You wake up, go to work, run errands—all while pregnant—and finally, you go to bed, happy that you’re getting some rest. The next morning, you realize that throughout the hectic day, you forgot about the first thing you should do: take your prenatal vitamin!
As all human beings do, we forget, especially if we always have something taking up our time. “I can’t remember if I took my prenatal vitamin” is a common refrain among expectant mothers. Missing a day of taking your vitamins is likely to happen every now and then, but no need to worry! Here’s what to keep in mind if you find yourself forgetting to take prenatal vitamins.
How to Remember to Take Vitamins
Getting in the habit of remembering to take your prenatal can take whatever form works best for you. It can be as simple as a reminder on your phone every day, sticky notes on your fridge, a memo on your calendar, etc. Here are some ideas that expectant mothers use:- Make Your Vitamins Part of Your Routine - Take your vitamins with breakfast, after working out, while getting dressed, or whenever works best for you so that it’s more an automatic part of your daily tasks than something you have to remember.
- Use a Pillbox - This is an old-school tactic, and it still works. Keep your pillbox in a noticeable place and measure out each day’s dosage for the week.
- Download a Pill Reminder App - There are many convenient apps to choose from, and they can do more than simply remind you to take your vitamin. Depending on which one you choose, you can enjoy additional benefits such as setting other health reminders, tracking your physical activity and mood, and (if you’re on medication) reading about different medication interactions.
- Piggyback off a Family Member’s Routine - If you have a family member or friend who regularly takes medication, you can set your pattern to theirs—go for your vitamin bottle when you see them going for their prescriptions. And maybe, you can gently task them with helping you to hold yourself accountable.
- Keep a Pregnancy Journal - A journal can help you in a number of ways. Besides giving you the space to reflect on your pregnancy experience, writing a journal can also serve as a place to take notes about anything you want to ask your doctor, and, of course, it’s a great place to give yourself reminders.
An important part of the equation to keep in mind is your prenatal supply. Would you do best with a supply that lasts longer so you don’t always have to remember to keep getting more and possibly running too low? Would the repetition of consistently keeping stock make you stay on track? You’ll quickly learn which one is better suited to your personal habits.
Ovaterra’s Advanced Prenatal comes in daily pouches – 28 for a 4-week supply, and 84 for a 12-week supply. As long as you find a daily method that you can’t miss and stick to it, getting your dose of vitamins will become like clockwork. There’s no right answer on how to remember to take vitamins; different tricks work for different people. Just make sure you’re following the recommended dosage on the package’s label.
What Happens If You Miss a Day of Prenatal Vitamins?
While prenatal vitamins are necessary to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby, if you miss a day of taking your vitamins, it’s ok! A missed dose here and there will not negatively impact the health of you or your baby, so don’t panic.
It’s just important, though, to make sure that you start again the next day as prescribed. If you think you may or may not have taken your vitamin, it’s also best to wait until the next day, as you do not want to risk a double dose. Accidentally doubling your dose once or twice likely won’t hurt you or your baby. However, routinely taking too much of certain vitamin and mineral supplements can lead to negative health consequences.
