A pregnant woman needs to get enough vitamins and minerals to avoid problems with gestation and give birth to a healthy baby. It can be difficult to meet the increased requirements of nutrients from food during this period, which is why most doctors advise taking a multivitamin.
One of the most popular supplements for expectant mothers are the Elevit complexes from the well-known Bayer company.
Types of drugs and their composition
Under the name "Elevit", women in the position, depending on the duration of pregnancy, are offered two different multivitamin complexes.
Especially for the first weeks of gestation, during which the most important organs of the baby are formed, a drug has been developed "Planning and the first trimester."
It contains 12 essential vitamins that are most needed by a woman's body in the 1st trimester. Among them are B vitamins, vitamins E, D, C and A, biotin, niacin and folates. The latter are a source of folic acid, which is extremely important for the proper development of the baby in early pregnancy. Among them is calcium L-methylfolate, called metafoline. This is an active form that is well absorbed in the body of almost all women, even if they cannot normally absorb regular folic acid.
In addition to vitamin compounds, Elevit also has 8 macro- and microelements for planning and newly-pregnant women. These are iron, iodine, copper, calcium, magnesium, selenium, manganese and zinc. The tablets themselves are oval in shape and have a white dense shell. They are sold in boxes of 30, packed in blisters of 10 tablets. The average price of such a complex is 500 rubles.
Starting from 13 weeks, expectant mothers are advised to take a multivitamin complex called Elevit Pronatal.
These are also tablets, which are characterized by an elongated shape and have a yellow shell. They are sold in packs of 30 pieces (cost an average of 600-700 rubles) or 100 tablets (average price - 1500-1700 rubles).
Their main differences from the complex for the first trimester:
- such tablets are also a source of 12 vitamins, but their dosages are selected taking into account the needs in the later stages and during lactation;
- the complex contains more folic acid for the normal development of the crumbs (from each tablet, the expectant mother receives it in a dose of 800 mcg);
- instead of niacin, another form of vitamin PP (nicotinamide) was added to the drug, which less often provokes negative reactions;
- there are fewer minerals and trace elements in such an additive - only 7, while there is no iodine and selenium, phosphorus is added, and the dosages of zinc and manganese are slightly lower;
- calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in the composition of the "Pronatal" preparation is represented by several compounds at once, which contributes to their better assimilation;
- there is a risk on the surface of the tablet that the drug can be broken into halves if it is difficult to swallow.
The use of "Elevit" complexes helps:
- strengthen the nonspecific immune defense of the female body;
- prevent defects in the nervous system, heart and other organs of the fetus;
- regulate the work of all internal organs of the expectant mother;
- maintain normal hemoglobin levels to prevent anemia;
- normalize the state of blood vessels and reduce the risk of bleeding;
- ensure the correct development of the child's musculoskeletal system;
- smooth out nutritional problems, for example, with early toxicosis;
- reduce the risk of termination of pregnancy;
- avoid the development of placental insufficiency;
- improve the mood and general condition of the expectant mother;
- prepare the female body for breastfeeding;
- recover quickly in the postpartum period.
Indications
Elevit supplements are recommended both for diagnosed hypovitaminosis in expectant mothers and for its prevention. Taking Elevita is especially important for:
- expectant mothers over 30;
- women who have had problems with bearing in the past;
- pregnant women who, for one reason or another, are malnourished.
Contraindications
In the instructions for the "Elevit" multivitamins for pregnant women, it is noted that such drugs should not be used in case of hypersensitivity to any of their ingredients.
Such funds are not prescribed in some other cases:
- if a woman has a suspicion of hypervitaminosis A or D (such vitamins can accumulate in the body);
- if blood or urine tests of the expectant mother showed too high a calcium level;
- if the pregnant woman has developed anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency (it is called pernicious);
- if the kidneys of the expectant mother do not perform their function well, which led to severe failure;
- if a woman has urolithiasis;
- with metabolic disorders of copper or iron.
The Pronatal complex is also not used for lactose intolerance, because this ingredient is included in the list of auxiliary ingredients of these tablets. This leads to a ban on the intake and with a lack of lactase, as well as with malabsorption of glucose-galactose.
It is also important to clarify what drugs a woman additionally takes, because multivitamins are incompatible with some antimicrobial drugs, antacids and other drugs. You should also not combine "Elevit" with other multivitamins, because this will increase the risk of overdose of certain compounds.
Side effect
Like any other multivitamins, "Elevit" sometimes provokes an allergic reaction, because it is a multicomponent remedy.
A woman may develop skin redness, swelling of facial tissues, hives, and other signs of allergies. Their occurrence should be the reason for stopping taking "Elevit" and going to the doctor to select another drug for vitamin prophylaxis.
Some mothers-to-be react to pills with digestive disorders, such as constipation, pain in the intestines, nausea, or loose stools. Occasionally, the drug causes insomnia, dizziness, anxiety, or headache. In such cases, "Elevit" is better to replace with other multivitamins for pregnant women.
Since both complexes for expectant mothers include iron, the woman's stool becomes darker (almost black) while taking Elevit. The presence of vitamin B2 in the composition also often changes the color of urine, as a result of which it becomes bright yellow. Such changes are harmless and do not affect either the condition of the pregnant woman or the development of the baby.
How to use?
Both Elevit supplements, intended for pregnant women, should be drunk one tablet every day, since this is the portion that contains the nutrients in the daily dose.
To rule out adverse reactions from the digestive system, it is best to take the tablets with food or immediately after a meal.
The most preferred time for taking Elevit is morning. You should not drink the complex in the afternoon, as its activating effect can affect falling asleep and provoke problems with night sleep. To drink the drug, use ordinary pure water in a volume of 100-150 ml. Do not damage the shell of the Planning and First Trimester tablets, so they are simply swallowed.
If necessary, the Pronatal tablet can be divided into halves and swallowed in turn, washed down with water each.
It is also important to follow these recommendations:
- the expectant mother should not prescribe Elevit for herself - it is allowed to drink such complexes after consulting an obstetrician-gynecologist;
- you need to take more than one tablet per day, because this threatens an overdose of vitamins D and A, copper and iron;
- the duration of the course of admission is usually 1 month, after which they make a short pause, but such nuances should be clarified with your doctor;
- if you experience any alarming symptoms while using Elevit, you should immediately inform the specialist about it;
- before you start taking the tablets, you should check the expiration date on their packaging, which is 2 years from the date of release.
Reviews
Most women who took Elevit while waiting for a baby speak positively about such multivitamins. Among their advantages are usually noted a balanced and rich composition, ease of use (the tablet is drunk only once a day), effective action. Expectant mothers note that signs of toxicosis are smoothed out when using Elevit, hair and skin look better, teeth do not deteriorate, and babies develop normally. Many women continue to take "Pronatal" after childbirth, as side reactions in breastfed babies are extremely rare.
Among the cons of both supplements, expectant mothers often call the large size of the tablets and their high cost, so some women choose analogues cheaper. The disadvantages of the Pronatal complex include the lack of iodine, which is why it had to be taken additionally. Many women also dislike the large list of auxiliary ingredients that can trigger an allergic reaction.
Nevertheless, in most cases, "Elevit" is tolerated normally, the state of health of pregnant women while taking such vitamins improves, and the child develops according to the timing.
