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October 13, 2008 SEARCH drSpock 
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Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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Prenatal Vitamins and Weight Gain
QUESTION
Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I am taking prenatal vitamins and am not pregnant yet. But I wanted to know if the vitamins make you gain weight. I eat very healthy, but since taking the vitamins I have noticed an increase in my weight.

— Yvette

ANSWER
August 17, 2001
Dear Yvette,
Have you seen the March of Dimes advertisements that have been airing on television lately that show the stork sneaking up on women who didn't think they needed to start vitamins--and who then missed the opportunity to prevent certain birth defects? It is wonderful that you are thinking ahead and have started to take vitamins before conception! Your forethought may prevent serious problems for your family.

Weight gain is something that many women experience at different times of life and has many different causes. I don't know your situation enough to comment on why you might have put on some pounds, but the vitamins can't be the reason. Vitamins do not cause weight gain--they don't have any calories and they don't change appetite or metabolism. It must be something else in your life that is leading to the weight gain.

So I do recommend that you keep up with either the prenatal vitamins or at least a folate supplement and that you continue to take good care of yourself for the years to come.

— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.

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