Can't swallow pregnancy vitamins

[Miss_Ro]

Hi girls,

This is my first pregnancy and am just 6 weeks pregnant
I am having a lot of trouble swallowing pregnancy vitamins, I was told to use Elevit but they wouldn't go down - I crushed them, cut them - you name it - I couldn't do it.
So I was then advised to try Blackmores Pregnancy Gold as they had fish oil in them so the tablet was coated and would 'slide down' my throat. No go either. I gag every time.
I'm really worried as I know that I need to take these vital vitamins for the health of my baby, but I can't swallow tablets! Is there a chewable or another way of taking vitamins??

[Trillian]

Put them in a smoothy? Blend the tablets in with the smoothy as you make it. FWIW, I personally think that pregnancy vitamins are a load of bull**** and a waste of your money. You only ever need vitamins if you are deficient to start with. I only ever took folate tablets because that's all I really needed. Maybe you could just take those instead as they are a lot smaller tablet?

[Amaunet]

The folate tablets are tiny, just take those

[Artechim]

Another saying pregnancy vitamins (actually all vitamins) are a waste of money. Folate is shown to be beneficial during early pregnancy, but the rest you can get from a balanced diet. Don't stress if you can't take them, your baby will be perfect anyway.

[*Belle*]

The tinest ones that I can only swallow as I throw up all the time are I-folate (Blackmores tablets) my OB that is all I needed for now at 6 weeks, unless you have a vitamin defficiency they are so small and easy to swallow like a mini pill if not a bit smaller.

I found out recently, I do have a vitamin D deficiency so I now take Vitamin D which is small too and Berrocca.

Hope you feel better soon.

Bel
xxx

[Trillian]

Belle, if you have a Vitamin D deficiency, why are you taking tablets? Why don't you just get some sun exposure?

[Junglemum]

I couldn't take them until this week either. No prob swallowing them, but i vomited them straight back up every time. I did as others suggest and just took the folate. Make sure you have a good diet with a good range of vegies and protein. If you can't manage the folate, green leafy vegies are high in folate.

[FabFiona]

I was the same. They were like horse tablets to me. I just took the folate as they were small.

[LimeSlice]

The reason you can't swallow them is all in your head If you still can't swallow them crushed, then it is mental, not physical.

When you swallow them, try tilting your head to the side and slightly back, slightly.
The other thing you can do is swallow them with food. Tablets are smaller than most of the chewed amounts of food you swallow everytime you eat, so try chewing, then swallowing with the food.

Good luck ( I am assuming you tried taking them with water, not just trying to dry swallow them)

[Miss_Ro]

Thanks for all your advice girls - I don't have any defencies I have a well balanced diet so I just bought the ifolate tablets which tour right they are tiny. Very happy now thank you. And limeslice - you don't need to comment like that (I'm referring to your first paragraph).
Thanks everyone else

[Artechim]

Yip, Limeslice, that was a bit harsh - those things smell so bad I can't open a bottle without gagging. If I could manage to get one in my mouth there would be no way it would go down.

Miss Ro, glad you got it sorted

[LimeSlice]

Terribly sorry I offended you. I speak from experience.
It was not my intention to be "harsh", just offering another perspective and the one that solved the problem for me.

I apologise if it upset you.

[Lana]

I have always had issues swallowing tablets/capsules. I found with the big Blackmores pregnancy ones that if I could hide them in food it was ok. I would chew up some Weetbix or some bread, create a bit of a ball to hide it in and then pop the tablet in the centre and then swallow it. Then if it touched the sides of my throat as it went down it just felt like the rest of the food I had been eating so I wouldn't get the gag reflex. A bit gross but it works for me.

[Nelle]

I'm glad you've found a solution that works for you Miss_Ro.

[M22]

miss ro- i did exactly the same thing- i took folate and iron/vit c- i couldnt swallow them either, was a lot better.

[*Belle*]

Miss Ro thats great! hope it works well, its hard to swallow tablets especially when you have morning sickness.

Trillian - I did the sun thing and unfortunately last 3 weeks was so ill with heart palpultations and feeling really heavy not being able to move and had blood tests (will have more) and my OB says my Vit D deficiency is so low its affecting me this way and baby so have to take the tablet I was shocked it could make me to sick. So having more tests done next week to see if improved or somethin else wrong..

[lee09]

I have the same problem with the large Blackmores and Elevit tablets, so I started taking Fabfol Plus. It has folic acid, iodine, iron and other vitamins and minerals, but the tablets are a similar size to a Panadol - much easier to swallow. Don't see them mentioned much on forums though. A nurse friend of mine recommended them.