AboutDr. Harriet Johnson Expertise I have been a Gynecologist for 3 years and can answer questions on early symptoms of pregnancy, pre-natal care, miscarriage, birth defects, nutrition, exercise, potential problems, concerns, labor and delivery, post-natal care etc. I can also answer any questions related to female issues.
Experience OB/GYN Physician for 3 years.
Education/Credentials Graduated from medical school with an MD degree and then went on to complete my residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center. I am board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Question My husband and I live overseas and want to start a family. But we have some questions about proper nutrition and health; and do not yet have an english speaking doctor.
Are you familiar with Shaklee multi-vitamins? I was thinking of taking them as pre-natals because they seem a lot more natural and contain more vitamins, etc than the pre-natals that can be purchased here. Would you recommend those?
Is it also okay to take a calcium supplement along with a pre-natal multivitamin? Because both the calcium and multi-vitamin contain vitamin D, is it okay to take both? (is there a amount that is too much vitamin D?)
Also with vitamin C, what is too much? (the calcium here comes with vitamin D and C)
I was also considering buying a DHA supplement...I know high mercury content is bad for pregnancy but the fish oil DHA supplement is pre-natal and it is pure and molecularly distilled (Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA). Is that safe?
Lastly, is there a safe way to clean fruits and vegetables? Most foreigners here that I know soak them in bleach water (contaminates and such are a problem here so just water isn't enough). I was concerned that that would create problems for a baby. How would you recommend cleaning these fruits and vegetables?
Thank you.
Answer Hi,
Shaklee vitamins are just as good, if not better than pre-natal vitamins. Calcium supplements and pre-natal multivitamins cannot be taken together as calcium can make it harder for your body to absorb certain ingredients of the multivitamin. Also you can overdose on vitamin D which can cause life threatening problems to you and your baby. 500-800 IU per day is considered a safe amount of vitamin D and around 1000mg per day of vitamin C, however there is no real limit apart from huge amounts for instance 25,000mg is considered too much. The DHA is safe to take. Use distilled water to wash your fruit and vegetables, never use bleach, and don't soak the fruit and vegetables in water. Good luck!
