During the first few months of pregnancy your baby is rapidly developing. Your body will need some additional nutrients to help facilitate this growth and development phase. Generally speaking, a healthy and balanced diet can provide you with most of the nutrients that you need, although there are a couple of exceptions to this (vitamin D and folate).

The table below (Table 1) summarises the most important vitamins to consume during pregnancy.  

Table 1: Important vitamins for pregnancy^1-3

The body needs small amounts of minerals which are responsible for the formation of your baby’s bones, body tissues and nerves. See the table below (Table 2) to find out which are the most important pregnancy minerals.

Table 2: Important Pregnancy Minerals^1-3

Eating a healthy and balanced diet will help you to get most of the vitamins and minerals that you need during pregnancy. However, the NHS recommends two supplements to take during pregnancy. Speak with your GP or midwife about the Healthy Start vitamin scheme as you might qualify for supplements free of charge⁴.

Folic acid plays a vital role in early pregnancy to prevent neural defects and may help reduce the risk of cleft palate². Women are encouraged to take a 400-microgram folic acid supplement daily when planning a pregnancy and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. If you did not take folic acid before becoming pregnant, try not to worry - start taking it as soon as you know you’re pregnant up until the end of your first trimester (1-3 months). 

If you have any of the following conditions, talk with you GP or midwife as you may need a higher dose of folic acid⁵:

• Diabetes
• Take anti-epilepsy medications
• Take antiretroviral medications for HIV
• You or the baby's biological father have a neural tube defect
• You or the baby's biological father have a family history of neural tube defects
• You have had a previous pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect

We get most of our Vitamin D from exposure to sunlight. Food sources contain some vitamin D too. During the autumn and winter months (October to April) it can be harder to meet our vitamin D requirements through sunlight alone. Pregnant women are advised to take a 10-microgram vitamin D supplement daily throughout pregnancy⁶. 

High intakes of vitamin A should be avoided during pregnancy as it can be harmful to your baby. Multivitamins containing vitamin A and cod liver oil supplements should be avoided during pregnancy⁷. 

Folic acid supplements should be taken daily for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy as this is when your baby’s nervous system develops. If you are worried that your diet might lack foods which are rich in folate (such as green leafy vegetables and whole grain cereal), or if you are struggling to eat well due to nausea, it might be helpful to take a folic acid supplement for the duration of your pregnancy¹.

Vitamin D supplements should be taken daily throughout pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding⁶. Speak with your GP or midwife for further information on this topic.

To share your stories or look for some friendly advice on pregnancy vitamins and supplements join the C&G baby club today.