Question - nutrients after having a baby to prepare for next baby

[vicz2001]

Hi there, I had a baby 10 months ago. I feel like I should take some prenatals to make sure I have a healthy next pregnancy even though I wish to sway pink and know that extra nutrients sways boys. 3 questions:

I know it can take 4 months for the egg to mature, during this time should i not be taking prenatals to make sure my eggs are really healthy, perhaps take prenatals for a month or two and then for 3rd, 4th month cut back so that when we try and concieve my body will think i am in 'hard times' if you like?

What is the shortest time you can do LE to have an effect on gender sway? (a month?)

I appreciate thousands of women have had healthy babies without taking prenatals however does it not increase your chances of birth defects/sub optimal development of the fetus if I dont? Especially as I am 36 and my husband is 41

Thank you in advance.

[atomic sagebrush]

No, you should not take prenatals now. Please do not take two steps towards blue before you even start swaying pink. We have no evidence that taking prenatals and then stopping them is in any way good for pink.

If you have been eating a regular, "First World" type diet you have all the nutrients you need to get and stay pregnant. Anything you read about a "poor diet" causing issues for babies refers to people in poor countries with chronic malnutrition or those who have had severe eating disorders for many many years. The rest of us have massive stores of nutrients built up just from our everyday diets.

No, not taking a prenatal before conception DOES NOT increase chances of suboptimal development of a fetus in any way. The only nutrient ever proven to prevent issues in pregnancy when taken before conception is folate or folic acid and we have you guys take that. All others are fine to start at BFP. Some doctors like to tell people to take prenatals because it makes us feel we are doing something proactive, and vitamin peddlers of course love that advice, LOL. But only folic acid or folate helps prior to conception.

If you absolutely must take prenatals just take them 3 days a week starting right away and continuing on thru your sway. This is in my opinion better than taking them daily and then dropping them.

[vicz2001]

Thank you - this is very helpful, Victoria