how long do prenatal vitamins stay in your system?

Last month we were trying to concieve (conceive) and were unsuccessful. I was taking blackmores prenatal vitamins and stopped while i got my AF.  We are trying again this month and i have just started taking the vitamins again.  My question is how long does the vitamins stay in your system?  If you take a break (while you have your AF because they are really expensive and you have to take them throughout the whole 9 months let alone the unknown months while trying to get pregnant) do you still have a store of the benifits in your body from the previous taking or are they like you have to take them everyday for them to be of benifit.  Sorry if this is really poorly worded but i hope you get what i am asking.

[beautifullychaotic]

I am not sure how long they stay in your system. But if they are so expensive maybe right now you could just take a normal vitamin for now. ANd then take those when you are pregnant. Saves you money.  Maybe say like 2 multi-vitamins.

[nursekim]

If they are prescription vitamins ask your physician if you could get a different prescription for one less expensive.  My physician told me not to take regular vitamins when TTC  because there are some things undesirable in regular vitamins which are left out of prenatals. Also my physician told me to take any over the counter prenatal until I became pregnant and then switch to prescription.  And to answer your question you do need to take them every day the entire month, they have  your supply of folic acid in them which is very important to have even before you know you are pregnant.

[KellyA74]

When I started TTC I was taking OTC vit's that I got at Walmart......When I became pregnant, I brought the vit's to my 1st appt. and showed them to the OB and she said that they were fine.......They are like $12 for 274 pills....

[LACh1]

thanks for your comments, i think i will switch to a cheaper one until i get pregnant, because the ones i am on are like $23 for 60 and you have to take two a day so they don't last long.