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They really only say to avoid liver and that's it, it has a high vitamin A content. But most people don't eat liver so I wouldn't worry about it.
My midwife gave me her "ultimate list" of what foods to avoid and she said don't listen to anyone else and their tall tales haha.
So just liver, don't worry about carrots or anything like that :)
I havent been told anything about avoiding Vitamin A and dont know any other pregnant person that is avoiding it either.
@miss-spunkin: Nice. Okay, I want to see her list :) Thanks for clarifying.
@bells: Huh, I guess it is something I always knew for some reason, but it seems like supplements (sythetic) and animal sources -like spunkin said with liver- that are suposed to be avoided.
So I hope it is fine to eat lots of fruits and veggies with Vitamin A, sounds like it is, because that is what I live on. Thank you responders!
From what I've read, Vitamin A when it comes from beta-carotene is perfectly fine (which is what Vit A in fruits and veggies would be). It is the synthetic Vit A that you find in many vitamin tablets that you need to monitor. Prenatals should have the appropriate amonut of Vit A and most (or at least a significant chunk) should come from beta-carotene so you should be fine.
The other thing I've read/heard many times is that it is virtually impossible to overdose on vitamins through eating too many fruits/veggies, even with a vitamin supplement. The only way you're really going to poison yourself or your baby is if you take too much of a supplement...or eat liver.
From what I've read, naturally occuring Vitamin A, and beta-carotene, is fine. It's synthetic vitamin A that's bad.
Food for thought: In many traditional cutlures, organ meats are part of the diet that moms-to-be are given.
Edit to add: I don't think anyone in modern society will eat enough liver to cause problems, even if they are taking prenatal vitamins too.
Most of the concern surrounding vitamin A and pregnancy comes from the use of retinol (vitamin a) topical creams. for example, the acne drug accutane, which is derived from vitamin a, is known to cause very serious birth defects and is absolutely not ok to use during pregnancy. part of the theory is that by using these topical creams, your body would be absorbing very large doses of vitamin a through the skin which can be potentially harmful in very large doses. read the information below.
Read this website: http://teratology.org/pubs/vitamina.htm
and also read below:
"Taking too much vitamin A when you are pregnant can cause serious birth defects. Because all prenatal vitamins contain some vitamin A, you shouldn' t take a separate vitamin A supplement.
Synthetic vitamin A can cause birth defects. Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant shouldn' t take this form if vitamin A.
Too much vitamin A is toxic and can cause liver failure, even death. Symptoms of vitamin A toxicity include lasting headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, dry skin and lips, dry or irritated eyes, nausea or diarrhea, and hair loss. Vitamin A from foods is considered safe, but you can get too much from supplements. For adults 19 and older, the tolerable upper limit for vitamin A is 10,000 IU per day. Talk to your doctor before taking any dose close to that amount.
Vitamin A is found in many different types of vitamin formulas. Supplements that say "wellness formula," "immune system formula," "cold formula," "eye health formula," "healthy skin formula," or "acne formula," all tend to contain vitamin A. If you take a variety of different formulas, you could be at risk for too much vitamin A.
If you take large doses of vitamin A, you may want to avoid the food carob. It increases the amount of vitamin A available in your body."*
*http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-a-000331.htm
@gemenichic: true. Just wanted to clarify that Accutane is not a topical cream, it is an oral drug. I know because I was on it as a teen. I hadn't even kissed a boy yet, but they made me take a pregnancy test every month along with other blood work and kept telling me about how you absolutely cannot get pregnant on Accutane because it will cause major birth defects.
And my personal opinion is that with a mutlivitamin (or prenatal for us) and eating regular food, you will never get too much of something and be harmed.
Here's a blog post about Vitamin A I found: http://www.pregnantchicken.com/vitamin-a/
@gemenichic: Thanks for that. Good reminder- anything we put on our skin- something like 70% is absorbed. I definitely want to use olive oil and natural things... thank you for reminding me about retinol. Really common these days! Good to know- it sounds like supplements and retinol creams and strange foods (like liver with tons of vitamin A) are what to watch out for. Not so much my sweet potatoes. Good, because I love sweet potatoes.
@cvbee: No kidding. I have seen the commercials that are like "Did you take Accutane while pregnant, call out law firm!" Sounds really serious, thanks for letting us know.
@pinkpaperbride: Cool, I will check this out, thank you. :)
@cbee:It's just OVERDOSE of Vitamin A. The synth vit A is in high doses in those meds listed about.
But also, avoid liver, because when the animal is alive, it filters out Vit A, so you can get Vit A poisoning from a big enough animal's liver even if you're not pregnant!
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Bees that are pregnant, those that have been, or are planning to be:
I am wondering about vitamin A being linked to birth defects. My question is, specifically, should I worry about all of the beta-carotene I eat every day with fresh fruits and veggies? I guess I am a little confused. Is it just synthetic vitamin A I should avoid? Fruits and veggies = good, right?
Do you even worry about this? (I know I need to ask my doctor, I am just doing some preliminary research).