Halsey says prenatal vitamins made them so sick they ‘felt like a failure’

Prenatal vitamins are such an integral part of being pregnant, that many people begin taking them before they even get pregnant. Prenatals are one of the first things your doctor gives you during your pregnancy, and you’re supposed to take them every day—and continue taking them even after the baby is born if you’re breastfeeding. But just because they’re “good” for you doesn’t mean they make everyone feel good when taking them—something singer Halsey understands better than most.

The 26-year-old pregnant “Graveyard” singer (who uses she/they pronouns) is opening up about their pregnancy in a new interview with Allure. They say they became really sick early on in the pregnancy and says prenatal vitamins played a huge role in their sickness. They eventually had to stop taking them altogether in order to actually maintain their health.

They say they expect lots of criticism about the choice to stop taking them, but also express that they basically had to.

“I didn’t take my prenatals,” Halsey says in the interview. “I took them the first two months, and then the vomiting got really bad and I had to make a choice between taking my prenatals and throwing up or maintaining the nutrients I did manage to eat that day.”

Prenatal vitamins are nutritional supplements that help make up for some of the nutrients we may lack in our everyday diets. Prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid are popular among pregnant people and doctors because folic acid can prevent birth defects that affect the baby’s brain and spinal cord. Eating a varied, nutrient-dense diet while pregnant is universally recommended, especially if you’re having trouble with your own prenatal vitamins.

Halsey says the prenatal vitamins made them so sick, they were actually losing those precious nutrients that pregnant people need.

“I was on so many medications … and all these anti-nausea, anti-vomiting medications,” they explained. “I went to my doctor, crying my eyes out, and I was like, ‘I haven’t taken my prenatals in six weeks. Is my baby okay?’ I was so angry with myself.”

Halsey is dedicated to normalizing the ups and downs of pregnancy and postpartum life, as evidenced by their latest album cover artwork. It’s wonderful to see a public figure using their platform this way.

They said they had a hard time accepting that prenatal vitamins weren’t working for them, and that they “felt like such a failure” for not being able to take them.

I remember I had to take prenatals at night on a full stomach because when I took them in the morning, I also felt nauseous and sometimes threw up. The point is, we all have to find what works for us and what doesn’t, and sometimes that means making hard choices. We love Halsey for sharing this very relatable pain point of pregnancy—they’re certainly not alone!