Vitamins...

[Jate]

Hi, so unfortunately i had a termination for medical reasons last week. I am devastated to say goodbye to my much wanted little girl. I am not sure now if i should be trying to make myself as healthy as possible now taking all the prenatals around or because i know how much i want a girl i should be going back on a low calorie/no vitamin diet. I'm completely torn...

Any thoughts appreciate.

[atomic sagebrush]

Can you give me more info (if you're comfortable) about what the issue was (you don't have to go into detail, just give me whatever the diagnosis was). That way I'll be better able to advise you.

The vast majority of birth defects are not caused by lack of nutrients prior to conception and the only thing ever found to help prevent health issues with baby when taken before conception is folate/folic acid. Everyone should be taking this before and after conception. Prenatals do not prevent birth defects. I've seen a great many people conceive babies with birth defects while taking prenatals. Doctors (and not all doctors) recommend them because they're easy and make people feel they are controlling an inherently uncontrollable situation. Most birth defects that end with medical termination are due to random chromosomal abnormalities with the egg or sperm, or a tiny mistake in cell division very early on and are nothing beyond just sheer bad luck.

I also want to know more about what you are describing as a "low calorie, no vitamin" diet becuase that is NOT the LE Diet. The LE Diet is simply the lower range of a normal healthy pre-pregnancy diet as recommended by the World Health Organization and by reproductive endocrinologists. you are not harming your health or your ability to get and stay pregnat with a healthy baby by following the LE Diet guidelines. If you were eating below those guidelines, even then it's very unusual and quite difficult to cause any harm to a fetus via pre-pregnancy diet. Most of us have years of nutrients stored and the handful that our bodies don't store effectively, you get enough of even on a restrictive diet.

So if you could give me a little more info I'll be better able to guide you, but NO don't now start loading up taking vitamins because that will sway blue and isnt' necessary for you to have a healthy pregnancy.

[Jate]

Thank you so much for your help. It’s hard not to let your mind run away with so many different scenarios at the moment. I didn’t mean no vitamins in what I was eating. I meant no added vitamins. My baby had t21 and other complications unfortunately. I was taking folic acid but wondering if a different folate might be better.

I know the most important thing is to try and conceive a healthy baby when possible but I do think having terminated a much wanted girl not having another one might make me feel even more sad.

I’ve eaten so many extra calories due to morning sickness the last 3 months and now comfort eating I am probably heading for blue if I’m lucky enough to get pregnant anyway.

My 4 year old keeps asking for a sister and his little brother is pretty wonderful too and they are what’s getting me through this but it’s just so hard



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[atomic sagebrush]

Ok. Thank you. Yes that would be chromosomal and just bad luck. I regularly have seen our IVF/PGD clients who are taking lots of vitamins and eating super healthy and yet still will have some t21 abnormals so it appears prenatals don't prevent it.

I absolutely would have you on folate instead next time. And I'd have you do 2000. While this is largely unsubstantiated, ther are some claims that it may help protect against chromosomal abnormalities with the egg.

I think you've had a good chance to save up nutrients and so I'd have you go onto the LE Diet when you're ready.

So sorry for your loss - please let me know how I can help.