Pregnant and gag with every vitamin? Tricks to conquer the pill!
You know how I knew I was pregnant the first time around? Because I couldn’t swallow a pill. Never in my life had I suffered from such a debilitating gag reflex as when I was trying to force myself to down my vitamins.
It was like mind games because it was the one time in my life I needed more vitamins, nutrients, and minerals than ever before, but a teeny tiny capsule was keeping me from better nourishing myself and my baby.
Babies need calcium, moms need vitamin D, especially because it’s not prevalent in food, and both mom and baby need a LOT of nutrients so they both stay healthy.
So instead of letting a little pill ruin my day, I learned how to take my vitamins without gagging and utilize a few tricks along the way!
Ideas for learning how to take vitamins without gagging
First and foremost, my philosophy is to think outside the box! Or shall I say pill?
Not everything has to be about conquering the problem, but instead finding a solution and way around it.
Use chewable vitamins!
It’s one of the easiest ways to get around having to swallow such a big pill that you dread waking up each morning or going to bed each night. (Though, during pregnancy, I couldn’t wait to crawl in bed to get my needed rest!)
Read more: How posture and sleep influence pregnancy outcomes.
Utilize a thick straw.
I can hear you asking now...”What’s this nonsense you speak of?”
But really, if you can find straws for the prenatal vitamins (or medications) you need to take while pregnant, it can be the solution to a bad gag reflex.
Simply balance the pill on top of the straw and wrap your lips around the straw and suck in. This places the pill within the stream of water and it goes down without you noticing!
Make a vitamin smoothie
Another awesome trick is to simply blend in those nutrients into a tasty morning smoothie. From folic acid to magnesium, to iodine, there are lots of nutrients needed while pregnant. And making a smoothie with your prenatal vitamins in addition to using calcium chews is a great way to ensure you’re getting all the nutrition you need!
One of my favorite things to do while pregnant was to make a veggie smoothie in the morning and a fruit smoothie later in the day.
I could cram tomato juice, lots of folic acid from fresh spinach, and even add some brewer’s yeast into a blender each morning. I would bust open any of my other vitamins that were capsule form and blend any solid vitamins into the smoothies (fruit or veggie).
It was reassuring to know I was feeding my baby and body healthy foods while also making sure to stay on top of taking my vitamins without having to swallow a pill!
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Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 6 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!
