Prenatal Supplementation: Optimizing your Future Child
- General supplement recommendations for those who are pregnant, regardless of the MTHFR mutation
- Provides insight into which supplements are needed while pregnant….and…why.
- Provides dietary suggestions to increase calcium and magnesium levels.
- Explains the importance of why nutrients are so critical during pregnancy
- Provides specific supplement recommendations along with suggested amounts and when to take.
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Supplements mentioned in podcast:
- Active CoQH: provides 50 mg of pure ubiquinol in small easy-to-swallow gelatin capsules. Soy free. Best to take with food anytime of day. Consider 1 daily.
- Sublingual Active B12 with Methylfolate: provides 1 mg of methylfolate and 800 mcg of methylfolate in a small sublingual tablet. Consider placing 1 tablet under the tongue in the morning upon rising and another 30 minutes before lunch. Your physician may desire you to take 2 tablets under the tongue twice a day. Vegetarian.
- L-5-MTHF: provides 1 mg of methylfolate as Metafolin. Take as directed by your healthcare professional. Useful to increase your methylfolate levels incrementally if higher amounts are needed or recommended by your physician.
- Chewable Optimal Multivitamin: provides well-tolerated and highly absorbable forms of minerals and B vitamins along with vitamin A, E, K and D. Consider chewing 1 tablet with breakfast and 1 with lunch. Vegetarian.
- OR Optimal Multivitamin: provides comprehensive blend of B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, veggies and fruit blend. Consider taking 3 capsules with breakfast, 3 capsules with lunch and 2 capsules around 2 pm with a snack. This is taken INSTEAD of Chewable Optimal Multivitamin – not in addition. Vegetarian.
- Vitamin D360: provides 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 in a pure base of extra virgin olive oil. Kosher ingredients. Vegetarian. Consider taking 3 drops daily or 21 drops once a week. Recommended to take 6,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily while pregnant and breastfeeding. Have your physician monitor your vitamin D blood levels.
- ProBiota 12 Powder: provides 50 billion beneficial bacteria in 12 strains in a great tasting powder that is easy to tolerate. Simply take 1/8th teaspoon and place directly into your mouth after dinner nightly.
- Chewable Cal/Mag Plus D: provides 25% of daily calcium and 25% of daily magnesium per chewable tablet. Consider chewing one with lunch and dinner.
- Optimal Chia Seeds: provides additional food-based calcium, magnesium and trace minerals – and protein – in a very healthy form. Consider making Chia Seed Gel in the evening and taking 1 tablespoon between meals to help absorb toxins and encourage healthy bowel movements.
- Optimal Krill Oil: provides 12 mg of astaxanthin along with EPA/DHA that crosses the blood-brain-barrier as it is in a base of phosphatidylcholine. Consider taking 1 gelatin capsule daily anytime of day with some food.
- Optimal Fish Oil: provides potent amounts of EPA/DHA in the triglyceride form which is better absorbed than the ethyl ester forms. Consider taking 2 capsules daily with a meal anytime of day.
- OR Optimal Fish Oil Liquid: provides EPA/DHA in an excellent tasting liquid that may be added to smoothies or taken straight with some food. Consider taking 1 tablespoon daily.
Disclaimer: The information and product suggestions presented here are merely suggestions for you to consider. This information is not a prescription, treatment or diagnosis. Follow the suggestions and use the suggested supplements at your own risk. It is highly recommended that you discuss this information with your physician. Always seek the advice from your healthcare professional.
Some doctors are recognizing now that LMWHs and/or heparin are necessary with MTHFR. If someone were taking either of these during pregnancy, would you change any of your recommendations above for supplements. In other words, would any of them conflict or would you need more of some b/c of being on anti-coags?
Cassie –
Great question.
You may have to reduce the Optimal Fish Oil down and identify a pure DHA supplement.
All the other nutrients are fine to take while on blood thinners – including Optimal Krill Oil. There is not enough EPA/DHA in Optimal Krill Oil to pose a problem for most women.
Definitely talk with your OB/GYN and physician and obtain their thoughts on the matter.
Ok so it is ok to take NeevoDHA plus the Optimal Chewable Vitamin together? I also want to take the Probiota 12 powder.
I was diagnosed with a vitamin d deficiency and took 50,000 mg per week for 12 wks. It hardly did anything. Should I take an additional calcium and d3 supplement in addition to all the above?
Thanks.
Christa –
It is ok to take the Optimal Mutltivitamin Chewable and the NeevoDHA together. The ProBiota 12 Powder is also fine to take – and highly recommended.
The question I pose is what form of Vitamin D3 were you taking and why didn’t your levels rise? I highly recommend you try taking Vitamin D360 and taking 6,000 IU to 10,000 IU a day which is 3 to 5 DROPS. Make sure you have your doctor measure your vitamin D levels and discuss this dose with them. The 6,000 IU a day is totally fine while pregnant. The 10,000 IU is also likely ok but it is pushing it.
You should take an additional Cal/Mag supplement while pregnant. This will help the vitamin D3 absorption and also help prevent calcium loss from your bones – and leaching of lead from your bones as well. Consider chewing 2 tablets of Calcium Magnesium Plus D3 Chewables twice a day – breakfast and dinner or lunch and dinner or anytime of day.
I also highly recommend the Active CoQH and Optimal Krill Oil – to truly support your developing child’s neurological system.
The vitamin D deficiency has been going on for a long time. In the beginning I also had anemia. Ferritin and iron was low. Anemia seems to be better according to lab results.
Year 1-vitamin d-sub for Drisdol 50,000 units
Year 2-D3-50-BIOTECH
Year 3-vitamin d-50,000 same as above
Today, 1-23-12, doc called to say vitamin d is extremely low again. What is going on?
To this day, for three years, my vitamin d levels will not increase. It is a mystery that I do not like. I live in FL for goodness sakes with lots of sun. No one can explain it.
They were going to call in a prescription for 50,000 u. I told them that I cannot because I am pregnant. So waiting on return call about that.
I will take this information to my doctor and see what she says. Thanks for your advice and wisdom.
Christa -
Drisdol is vitamin D2. Not a good form of vitamin D.
I am suspecting too high of a dose of D3 taken at one time and also low stomach acid or bile secretion PLUS iron deficiency. If you take so much vitamin D3 at once vs a smaller amount each day, that may help increase your vitamin D3 levels.
Read the study on vitamin D3 and iron deficiency. They are linked.
Iron deficiency is linked to poor vitamin D3 absorption. Consider taking 1 capsule of Optimal Iron Plus Cofactors daily on an empty stomach – first thing on rising.
This is why I recommend you consider taking 10,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily in the form of liquid vitamin D3. Very well absorbed and you place it directly on your tongue.
Thanks for all your help. I am going to try and find a doctor to listen and believe me. My progesterone levels are at 8.1 and my hcg @ 600 at 5w1d. It doesn’t look good right now. This will be my 4th miscarriage, but what I have learned in the last month about MTHFR and other factors, I believe there is hope for the future. I just need to find a doctor who will truly listen and believe my symptoms.
Thank you for this. I had sent a message to the “contact us” page, but realized that was probably the wrong place. Anyway, I had two miscarriages, got diagnosed Compound Hetero MTHFR. I took 2 folbic, Neevo, and Baby Aspirin and about 5 grams of Fish oil a day. I had a healthy baby in August. Now I’m trying to get pregnant again, and after reading your website, I’m thinking the Folbic may be the wrong thing to take (even though it seemed to work) and I’m afraid the Neevo by itself isn’t enough. I just ordered the L-5-MTHF and the Sublingual Active B12 with Methylfolate. I’m currently taking the original (Pink Pill) Neevo, CAL/Mag/vitd, Vitamin C, and about 2.5 grams of Fish Oil, and a probiotic. Would it be safe to add both supplements, making my L-MTHF 2,800mcg. or should I just start with the B12, making my L-MTHF only 1,800mcg? I called PamLabs, and they told me the B12 in the pink Neevo is not the active form so I’m assuming it’s doing nothing for me. I’d love to know your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi Ann –
Folbic contains standard folic acid, poor form of B12 and B6. Given that 2 x Folbic contains 5 mg of folic acid and L-5-MTHF is much more potent than folic acid, I would start out with the Active B12 with Methylfolate and Neevo for now. You are also getting the active B12 form of methylcobalamin vs cyanocobalamin which is going to make your methylation cycle work much better than if it was using cyanocobalamin.
I would add the Active CoQH and Optimal Krill Oil.
I would also add in the Optimal Multivitamin Chewable as it contains a complete B complex along with complete minerals – which you need and so does your little developing one. Neevo does not contain comprehensive minerals or B vitamins.
Make sure you take the Vitamin C at least 1 hr away from Neevo and the Sublingual B12 with Methylfolate. Vitamin C in excess of 250 mg can destroy vitamin B12.
Make sure you also take about 6,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily.
I know it may seem like a lot of nutrients, but we are not only trying to prevent miscarriage – we are trying to provide your developing child with the best genetics possible. That is my ultimate goal.
Hi Dr. Ben,
I am homozygous C667T, and also have Hashimoto’s hypothyroiditis. Recently went gluten free after reading a great book called “Why do I still have thyroid symptoms when my lab tests are normal”. Have had 3 miscarriages, all under 6 weeks.
My holistic doctor is recommending that i get nutritional testing done with SpectraCell. I have had this done two years in a row, but recently my thyroid doctor scoffed at it. Do you think this test is good enough to find out what nutrients i’m deficient of, or is it a waste of money?