Essential Supplements for a Healthy Pregnancy

Supplements can be an important part of your fertility care plan. Trying to choose which supplement (and at what dose) are right for you, really depends on your own situation. It’s important to get testing so that you can reach optimal levels during your fertility journey and into pregnancy. Let’s go through the common supplements to support an overall healthy pregnancy.

Prenatal Vitamin

Start taking a pre-natal vitamin 3 months before you hope to conceive. Prenatal’s should be paired with a healthy diet to ensure you’re getting sufficient nutrients to support a healthy pregnancy. During pregnancy, the fetus and placenta take nutrients from the parents blood, which means the recommended daily intake of certain nutrients for those pregnant or trying to conceive is higher than those non-pregnant.

A good prenatal will contain the nutrients and minerals listed below, as well B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, iodine, and vitamin A (at low doses).

In the first trimester, when nausea or vomiting are an issue—many prenatal supplements are often large, foul tasing, or difficult to swallow. A gummy form may be preference in this case. Or taking a pre-natal without iron in the first trimester can be helpful to ease the discomfort. Once nausea and discomfort subside in the second trimester, add back in iron supplementation.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is quite common in Canada due to our long, dark winters, and this can significantly impact fertility. Research has shown that vitamin D status has been associated with improved pregnancy outcomes, with a reduction in miscarraige rates, and an improvement in life birth rates. When a woman’s vitamin D levels were higher, particularly above 75 nmol/L, they experienced significantly less miscarriage rates. For every point increase above 75 nmol/L, there was approximately a 1% decrease in miscarriage rate.

It also plays a role in vaginal health, being involved in regulation and differentiation of the vaginal epithelium.

It’s always important to test and treat, versus taking high dose supplementation without knowing what your baseline vitamin D status is.

Folate

It’s important to start folate at least 5-6 months before conception and continue on until the end of early pregnancy. It takes time for folate to reach optimal red blood cell folate levels for reducing the risk of neural tube defects. Women often don’t take folic acid before becoming pregnant, and NTD’s can occur very early in pregnancy.

And what about different forms of folate, such as methyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF)? Most of the research on folic acid and even public health recommendation to reduce the risk of NTDs in offspring has been done on folic acid supplementation—not on methylated forms. Folic acid is more heat stable and less expensive than other forms, making it a more practical choice for widespread use in preventing birth defects and supporting reproductive health.

Iron

Iron supplementation is needed to make the extra blood you and your fetus will need during pregnancy. When pregnant, the requirement of iron goes up to 27 mg per day—this amount is often found in prenatal vitamins.

It’s important to test for possible anemia before conception and during pregnancy. Iron deficiency in pregnancy is often associated with increased risks of fetal and neonatal mortality, and low birth weight.

Choline

Choline is needed for fetus’ brain development, and can help prevent some common birth defects. In pregnancy, reaching 450mg of choline each day during pregnancy is recommended.

Getting choline in dietary sources is also helpful, as there is some research showing supplemental choline is not as bioavailable. Some food sources high in choline are chicken, beef, eggs, milk, soy products, and peanuts. Most prenatal vitamins will not have choline.

If you are ready to start conceiving or already pregnant, let’s work together.

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Disclaimer: this information is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized treatment recommendations.