# Big babies due to prenatal vitamins?



## ErinsJuneBug (Nov 21, 2006)

One of the women in my ICAN group mentioned this yesterday and i just HAD to see what you ladies would say. She really believes that prenatal vitamins are over-used and may be contributing to the increase in c-sections due to bigger and bigger babies. She mentioned a study in Africa where women were given prenatal vitamins, thats it, and their babies grew more than a pound bigger than other babies. Of course part of me thinks - bigger is sometimes better, like in the case of women in Africa. Bigger can mean healthier and stronger to those babies - but here arent we getting A LOT of vitamins in everything anyway? Water, food...etc? I am really considering maybe taking folic acid for a month before conception and then until a month after conception and then just forgoing the whole vitamin thing all together.

Should i start smoking while i'm at it?









Thoughts? Oh, and has anyone seen the Africa study?


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ErinsJuneBug* 
One of the women in my ICAN group mentioned this yesterday and i just HAD to see what you ladies would say. She really believes that prenatal vitamins are over-used and may be contributing to the increase in c-sections due to bigger and bigger babies. She mentioned a study in Africa where women were given prenatal vitamins, thats it, and their babies grew more than a pound bigger than other babies. Of course part of me thinks - bigger is sometimes better, like in the case of women in Africa. Bigger can mean healthier and stronger to those babies - but here arent we getting A LOT of vitamins in everything anyway? Water, food...etc? I am really considering maybe taking folic acid for a month before conception and then until a month after conception and then just forgoing the whole vitamin thing all together.











Weird, weird...I have never heard anything like this.

Will watch this thread though to see what the other moms think...

I'm inclined to not believe it though.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ErinsJuneBug* 
i start smoking while i'm at it?









Oh yes...Please do









-Caitrin


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## Defenestrator (Oct 10, 2002)

I don't think that prenatal vitamins would make a difference in size of baby in a well-nourished woman.

To provide a counter-example, the moms in my practice rarely take prenatal vitamins and I had only one baby in the 6 lb range and 4 babies in the 10lb range last year, with the majority of the rest being around 8-9lbs.


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## Full Heart (Apr 27, 2004)

I don't think its true. From what I understand most vitamins do not get absorbed. Some pass through whole. Unless you get a really good one that does break down easily so it can be absorbed or a chewable or liquid. I think most women take prenatals and most women do not have large babies. I haven't seen the Africa study so I can't comment on that.

FWIW I don't take prenatal and have bigger babies.


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## ErinsJuneBug (Nov 21, 2006)

Well I am fairly new to the group - and she has been there a long time (was a L&D nurse). A few of the other moms that had a history of big babies and c-sections tried it for their vbacs. 1 mom who was going for a HBA2C was successful and her baby was 1 1/2 #'s smaller than her other two had been (she also said she didn’t cut out caffeine this time as well). A 2nd mom also didn’t take vitamins and had a successful VBAC with her baby who was also smaller. I know anecdotal evidence isn’t best - but I hadn’t heard this theory and in this particular group it holds true.


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## Beeblebrox (Apr 6, 2005)

I think that the rise in c-sections for "big babies" is that the idea of what a big baby is, is off. That combined with false weight estimates and fear mongering and money contribute to the rise in c-sections, IMO. Women are told that a 9lb baby is HUGE and that she can't possibly birth a baby that large. Or they're told that their baby will be 10+lbs if they don't induce now only to give birth to a 6 or 7lb baby.


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## aprilsfools (Apr 16, 2008)

I have heard this before. This is just a theory, but I personally think that prenatals give women a false sense of security that they can eat whatever they please and their babies will be getting all the nutrients that they need. It is no help that doctors don't seem to focus very much on educating their patient about what they should be eating when they are pregnant.

So, then they eat a lot of crap (I am talking fast food everyday, not the occasional bowl of ice cream) and their babies end up bigger than the might be if they were eating healthy.


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## aprilsfools (Apr 16, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Beeblebrox* 
I think that the rise in c-sections for "big babies" is that the idea of what a big baby is, is off. That combined with false weight estimates and fear mongering and money contribute to the rise in c-sections, IMO. Women are told that a 9lb baby is HUGE and that she can't possibly birth a baby that large. Or they're told that their baby will be 10+lbs if they don't induce now only to give birth to a 6 or 7lb baby.

I agree.


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## mama in the forest (Apr 17, 2006)

My last baby was 13 pounds (unassisted birth) and she was the only pregnancy I had in which I didn't take prenatal vitamins!


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## ~*~MamaJava~*~ (Mar 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *aprilsfools* 
I have heard this before. This is just a theory, but I personally think that prenatals give women a false sense of security that they can eat whatever they please and their babies will be getting all the nutrients that they need. It is no help that doctors don't seem to focus very much on educating their patient about what they should be eating when they are pregnant.

So, then they eat a lot of crap (I am talking fast food everyday, not the occasional bowl of ice cream) and their babies end up bigger than the might be if they were eating healthy.

i'm kind of with you on this one...i don't think it's true all the time (i'm sure you don't either)...but i know an awful lot of pregnant women that honestly think that taking prenatal = good enough, and i'll eat whatever i want now!


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## Turquesa (May 30, 2007)

Yep. We used to push those prenatals at the clinic, where I worked with predominantly low-income women. Docs no longer have/take the time for nutritional counseling.


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## aprilsfools (Apr 16, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Turquesa* 







Yep. We used to push those prenatals at the clinic, where I worked with predominantly low-income women. Docs no longer have/take the time for nutritional counseling.


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## Meg_s (Apr 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Defenestrator* 
I don't think that prenatal vitamins would make a difference in size of baby in a well-nourished woman.
.

I totally agree with this.

And Also WOW! 13 lbs, must have been very sweet and chubby. Mine were both 9 and a bit, I didn't take my prenatals often.. mostly magnesium to try to get my calves not to cramp. I don't think large babies mean a need for a C section at all.


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## veganf (Dec 12, 2005)

LOL. Then I can't imagine how big my babies would be if I could actually reliably take a vitamin or eat good food throughout my pregnancy! I'm in my last month right now (hopefully) and I've finally been able to keep down a grand total of 3 vitamins







. All my babies so far have been in the 8-9 lb range.

I mean, obviously if a mother is very malnurished then a multivitamin might help and maybe add a small bit of weight, but I think it way more to do with genetics, portion size, and availability of processed carbs in modern diets.


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## JBaxter (May 1, 2005)

I was really good about taking prenats with my 1st. He weighed 7lb15oz My 2nd was hit and miss after the first trimester he weighed 8lb13oz my 3rd 30 vits maybe during my whole pregnancy he weighed 9lb8oz. Ive taken 10 this pregnacy they are the ONLY thing that makes me feel bad so I stopped. I feel great. I will see how big this little guy will be.


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