Should I start taking prenatal vitamins as soon as I stop taking the pill or only after a positive test and which ones should I choose?

Question

I started taking complete multivitamins some time ago, as I read that it is always good to start taking folic acid even before trying to conceive. The vitamins I am currently taking contain 400 mcg of folic acid. I am still on the birth control pill, but am on my last pack and will start trying to conceive next month. So I was wondering if I could continue taking these vitamins until I get a positive test or if I should switch to prenatal vitamins already (even though I'm still on the pill for the next 3 weeks)? And do you have a specific prenatal vitamin to recommend or are they all the same? Thanks a lot! :)

Alexandre Chagnon · Accepted Answer

Hello Ma'am, Congratulations first on this big life milestone you are about to take :). When it comes to prenatal multivitamins, the important thing is to take 400 mcg of folic acid per day. The rest...who cares a little 😊 . If you are tolerating the pill you are taking right now well on a digestive level, then you can continue it without any problems. If your stomach hurts a little, or you find it too big, or it costs too much, then you might just take folic acid instead of the multivitamin. In an ideal world, you try to take folic acid for at least 3 months before conception, and throughout the pregnancy. *(A good diet and active lifestyle are also good habits to have in preparation for conception :) ). Good day, Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist