I know not exactly on topic for the board, but I trust most pedes on here more than any doctors or medical people right now. So with that being said, my wife and I are about to being another pure blood into the world and i was wonder if any of the health experts on here can tell me if prenatals are a good idea and if so a good brand to look for. I literally have nearly zero trust for most companies pushing anyhting now days, because they all seemed to be owned by terrible companies.
Sorry again for off topic but happy to share the great news with you frens, and any help is greatly appreciated!!!
There is so much to say here, but a couple things I've learned in my journey - if your wife has MTHFR (Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) genetic mutation (around 50% of the population has this), her body lacks the enzyme to convert folic acid to folate, so it's best to avoid vitamins and supplements that contain folic acid (make sure the label says "folate" instead). Please note most fortified breads and grains also contain folic acid. Agree with the comment above - find a naturopathic doctor who can run a blood panel on her to find nutrient deficiencies, and also test for the MTHFR mutation. Regarding prenatal vitamins, she doesn't want to be supplementing for things she doesn't need, as too much of certain nutrients can be detrimental. I prefer whole food supplements, or best to get all your nutrition through food vs supplements since the body will process them better. If she's not yet pregnant, it would help to do a round of detoxing first which will remove heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, and other toxic substances from the body (there are several great resources I can send you on this if you're interested). If she's already pregnant, definitely don't start detoxing until after the baby stops breastfeeding. Just continue to support a healthy lifestyle through whole food nutrition and supplementation. Encourage her to find natural health like-minded groups to join in person and online, I've learned so much about my health this way. And praying you are blessed beyond measure with the baby on the way!
Thank you very much, appreciate all the good info!!!