Pregnancy & Conception Vitamins

The right amount of vitamin A is essential for your baby’s development, to make sure their vision and immune system are working as they should.

However, too much vitamin A can be very harmful to your baby.

Your body will store the excess amount of vitamin A in your liver, which creates a toxic effect and can cause birth defects or abnormalities in your baby.

You should be getting the right amount of vitamin A from your prenatal vitamins and your diet - do not take an additional vitamin A supplement while pregnant, and if you do, speak to your doctor immediately.

It’s not just women who should take vitamins when they’re trying to conceive, men can also reap the benefits of vitamins when it comes to improving sperm health.

Taking vitamin E and D may increase sperm mobility, while vitamin C may improve the quality of sperm.

Zinc supplements can help the sperm penetrate and fuse with the egg, in addition to boosting testosterone, sperm function, and sperm count.

Folic acid may be able to fix sperm abnormalities, resulting in a higher count of stronger, healthier sperm.

Folic acid is the manmade form of the B vitamin folate, sometimes referred to as vitamin B9 or folacin.

Folate is found in small amounts in lots of foods including broccoli, brussels sprouts, leafy green vegetables, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans and fortified breakfast cereals.

If you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, you should take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement every day until you’re 12 weeks pregnant.

If you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, the NHS recommends that you should take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement every day until you’re 12 weeks pregnant.

This is because folic acid helps to form the neural tube and low levels of the vitamin could lead to major birth defects of your baby’s brain.

It is best to start taking folic acid before you’re pregnant, as birth defects can occur within the first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy, so make sure you’re getting your daily dose whilst trying to conceive.