any DSers? Looking for vitamin info

 I posted on the DS board but if anyone has thoughts on vitamin intake before and during pregnancy, I'm open to hearing it.

Specifically I'd like to know about folic acid and Vit. A.  I hear you can only take 10,000 IUs a day of A while pregnant--is this true?

Thanks!

Low vitamin A can cause blindness, high vitamin A can cause birth defects.  We are more likely to have low vitamin A, although in my understanding it has to be pretty low to cause blindness.  I took 25,000 IUs daily of A during my pregnancy and my baby is fine, but you have to look at your own labs.  My A level stayed on the low side of normal, which my MW clinic and my bariatric clinic were pleased with.  I don't think an arbitrary amount of A is a good idea - if you can stay within normal lab values with 10K, that is probably a good dose for you, but if you need more, remember you ARE probably malabsorbing a lot of it. 

I think the 10,000 IU max recommendation is for normies.  A DSer might absorb a quarter of that or less, but everyone is different.  

As for folic acid, it's a B-vitamin so we are better at absorbing it than we are at absorbing fat solubles.  I took whatever is in my two regular multis and that kept my level normal.

Good luck, Bonnie!  If you are TTC, get your folic acid checked now.

I would diffently speak with your surgeon about Vit A lvls. A D E K are all vitamins that normal people can overdose on since it is fat soluble instead of water soluble. I know DSers are a special case with your malaborbson.

 Thank you for the post. I've realized in the last year my surgeon is great at cutting but not much else.  Most of what I've learned is from other DSers.  I've been taking even more A now in particular to be sure to build up my stores before pregnancy--just in case they push me to lower my A when I get pregnant.  

I read one of your posts and I'm sorry your baby isn't coming when you had hoped.  My best wishes to you for a healthy baby when she finally gets here.

How about your OB? I got my surgery in MX so I have no contact with my surgeon. I just asked my OB to add vitamin lvls to the standard OB panels they run. She had no problems adding whatever I asked for. The big thing my Dr was concerned about was my Calcium lvls. I just drank the OJ that has added Ca to it. It also comes in the watered down 50% less sugar type too. With vitamins you just gotta check your own personal lvls to be sure you are getting what you need.

Thanks for the wishes! I just walked and walked and went over every pot hole and RR track I could find driving home today after the pedi. I am crossing my fingers and begging Liam to come out.  

 I was lucky and had my labs pulled just after conceiving (but didn't realize it yet).  My A was really high, 83 with 90 being the highest end of normal, so I had to back off of the vites I was taking for the first trimester.  I just had my labs pulled again, so I'm curious as to what vampire baby has drained me of.  

 My A is within normal range but is on a major downward trend from last labs.   I was taking 150,000 IUs and now I'm taking 200,000 IUs daily of dry A.  As you said, the babies are like vampires so I'm slightly nervous about getting sucked dry of A and others .

 I would definitely talk to your surgeon and have your labs pulled before getting pregnant and being on those levels.  Good luck!  :)

 I just had them pulled in April.

 oh, one more thing.  I really respect my surgeon. I feel he did a great job with my DS, but he really doesn't know much about nutrition.  

He told me to stop taking protein suppliments when I saw him in April but when my labs came back it showed I actually needed to take MORE in, so I really think he doesn't realize how much we really need in order to be healthy. Same would go for vitamins--I asked him about Folic Acid in particular and he said and I quote "the idea is to take as you go. You should get in plenty."  That was his answer to the question "what percentage of Folic Acid do you think we absorb?"  

That is really why I think it is important for me to talk to people like you who have or are going through the actually situation.   I've gotten some info from others who have been pregnant with the DS and it helped guide me to about 4500mcg a day of Folic Acid.  And the A will probably be greatly greatly reduced---among other suggestions.