Supplements

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a doctor!  Please do your own research and do not rely on my post below.

Sorry for the disclaimer above, but ya'll know how it is!  

I took so many pills during my pregnancy.  I honestly HATE taking pills, but I knew if they helped, it was definitely worth it.  A friend of mine (who also lost twins and then subsequently had a successful twin pregnancy) shared her pregnancy supplement regimen with me and I pretty much followed it, with a few minor changes.  I will also say I ran this past my MFM and she fully supported everything I was taking.

Here are the things that sat on my ottoman for daily use:

So - my daily supplements included the following:

• Vitamin D 1000 iu 2 times per day - studies have shown taking additional vitamin D during pregnancy can help reduce pregnancy risks, everything from gestation diabetes to infection risk
• Prenatal vitamin - at the beginning of my pregnancy, I was taking the gummy prenatal, but then learned they didn't include iron, which I especially needed since I was making enough blood for two additional bodies!  My ob did give me the ok to use the gummy vitamins until about week 12 of my pregnancy, and then I switched to a pill that included iron.  I also made sure that my prenatal included DHA.  Something else to note related to the prenatal, I looked at how much it contained of each of the other supplements I was taking to ensure I didn't take too much of any one thing.
• Probiotic - I wanted to do everything I could to prevent any sort of infection, and if you've read my blog, you may remember I battled a couple of sicknesses early in my pregnancy for which I took antibiotics.  I didn't want to develop a yeast infection, so I started taking a probiotic and continued it through my pregnancy.
• Mirolax - ah...mirolax.  A friend of mine that was pregnant with triplets while I was pregnant joked with me that mirolax was her bff.  So true!  Let's be real here...constipation during pregnancy is scary!  In my mind, there is a reason they tell you to push like you are poo'ing while delivering, so, I wanted to avoid anything related to labor/delivering during my pregnancy.  I didn't take a full dose every single day, but more often than not, I was taking at least a half a dose daily, to keep things moving.  I could also really tell when I missed a dose...just saying.
• Vitamin C - I took two gummy vitamin Cs daily toward the later part of my pregnancy.  This was important for two different reasons.  First, it helps iron (below) absorb, so once I started taking an iron supplement, I began this as well.  This has also been shown to reduce the risk of preeclampsia.  And, of course, the added benefit to my immune system was good too.
• Iron 27mg Ferrous Gluconate type - As I mentioned above, I needed a prenatal that included iron.  However; beginning around week 22, I started getting charlie horses in my calves.  They were AWFUL!  I had them with Chandler and Paisley's pregnancy as well.  They would always hit in the middle of the night and I'd cry and Dust would have to jump up and rub them out.  I mentioned it to my ob, and he said that a lot of times, people think it is due to a lack of calcium, magnesium or potassium, however; low iron can also be a cause.  He recommended I take this specific type of iron because it is much gentler on the tummy.  After I started taking this, I saw a significant decrease in cramps.
• Calcium 600mg - One thing to note on the calcium, if you are taking it and iron, take them at different times because the calcium will actually block the absorption of the iron when taken together (per my nurse through my insurance nurse line).  This helps with the babies' development.  I drank milk regularly, so I only took 600mg daily (in addition to the amount in the prenatal), although more is recommended in twin pregnancies.
• Magnesium 250mg twice a day - This helps relax muscles, including the uterus, so in my mind, this helped prevent contractions.  This also helps keep stools soft.  I did learn to spread this out by taking one in the morning and one at night, otherwise, the body will get rid of the excess rather than absorb it and save it for later.

One thing not picture was the cranberry juice I began drinking daily after getting a UTI.

So, there you have it, my daily regimen throughout the majority of my pregnancy.  Again, like I mentioned, please do your own research before taking supplements during your pregnancy.  Also, please run it by your own doctor.