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Sunshine Birth Company & Kueo Birth Center
Pregnancy Supplement Schedule
Schedule Start Here: There are 4 supplements that we recommend you take from the beginning of pregnancy through postpartum. This includes a Prenatal Vitamin, Vitamin C, Omega 3 and a Probiotic. We also encourage you to drink the herbal pregnancy blend tea and at least half your body weight in ounces of water every day.
Prenatal Vitamin: We recommend raw source prenatals and there are many good ones on the market.
Vitamin C: Yes, there is already some Vitamin C in your prenatal vitamin; however we recommend you take an extra 2,000 mg a day. Because your body can only absorb 1,000 mg at a time, take the extra Vitamin C twice a day, about 2 hours after your first two prenatal vitamins (10 am and 2 pm).
Omega 3/Fish Oil: We recommend Innate Choice Omega Sufficiency. Take one serving a day, you can split it between your two biggest meals.
Probiotic: We recommend Innate Choice’s Probiotic Sufficiency. Taking a probiotic is always a good idea, and is a great immune builder. There may be specific times that we recommend you add a probiotic, such as yeast infection, but you can always start this whenever. Take as directed on the bottle.
Herbal Pregnancy Blend ~ NORA Tea: You will be drinking a blend of herbs as a nourishing and toning support during your pregnancy and post-partum. You will brew this tea and drink it hot or cold according to the instructions in the link.
20 Weeks: You are currently experiencing a 50% blood volume expansion, that’s a lot!
Chlorophyll: To help your body compensate, take 200 mg of chlorophyll a day. To make things easy to remember, just simply take the chlorophyll with the extra Vitamin C, away from your prenatal vitamins. Vitamin C helps the absorption of iron, whereas the calcium in the prenatal vitamin blocks the absorption.
35 & 36 Weeks: We’re getting close to the end here! It might seem like we’re really piling on the supplements at this point, but there is a reason for every single supplement!
Homeopathic Trio (Caulophyllum, Arnica, Cimicifuga): Start at 35 weeks. It will be easiest to number the bottles 1, 2, and 3. Take 3 pellets of one remedy daily; rotating to the next remedy the following day (e.g., 3 pellets of arnica on day 1, 3 pellets of caulophyllum on day 2, 3 pellets of cimicifuga on day 3, 3 pellets of arnica on day 4, etc).
Note: essential oils cancel out homeopathics, so if you use oils, take the homeopathic in the morning, and wait a couple hours before using any oils. Also, anything peppermint (toothpaste, mints, gum, lip balm) cancels homeopathics . Do not touch the pellets with your hands. Do not chew them. Let them dissolve under your tongue. Do not eat or drink anything until they have dissolved completely.
GBS Protocol: We test for Group B. Strep at your 36 week appointment. The supplements for the protocol will be listed below, but do not need to be taken until 35 weeks, or 1 week before you are testing.
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Thymex: Take one with each meal. You can continue this through the rest of your pregnancy. It is a great immune booster! This is also a great supplement to take when you feel like you are coming down with something. It is safe to take anytime.
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Garlic: Take one tablet by mouth a day. Garlic is a natural blood thinner, so discontinue after 1 week. Garlic is also a natural antibiotic.
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Vitamin C: You will up your Vitamin C intake from 2,000 mg a day to 6,000 mg a day.
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea (RRT): You can drink 1 cup every day starting at 36 weeks. After 38 weeks you can drink more than 1 cup, and at 40 weeks you can drink as much as you want every day. Although not technically a supplement, nor an absolute necessity, RRT helps tone the uterus and can be beneficial here at the end.
37 Weeks: Borage Oil increase to taking 1 capsule in the morning and 1 at night.
38 Weeks: Borage Oil increase to taking 2 capsules in the morning and 1 at night.
39 Weeks: Borage Oil increase to taking 2 capsule in the morning and 2 at night.
Others: During your pregnancy we may recommend other supplements for different reasons.
This may include:
Hematinic: Recommended if you have low hemoglobin, and is made from desiccated calf liver. We call it the “big guns” because, when taken correctly, it can bring up your hemoglobin in no time! You will add hematinic to your chlorophyll and Vitamin C.
Floradix: a vegan alternative to hematinic.
B-Complex: There are plenty of reasons to take a B-Complex, but we may recommend it specifically if your hemoglobin is low. B-12 is often the B Vitamin recommended, however taking a B-Complex is of greater benefit due to the way B Vitamins work. Ask your midwife for the recommended dose for your needs.
Digestive Enzymes: There are many digestive enzymes to choose from. They can all help with acid reflux and heart burn. They can also help with the assimilation of all the supplements that you are currently taking, especially, if you need to increase your hemoglobin.
Yellow Dock: This is a bitter herb that helps increase the iron absorption. We may ask you to take this as a tincture to help increase your hemoglobin.
Dandelion: This is a bitter herb and a prebiotic, which are renowned for their ability to support detoxification, liver function, and blood sugar as well as nourish the good bacteria living in our digestive tract. It is used to help liver function and decrease swelling. We may ask you to take this as a tincture to help decrease swelling.
*If you have any questions about anything on this supplement schedule, please ask your midwife.
*NOTE: There are NO supplements that take the place of actual food. Always eat proper foods to maintain quality source of vitamins for you and your baby.
Disclaimer: As with every resource we may introduce, you are still responsible to do your own research and determine if the recommendation is appropriate for your needs.