Vitamin C babies, anyone?

[konyaga]

Has any mothers and mothers-to-be here supplemented with high doses of vitamin C in their pregnancy?

How did/has your pregnancy and/or labour go/been?

A couple of weeks ago I came across stories of vitamin C babies, reporting shorter labours, robust and alert babies, no/little tears and less stretch marks etc. then I discovered they were following Dr Frederick Klenner's study protocol from the mid-20th century. doctoryourself.com/VitCbabi...

(4 grams daily in the first trimester; 6 grams daily in the second trimester; 8 to 10 grams in the third trimester, vitaminc.co.nz/pdf/CLINICAL...

I started taking 3-4 grams last week. I'm feeling great so far: the extreme tiredness I had then is gone for the entire week. Last Saturday I was knackered after a visit to the farmer's market and spent the rest of weekend in bed. A week later, I'm buzzing and doing stuff. I'm 10 weeks+3.

NOTE: I'm not looking for reminders of NHS guidelines or quotes mainstream medical information portals; I am only after accounts of real firsthand experiences.

Thanks in advance!

[Seb9]

I had a look at one of the websites you quoted and to be honest it looks really dodgy. I wouldn't be taking advice from it, especially as he died back in the 80s and medical science has moved on a great deal since then. I would trust that as is not a specific recommendation from any healthcare provider then it's probably unlikely to be effective. Look at things like folic acid, there's strong evidence it prevents neural tube defects and it's advised to take it before and during pregnancy. If vitamin C truly worked everyone would be encouraged to take it.

There are real side effects from taking too much vitamin C, so you should probably talk to your midwife about whether the amounts you're taking are safe.

By asking only for first hand experience, you're discounting actual medical evidence for random people on the Internet who could just as easily be lying to you, please be careful about what you're told here as people aren't always acting in your best interest.

[konyaga in reply to Seb9]

Please be assured I had done extensive research prior to posting here on the pros and cons, and I haven't found counterevidence strong enough to discourage me. These websites show the original studies which is why I quoted them.

So what are those real side effects you have had yourself or seen in other people?

Mine is loose stool, to which then I cut back the dosage a little to hit the optimal.

And I would take 1-3 grams when having a common cold over the years, only benefited me so far, what's the harm do you believe of taking another couple to few.

I take Sarah Myhill MD's dietary advice, who also supports vitamin C, and Suzanne Hamphreys MD is a more recent practitioner.

If you think they are snake oil sellers, what are your qualifications?

Thanks

[Seb9 in reply to konyaga]

I think it's important to remember when people talk about research, it is not just reading articles and websites that already align with your viewpoint or that agree with what you believe or want to believe. It's especially important to question if something looks to good to be true, which no tears, and healthy babies! You would be crazy not to hope this worked! I think it's important to remember that research is done by highly skilled people in experiments and tests that have a specific methodology and can be replicated time and time again, they are also peer reviewed so that their reliability can be checked. These doctors websites are not research and they don't have any research available that I could see other than just their books and pills. I can't find research papers in their name. A lot of their work seems to be what they 'think' which doesn't really cut it for me. Especially if it means putting things into my body that could affect an unborn child.

What I really don't like is that these people are apparently doctors, so they do know what actual research looks like, but instead of using research they focus on exploitation.

You don't need or want my credentials but again, this is the Internet and I could tell you anything that I like about how qualified I am and you've no way to know if I'm telling the truth.

Do I think these are snake oil sellers? Yes I do, they're trying to sell you something, without any evidence it works, except for a few 'observations' that they claim they've had. They want you to purchase their tests, their books, and you've no comeback if what they're telling you isn't true. What if high amounts of vitamin C damages you or your baby? Can you sue them for malpractice? If you do tear or need a C-section, would your experience change their methods or do you think they would have no interest in your actual outcome?

[Eloquentia]

Hi! All the official NHS and other Government advice I have seen, i.e. NIH in the USA is not to take more than the recommended daily dose of vitamins while pregnant as it can be harmful to the foetus. So I'd be cautious in taking more and take any other advice with a pinch of salt, it does sound too good to be true...i.e. not sure how Vitamin C can help with babies crying, it is after all their only way to communicate when they are hungry, tired or in pain. Very best of luck whatever you decide to do!

[Xocrunchiexo]

I can't say I've taken as much as you've mentioned, though I think I take fairly high dose vitamin C generally.

I don't take supplements daily (just poorly compliant), though usually whilst trying and first trimester I'm pretty diligent due to the folate. I take 3 g daily of vit c whenever I take supplements (pregnant or not pregnant). Originally I only took that much when feeling the onset of viral illnesses, but then given its a water soluble vitamin, so if you take too much you just excrete it (so i figured, what's the harm other than loose bowels or abdo discomfort if taken too much), during the covid pandemic I just changed it to my standard practice. So throughout my pregnancies I've taken 3g daily vit c.

Personally, I don't think vitamin C is 'the answer ' as to why (though fully accept that I don't know what I don't know, and it could have contributed), and that it's extremely multifactorial - environmental and genetic - both my children have been very alert infants, from quite early on. My second (currently 2 months), is a very settled baby - though I think the biggest contributors to that are 1. I seriously focus on burping to ensure all the gas is up (in hindsight, that was why my first was sooo unsettled), and 2. I find the book "the aware baby", and so, on the occasions I've met all his "needs" and he's fussing/crying, I don't try to 'settle or soothe' him. I hold him, and stay there for him the whole time, because at the moment, his need is "to cry" because he's stressed, overstimulated, or something else etc. Once he's done his crying, he'll either sleep, or be as happy as Larry, chilled and content.

My first also has a beautiful temperament, and between some significant crying moments (which I believe that not following the above two points contributed the most towards), was chilled.

Good luck to you. I suspect your body wouldn't absorb 8-10g daily to be honest, and that you'd most likely poo that out, though could get abdo disturbance from it too. I personally see no harm in taking 3-4g daily, and do so regularly

Also, just incase anyone thinks to apply this to other things... fat soluble vitamins CAN build to toxic levels, as can other minerals, so that's important to remember, as some other things can cause significant harm. It's only cause vitamin C is water soluble that your body is able to just excrete it.

[Dreamer4life]

Hi there - I know you’re looking for first hand accounts and I can’t offer you that. I’m 12 weeks and am leery of supplements, so I’m choosing to focus on the foods that offer the right vitamins as we also absorb vitamins more effectively from foods over supplements. That’s just me though, however I did do a little research.

There are actually a lot of studies over time about this issue, it’s just none have shown high benefits. Important here, there is a controlled study that you may find interesting. It included almost 25,000 women and was a study on almost all existing studies on the matter from 17 different countries. They found some minor benefits but not enough to assign a vitamin C protocol. More importantly though, they didn’t find anything that would give rise to possible harm, though women did self report abdominal pain and diarrhea significant enough to note. Specifically their conclusion was “Taking vitamin C supplements during pregnancy does not help to prevent problems in pregnancy including stillbirth, the death of the baby, preterm birth, pre‐eclampsia or low birthweight babies.”

Notably, vitamin C does cross the placenta, so they do still recommend getting higher amounts in pregnancy as the baby does absorb the vitamin c. ALSO apparently Vit C helps with the absorption of iron and folate - both vitamins we know are essential in pregnancy

Anyways, I thought you’d be interested in the study in case it helps. Happy pregnancy ahead!

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...