avatar universal
Hey you, been a while huh?

yes you're right, I had my first portion of my IPS test on Friday so ultrasound and bloodwork. I saw the heartbeat and that was so reassuring.

I am so thankful I am at this point, past my first trimester, everything looks fine. I am still feeling awful though and I am so, so tired of it. I really don't know how much longer I can stand this. I get very down some days because I just want to feel normal. All I want to do is sleep so I don't feel this feeling, this God-awful feeling!

How are you Sc1, how are things proceeding? Will you find out the sex of the baby?
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Avatar universal
I also take the recommended dose of folic acid.  It won't help with the chances of becoming pregnant, but it does help with the neurological development of the fetus if you do become pregnant.
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Avatar universal
sc1
Hi Ladies, how's everyone?  Charliegirl any updates i think u were to see ur doctor on last friday right? Palanaki how r u doing? Tara if u check in hope all is going well with you.
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sc1
Hi Ladies hope all of u are doing well.

I noticed this morning that in my belly button i have little pimple looking things; have u guys ever experienced this? is this something to worry about or not? Need ur opinions.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the info palanaki! Oh yes I remeber my feel sweeling when I was pregnant withm y daughter! I didn't remember when that began! I kind of dread that swellingnow because it will be summer and it's time for sandals and pretty feet not ugly Paul Bunyan feet! LOL  Oh well, the joys!

Braxton Hicks are like painfuil contractions sc1, they are normal but not felt by everyone or in every pregnancy! They get quite painful and can alarm some people but it's all the baby movingaround, growing, your uterus adjusting to all the change etc...

It took me about a week to get thr results for the triple screen so you should hear back soon.

Everyone says the baby can be felt moving anywhere from 16 - 22 weeks and nothing is normal or abnormal and because this is your first it may take longer for you to feel anything! Sorry wish I could tell you that there wa sa textbookanswer but you will see if you google your question that this is generally the rule of thumb!

Anyhoots, I'm still nausetaed but milder, still have that damn sour thing though and major fatigue! I am 12 weeks tomorrow.. I can't wait for my ultrasound on Friday!  I hope the technician is nice enough to point out the heartbeat or other normalcies! Some techs are so by the book and won't say a word!

take cate ladies!
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Avatar universal
sc1
Hi there, wow sounds fun feet swelling what we have to look forward to. How far along are u now?
What is Braxton Hicks?
OOhh and i wanted to know if u remember at what week u first felt the baby movement. I think i felt the baby move once back in January and i have a strong feeling that it was flipping that's why i felt it, but i don't feel it yet and today i'm in my 16th week. What do u think?
I'm full of questions today 4 u sorry :)
I took the downsyndrome and other disease testing blood test, kind of scared about the results; how long did it take for the results for u?

ok i will stop now with the many questions. Take care and good to hear from u :)
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Avatar universal
Hi there,
I wanted to answer your question regarding the sour stomach thing.  I didn't really have that, but I experienced really bad heartburn with my first, and now getting it again with this pregnancy.  I think I will try the ginger tea as it is supposed to be a digestive aid.  Otherwise, I keep Tums next to my bed so when I wake up in the middle of the night with it (very typical for me), I pop some Tums and get immediate relief and go back to sleep.  
Today is my glucose screening for gestational diabetes.  The fun never ends.  Anyway, baby movement is getting stronger everyday, which I'm so excited about.  Also, I've been getting Braxton Hicks every few days or so.  Wasn't sure what the heck it was at first because I never got them with my first baby, but it freaked me out.  Once I had a clue, I was very relieved.  Also, my feet started to swell.  I tell ya, this pregnancy has been much more eventful than my first, so it's pretty much like my first time.  
I noticed a comment regarding shower usage and getting sick from it.  I got sick in the shower too!  I would always smell this chemical odor and it would make me take the quickest showers.  It went away though, thank God for that.  It can't be the water because I installed a filtered showerhead in there to eliminate all the minerals & chemicals last year.  Although, now that I think about it, it's probably time to change the filter.  Uh-oh...
Okay, so what else is going on?  Sounds like you 2 are making great progress, discomforts aside.

Hey tara, glad to hear that your wedding is pretty much set & ready.  That will eliminate a lot of stress down the line.  Yay!

Okay, well I gotta get my Monday started.  Talk to you later. :)
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414618 tn?1280358526
Hi. If your pregnant you should be on at least 400mg of folic acid. Find a pre natal vitamin that has that or more and you shoul dbe all set. You definatley need to be on vitamins at least 3 months before conception. I was adviced the same by my doctor and all my friends and family who have been pregnant as well. eat healthy, excercise and take pre natals and you will be ok. good luck to you
Helpful - 0
414618 tn?1280358526
Hi. If your pregnant you should be on at least 400mg of folic acid. Find a pre natal vitamin that has that or more and you shoul dbe all set. You definatley need to be on vitamins at least 3 months before conception. I was adviced the same by my doctor and all my friends and family who have been pregnant as well. eat healthy, excercise and take pre natals and you will be ok. good luck to you
Helpful - 0
414618 tn?1280358526
Hi. If your pregnant you should be on at least 400mg of folic acid. Find a pre natal vitamin that has that or more and you shoul dbe all set. You definatley need to be on vitamins at least 3 months before conception. I was adviced the same by my doctor and all my friends and family who have been pregnant as well. eat healthy, excercise and take pre natals and you will be ok. good luck to you
Helpful - 0
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