Pregnancy and Conception

This collection covers what people take from the moment they start trying for a baby, through pregnancy and into breastfeeding. UK guidance is short at its core: 400 micrograms of folic acid a day from the moment you start trying, kept up through the first 12 weeks, and 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Everything else, iron, iodine, DHA or a full prenatal formula, depends on your diet and your stage.

Folate contributes to the growth of maternal tissue during pregnancy. That is why it sits in nearly every product here, and you will find it both inside complete formulas and as separate folic acid and folate options. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. A pregnancy multivitamin is convenient, but it is a choice, not an obligation: two single supplements can cover the official advice for less.

Forms and doses differ more than the front of the pack suggests

Two products can both say "pregnancy" and still be very different inside. This is where we spend most of our attention.

• Folic acid: the synthetic form named in UK public health advice, at 400 mcg. The dose to check first.
• Methylfolate: folate in its already-active form, so the body does not need to convert it. Some people prefer it, though official advice still names folic acid.
• Vitamin D3 in an oil base: D3 is fat soluble, so drops and softgels in oil are absorbed better than a dry tablet taken without food.
• Iron bisglycinate: iron bound to an amino acid, usually gentler on the stomach than iron sulphate. Iron contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Fish body oil or algae oil for DHA, never fish liver oil, because liver oils are high in vitamin A.

How we decide what belongs in this collection

We judge every product on three things: the form, the dose and whether the combination makes sense at this stage. So folate at a meaningful 400 mcg, not a token amount. Vitamin D3 in oil rather than a dry tablet. Omega-3 from fish body oil or algae, and no retinol in a pregnancy formula. We buy directly from the brands, with no middlemen, so what arrives is authentic. Every product passes our compliance team before it goes live, we test products ourselves, and independent labs spot-check batches. Read how we select brands and products.

Who this collection is for

Women who are trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding will find the core nutrients here, plus the extras people add later on: omega-3 with EPA and DHA, iodine and magnesium. Partners are part of this too. Zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction, and selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis, which is why men's formulas in this range are built around those two minerals.

Be realistic about timing. Folate levels in the blood take several weeks to build, which is why the advice is to start about three months before trying rather than after a positive test. Supplements fill gaps in a diet; they do not replace one. One more fixed rule: avoid supplements and multivitamins with vitamin A as retinol during pregnancy, and skip fish liver oil. If you are unsure about a product alongside prescribed medication, ask your GP, midwife or pharmacist first. This page sits under our BEAUTY + BALANCE pillar, where hormones and self-care belong.