Fertility vitamins
You might know about the importance of taking nutritional supplements when you’re pregnant. But should you take vitamin and mineral supplements before pregnancy?
Following a healthy diet and lifestyle lays the foundation for a healthy pregnancy, and reduces the risk of diseases and birth defects. But it’s not just once you get pregnant that it is important—the period before getting pregnant is also vital.
If you’re thinking of having a baby, it’s worth treating at least the 3 months before getting pregnant as the ideal time to get your health in the best possible place. Taking fertility vitamins and minerals before pregnancy can:
- Support your fertility while you’re trying to conceive
- Get your body baby-ready to meet the nutritional requirements once you do get pregnant
- Address any potential nutrient gaps ahead of time.
Pre-pregnancy supplements: key nutrients to look for
To find good pre-pregnancy supplements, all you have to do is find a balanced prenatal multivitamin and mineral supplement containing micronutrients that support preconception as well as pregnancy.
The key micronutrients to look out for are: Folic acid, iron, iodine, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin A and eventually DHA – an omega-3 fatty acid you may want to include as part of your preconception supplementation, especially if you don’t eat much or any oily fish, where it is naturally found.
Closing potential nutrient gaps
Many women of child-bearing age have deficiencies of some of the key minerals and vitamins for pregnancy—for example, 30% worldwide have anemia and a lack of iron is the most common reason. And as the body’s needs for these nutrients increases with pregnancy, these deficiencies can become worse once they do get pregnant. So trying to close nutrient gaps before conception is one of the best steps you can take now for both you and your future baby.
