Prenatal Essentials MF Dr. Lynch product Q&AUpdated 3 hours ago
| Question | Answer |
| Hello I'm currently pregnant in my first trimester and take the optimal prenatal mf at the recommended dose of 6 caps a day. I noticed, now after a couple of week taking it, that a get headaches from it, I think. Is that a side effect from taking too much? How can I remedy this? | Hi Maria - You are correct. Use less. Consider:
You take more when you feel you need more healthy support for energy, mood and cognitive function and take less if you're feeling good in those areas already.* The key is understanding you do not have to take all 6 capsules daily -you take as many as you need on a daily basis - and that varies depending upon how hard you're working, how much stress you have or how you are eating and sleeping - all together. Have a great pregnancy! In health, |
| I have been taking prenatal MF since before i became pregnant with a 2 month break during the first trimester when i couldn't swallow pills. I get cold sores rarely maybe 1x a year or so. I have MTHFR. Since starting this vitamin i have gotten multiple. I am now 23 weeks pregnant. I'm on my 3rd one in the last month. During the 2 months where i stopped taking the vitamin i did not have one. With my 2 other pregnancies i hardly got cold sores (used different prenatals) I am wondering if Dr Ben knows of any link to the ingredients that would trigger this? Nothing else has changed in my diet. I have a few bottles of this vitamin(stocked up on a sale) and now i am scared to take them. Should i try to the regular version? | Hi Breanna - Thanks for reaching out. I reviewed each ingredient. If anything, this formulation should support your healthy immune system and not aggravate it.* A few things to consider:
In health, |
| Hello, I’m planning to get pregnant and I’m thinking to take this prenatal. My son had a Tongue tied and me too and it can be linked to MTHFR mutation. I have a history of hyperthyroidism that I got under control last year. This prenatal contains iodine. Is it safe for me to take it ? Or will it be too much for my thyroid and trigger my hyperthyroidism ? | Hi Anna - Congratulations on planning for another pregnancy. That's exciting :) The amount of iodine in the prenatal is not that high and is supportive for healthy thyroid function.* I do recommend you consider:
In health, |
| I’m curious, for the two different forms of Vitamin A in this product, what are the ratios of those? At 1500 mcg I wanted to check out how much of that is beta carotene. Also, I’m seeing a lot of recommendations for taking this one capsule at breakfast and one at lunch - what is the benefit of this? I’m currently taking it and trying to weigh the benefit of splitting it with the convenience (and consistency) of taking it all at once. Thank you! | Hi Deanne - Good questions. I typically keep my formulations under tight wrap as various companies are literally copying my formulations which is annoying as I want to share what I'm using and how much to our customers like yourself. The vitamin A ratio is 50:50. You are getting a safe amount of vitamin A. What these influencers on the internet fail to mention about vitamin A and pregnancy is how important it is for the developing baby - and mom. Vitamin A, as fat soluble vitamin A, supports healthy:*
The benefit of taking a split dose is you're getting more support throughout the day vs all at once in the morning. The split dose also is less stimulating as you're not getting all the folate and all the B12 at once so you're going to feel healthy energy and a healthy mood without the side effects of too much folate or B12 which contribute to headaches, irritability or anxiousness.* Some women prefer the two capsules in the morning especially if they are waking up feeling quite tired and low mood as this prenatal supports healthy energy and mood.* Other days, these same women wake up feeling quite good and just take 1 capsule. Evaluate how you're feeling - and take 1 to 2 based on that. We have a great free guide on Morning Sickness in case you need support here: Have a great pregnancy! :) In health, |
| Hi, I have the homozygous C677t mutation and I am currently taking this prenatal, last I checked on my labs before taking this my folate was 4.6 and my homocysteine was 9.8. Would it be beneficial to add a separate supplement of folinic acid in addition to this prenatal? I am TTC and recently had a miscarriage. Just want to be sure I am getting the correct amount and there is conflicting information on how much folinic acid you should take with having this mutation. I also have not tried the prenatal with methyl folate due to my high anxiety I was worried it would make it worse Thanks in advance! | Hi Brenda - Please read this Miscarriage Guide as it is quite helpful with lots of great information: Consider:
Your partner and you should both consider:
Your partner should consider:
In health, |
| Is there any reason a man shouldn't take this? I realize it's a prenatal! However, I am looking for more folinic acid, which this has. | Hi ACK - Great question. You may certainly use this. There's no reason why you could not. Watch out for headaches and irritability. You may want more folinic acid and you may need it initially for a week or two as you replenish a deficiency. Once the deficiency is supported, then taper down and consider switching to Optimal Man and take 2 capsules after a protein based breakfast 3-5 days a week. In health, |
| Are we able to open the prenatal capsules and sprinkle them in/on something? I only saw the chewable with methyl so I opted for the capsules. | Hi Lily - You may, yes. I recommend a bite of food like organic applesauce or just anything that you enjoy - and that's a bit sour. Have a great pregnancy! In health, |
| Hi Dr. Lynch, Thank you for your response. I wanted to reach back out because this evening I started experiencing side effects from the prenatal. My hips and knees are achy along with almost like growing pains down my legs, my teeth are being sensitive, I’m having a dizzy/woozy feeling, and just feeling off. I checked my blood pressure, though I don’t normally have any blood pressure issues, but I have from time to time over the last couple months since my thyroid started acting up again been in the elevated or hypertension stage 1, which tonight it’s saying the hypertension stage 1. After reading your article about folic acid and leading to the folate side effects article and high histamines, now I’m really wondering if I somehow have a histamine intolerance, as I’ve been experiencing kind of blurry watery eyes even inside and gets worse outside, clear runny nose at times but often and definitely if I go outside, pressure feeling in my neck and temples at times, shortness of breath at times, chest pains at times. I’ve been experiencing things that I’ve never experienced before and it’s been scary and has led me to the hospital twice, and doing a bunch of different labs that I’ve been thinking of with the help of my Dr to test for. So if I have a histamine intolerance that I don’t know of, wouldn’t ACV be a trigger for it? And are there any labs you can think of in regards to any of these symptoms I’ve been having? Again the labs I’ve done so far are coming back normal and or relatively normal, so I still have no answers to what I’m experiencing. I also recently had a carotid ultrasound because of the pressure feeling in my neck at times. Any insight or help you have again is great appreciated! Thank you again so much! | Hi Angie - I agree it sounds like a histamine response. ACV is a tricky one. It can help some and aggravate others. Are you taking the Prenatal Essentials MF? If so, consider taking a couple days off and not taking it at all. Then, consider taking 1 capsule with a protein based breakfast every other day. You may not need as many nutrients for various reasons - or you may be supplementing with something that is triggering - or your microbiome is high histamine - or your estrogen levels are high - or your mental stress is high - or all the above. Consider:
Morning sickness is associated with high histamine as well. In health, |
| Hi Dr. Lynch, I took the fish oil for the first time last night and right after swallowing it I had a slight burning feeling in my throat for the rest of the evening. I thought maybe it somehow scratched my throat or something going down being that it’s a bigger capsule. However today I just started the prenatal and after the first capsule with breakfast I felt that feeling again, and then again after the next capsule with lunch. What in the capsule can cause this? Am I able to open the capsules and put them in a small glass and mix and drink to see if it alleviates that feeling? It’s happening directly after I take them, and I’m still feeling the slight burning feeling hours later. Also after taking the fish oil yesterday evening, I had a half scoop of the electrolytes in about 12 oz of water and sipped on it for about 45 minutes to an hour until it was gone. Shortly after I finished it I became very tired and started falling asleep, so I went to bed a little over an hour later. Then this morning my stool was softer and a borderline feeling of going into diarrhea. After having lunch and taking the second prenatal capsule I went for a walk and my belly started to hurt, and then I had diarrhea. What would cause this? I have been taking fish oil for a long time and I’ve never experienced diarrhea from them, or any digestive or stomach upset. This electrolyte is new to me, so not sure if that caused it. I’m currently breastfeeding and I am trying to switch from a folic acid and cyanocobalamin vitamin strip. I’m also looking to gently detox without anything going into my breastmilk, as I’ve become very sensitive to different supplements that are new to me and other things and it’s becoming an issue that I want to resolve. I also have hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s, my Free T3 and Free T4 are within normal range, my TSH is slightly elevated, and elevated antibodies. My lipids lab came back as slightly high at 105, and says it should be less than 100. My other labs have come back within normal range, however the Dr I see says that from a more natural minded Dr he’d like to see some of them lower and or higher. I eat organic, healthy, as much whole foods unprocessed as possible, I drink a good amount of water throughout the day, I don’t drink, smoke, drink or eat junk food, and I next to never eat out. I’m active around the house doing things throughout the day, but definitely need to work on getting out for walks more, which I’ve been trying to incorporate now, along with adding green smoothies and I’m going to start juicing too. My B6 and B12 were high, which is a big reason I stopped the pre/postnatal vitamin strip, as I panicked. I took 6 days off taking nothing, except fish oil after day 4 of no supplements due to feeling achy cracking joints and my toddlers eczema seeming to flare up. Then yesterday evening I started this fish oil and half scoop electrolyte, and today this prenatal. I’m at a loss because I’m trying to do everything I can to be healthy, and yet I don’t look it or feel healthy. I have been under chronic stress with some life issues that are very trying, so I know I need to reign in my stress level too. I also get and have bad anxiety, to the point that it makes me not know what’s what, if it’s something really going on with me or is it the anxiety or both. So any recommendations you have would be so greatly appreciated, as to what I can take to gently detox while breastfeeding and to help heal my thyroid and manage this stress and anxiety. Also another thing I wanted to ask about is going gluten and dairy free. I only consume organic grass fed low vat pasteurized milk and yogurt. For cheese and butter they are organic and grass fed, but are normal pasteurized. If I eat bread I eat organic sour dough. I use einkorn flour for baking and cooking, and einkorn flour noodles or brown rice noodles. When I eat these I don’t ever feel my thyroid feeling agitated as I do feel by eating some regular organic flour in things such as tortillas. What are your thoughts on low vat pasteurized dairy, and ancient grains such as einkorn flour that is easier to digest and very low gluten content, along with organic sour dough? Thank you so much! | Hi Angie - I suspect your digestion and anxiety are contributing to your sensitivity. Your gallbladder may be sluggish and your stomach acid and digestive enzymes lower than they should be. Consider:
Hold off on the prenatal vitamins and the fish oil for a week or so. I believe your milk and ancient grains are ok - I just think you need more digestive support as the stress in your life is hurting your digestion. In health, |
| I just purchased this prenatal, however I’m wondering about the K2MK7 in this formula. I previously tried a liquid form K2MK7 derived from natto (fermented soybeans), after taking it for some days my thyroid became irritated and I had to stop taking it. Will the K2MK7 in the prenatal cause the same issue even if there’s no soy protein left in the formula? Also are all the supplements free of GMOs? | Hi Angie - This supplement is free of GMO's yes. I have not heard of any woman stating this formulation caused issues with her thyroid. Consider taking 1 capsule with a protein based breakfast and 1 capsule with a protein based lunch. On each product page, we state if the product is GMO free or not. We do not allow GMO ingredients in our products. It has been an ongoing quality point for us for years. In health, |
| Hi Dr. Lynch, I am 11 weeks pregnant with my 4th and I am trying to decide what prenatal is best for me considering two big things...my 2nd child is on the autism spectrum and I just found out that I have one copy each of the C677T and A1298C alleles. My main goal is to do everything I can to prevent autism in this baby. I have been taking garden of life prenatal for years and just learned about the heavy metal lawsuit. I saw your prenatals recommended on an autism non-profit website. Based on the nutrient levels, I think the MF essentials would be best for me ( I want to keep selenium lower) but what would you recommend? I have already ordered a choline supplement and am going to get iron and calcium. I am also going to get my midwife to order me B12, folate, vit D, and homocysteine blood work. Thank you so much for your help. I have been researching all of this for days and can't figure out what is best. | Hi Mandy - I'm answering some of the questions we are receiving :). Congratulations on your pregnancy! And well done for putting energy into the health of your baby. If you want to keep selenium low, I would suggest:
It gives you important methylated nutrients for MTHFR and pregnancy though.* I'm not sure what type of choline supplement you ordered. My typical recommendation during pregnancy is:
Phosphatidylcholine (PC) demands increase a lot during pregnancy and is important for baby's development. You may also want to consider an omega-3 supplement such as Fish Oil. These are my go-to pregnancy suggestions. Seeking Health does have a Prenatal Essentials Support Bundle that includes many of these. It may be more cost-effective for you. Definitely get the bloodwork done. When it comes to autism, consider that there may be other factors involved as well that may include the gut health of the mother. Autism is such a multifactorial condition. Consider working with a healthcare practitioner, especially if you have health concerns. All the best :) Elizma Lambert (ElizmaLambert.com) |
| Hi there, I have started taking the prenatal essentials MF as regular b vitamins with methyl give me bad reactions. I have noticed the essentials MF still give me quite bad reactions. I get anxious, headaches, and cold/numb feeling about an hour after taking them. Is it possible there is another ingredient in them that can cause these reactions? Many thanks for your help | Hi Katherine - It's typically the folate and B12 doing this for people. These side effects are typically indicative of high histamine or higher nitric oxide or peroxynitrite levels. Consider:
In health, |
| Hi Dr Lynch, I’m taking your optimal prenatal capsules(8 a day), probiota histaminx and ordered electrolytes like you recommended. I’m 27 weeks pregnant tomorrow, I had a cerclage done at week 23 cause I had early contraction and pressure in lower abdomen.. I’m on bed rest till the end of pregnancy.. 2 days ago again I had stronger contractions but thankfully they stopped after in a hospital they gave me an injection of ketoprofen, for some reason that helps always to calm it.. They put me on ctg and no labor contractions were spotted, so we guess it’s Braxton hicks which most of the time are painless and happen around my navel, and really they are in lower abdomen and l feel pain(not unbearable but it’s there and the the injection of ketoprofen helps).. do you have any advise how to reduce Braxton hicks? I’m trying to drink a lot of water cause im reading dehydration could be the cause. Also, I see you don’t have optimal prenatal on your website any more? I have a stock of them for a year, but just checking if it’s coming back in stock. Also since im ordering from Europe and need to pay custom every time, is there a way you could do like some websites are doing to put the products at higher price for Europe but the custom to be included? Cause I see then it’s more affordable then to pay customs separately when the products arrive..One European website has your products and I often order from them but they do not always have things in stock that you have on your website.. | Hi Helena - I'm stepping in for Dr. Lynch to help answer the influx of questions we're receiving. Congratulations on your pregnancy :). It should be 30 weeks now I believe. I'll only be able to answer the first part of your question unfortunately as I'm not privy to the ins-and outs of stock control and sales. Based on your positive reaction to ketoprofen I would suggest taking Histamine Digest 1 capsule 3x per day. Histamine stimulates prostaglandin release in the uterus which can stimulate contractions.* This is the normal process during labor, but of course, we don't want this to happen too early. All the best! Regards, |
| Hi. If I take a methylated multivitamin, I end up with a headache and/or anxiety. I'm taking the prenatal essentials MF, but I'm nearing the end of the bottle so I'm at the point of debating to order it again. I have no energy. I could take that vitamin and go to bed for the night. I'm wondering if I need an iron, or a low dose of methylated b vitamins? Or b minus? I realize I could try this and that and see what works best, but I thought I would ask in case you had any experience with this situation. | Hi Cassie - I hear you. I definitely would continue with the MF version. You may want to switch to Optimal Prenatal MF for additional support. Also consider:
Keep me posted on how you feel with these. I'm confident you'll feel better. Congratulations on your pregnancy! In health, |
| Hello! I just started this prenatal because I have been recently sensitive to methylated B vitamins - fast heart rate and anxiousness. My homocysteine levels are at 8. Would MF be a good option? | Hi Courtney - Yes, I agree with you on your choice. Consider:
Homocysteine of 8 umol/L is great - well done :) In health, |
| Hello Dr. Ben Lynch, I am currently taking the Prenatal Essentials multivitamin daily following the pulse method. I feel good, with healthy energy, and a happy mood. Not pregnant but supporting fertility health. In 2014, my ND at the time tested me for MTHFR DNA analysis. Results were: One Copy of C677T and One Copy of A1298C. He had me on Deplin and i didn't feel like it helped at all. I was already gluten-free/wheat free years prior. - just wondering, if i would benefit from the Methly-Free version multivitamins? (Methylcobalamin vs. Hydroxocobalamin) Thank you, i am very grateful of your explanations, & generous suggestions. Blessings! | Hi M - I'm glad you are doing well with the Prenatal Essentials. If you are doing well, then continue as is. Deplin is very powerful and way over prescribed. The Prenatal Essentials MF would be for you IF you weren't doing well with the Prenatal Essentials. You would know it if you weren't by experiencing headaches, irritability, difficulty sleeping or joint pains to name a few common side effects from sensitivity to methylfolate. If you feel great, then you need the methylfolate so this means continue as you are :) If getting pregnant the traditional route, I highly recommend having your partner support with Optimal Man. He would take 2 capsules with breakfast and if needed, another 2 capsules with lunch. Some days he will feel great at lunch so he'd skip it and other days he may feel tired and need 1-2 then. In health, |
| Hi there! Is this multivitamin appropriate for a woman with histamine intolerance? I have genes for low dao production. | Hi Jessica - Yes, this would work well. I'd also consider ProBiota HistaminX after dinner to support a healthy microbiome along with Histamine Digest and take with meals to support a healthy DAO enzyme and histamine levels.* In health, |
I love that these prenatals are MF! It look me forever to find the right prenatal because I am very sensitive to methylated B vitamins- anxiety, rapid heartbeat, depression. I have zero side effects with these, I'm so thankful! However, I did notice that they do not have choline. Should I be taking a separate choline vitamin in addition? | Hi Rachel - Awesome :) Correct about the no choline and great catch. I've been wondering about that but technically choline is a methyl donor so I cannot name Prenatal Essentials MF accurately if I have choline in it. What I do recommend is using Optimal PC in addition to Prenatal Essentials MF. This way you are getting the finished product of what choline makes without being exposed to a methyl donor - a great benefit ;) Take 1 capsule of Optimal PC any time of day or night. Since it is a fat, it's best taken with some food. In health, |
Hi Dr. Lynch, I'm looking forward to switching to this multi at your suggestion, as the Optimal Prenatal MF was giving me rapid heartbeat and flutters (thank you!). I'm wondering if there is anything I can look out for that would point to needing more methylation support down the road? In the past I've always done well with methylated vitamins, but liked the idea of the MF version encouraging the body to methylate on its own. All of the articles talk about methyl sensitivity, but what can I look for to make sure the MF version is where I need to be vs. needing more methylation support? Thank you as always!! | Hi Kayla - Low mood and low energy are big indicators of possibly needing more methylation support. Doing a fasted homocysteine blood test is the best thing to measure. You want your homocysteine to be around 7 umol/L to 8 umol/L. I'd also add in the Optimal PC for your pregnancy - and while you're breastfeeding, too. Very awesome to support healthy breast milk flow and healthy brain development of your little one.* Keep in mind that Optimal PC may cause low mood in people who are low in serotonin. So if you are taking Optimal PC and start feeling a low mood, then I'd stop it for a bit. You cannot supplement with 5-HTP or Serotonin Nutrients while pregnant but you can while breastfeeding. Keep me posted how you are doing ;) In health, |
I know from genetic testing that I have the genetic mutation that requires me to take methylated nutrients. I am glad to have read on your website that this would still be ok for me to take in this situation. However I have another question: what about choline for example? I know you left this out because you mentioned that this can also make some sensitive individuals uncomfortable. However choline is absolutely essential for brain growth development, so what do you suggest to do in this situation? | Hi Kiara - Great question and awareness. In this case, I highly recommend Optimal PC. The PC is what choline makes and is essential to healthy brain development, breast milk flow, your gallbladder support while pregnant and countless other benefits. Take 1 capsule any time of day with food. Optimal PC is well-tolerated by even those who are methyl-sensitive. In health, |
Dear Dr Lynch, I’m MTHFR 677T heterozygous and PAI-1 homozygous 4G4G. I had one miscarriage a few years ago (8weeks), and finally pregnant again🙏 I’m 12 weeks and 1 days today. At the moment I’m taking your seeking health OPTIMAL PRENATAL CAPSULES(8 a day). What else should I take during pregnancy? Do I need to take baby aspirin cause of my MTHFR? Can I take it with SEEKING HELATH PRENATAL?(since it has Vitamin E?) Also when should I start taking fish oil ? You are out of stock for a while now, when will you have it again? Also I see now your optimal prenatal are gone from website, why? I still have about 4 boxes left, but will you have it again? I see only you have the MF version available. | Hi Hannah - Congratulations :) I would start by reading this: It may be necessary, and likely is, to be put on Lovenox. Talk with your doctor about this right away please. I'd also get on Optimal PC and ProBiota HistaminX. Take both after dinner. We still have Optimal Prenatal and also the Optimal Prenatal with Collagen. If you're experiencing intermittent nausea and vomiting, use Histamine Digest to support a healthy histamine level. High histamine is associated with nausea and vomiting. In health, |
Hi! I was just wondering if there was an estimated date when this product would be back in stock? Thank you! | Hi Miranda - Please ask my team. I am guessing end of May but I am not sure. Thank you for your patience. There are delays in some raw materials. In health, |