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Trying to conceive: what to take before pregnancy
The short answer
If you are trying to conceive, the two to start now are folic acid and vitamin D. Take 400 micrograms of folic acid a day and 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day, before you are pregnant, because folic acid does its most important work in the first weeks, often before you would know. Beyond that, a varied diet and the usual sensible steps matter more than any single supplement.
- Start 400 µg folic acid and 10 µg vitamin D before you conceive.
- Folic acid matters earliest, often before a pregnancy is confirmed.
- A varied diet does most of the work.
- See your GP if you have been trying for a while without success.
What to start before you conceive
The clearest, best-supported step is folic acid, 400 micrograms a day, started as soon as you begin trying, well before you find out. At that intake, taken from at least a month before conception, folic acid raises maternal folate status, and low maternal folate status is a risk factor in the development of neural tube defects in the developing foetus. Alongside it, vitamin D, 10 micrograms a day, since the UK gets little sun for much of the year. Those two are the NHS pre-conception basics, and they are the same two that continue into early pregnancy, so starting now puts you ahead.
Why start folic acid early
The neural tube forms in the first few weeks, frequently before a pregnancy is confirmed. That timing is why the advice is to start before conception. If your period is a little late and you might be pregnant, there is no harm in already having taken it for a few weeks.
Diet and the everyday basics
No supplement replaces the basics, which do most of the work here. A varied diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains, keeping alcohol down, not smoking, and looking after your general health all count for more than any pill. Think of folic acid and vitamin D as two specific additions on top of an otherwise sensible routine.
When to see your GP
If you have been trying for a while without success, that is a conversation to have with your GP. There is no supplement that improves your chances of conceiving, and any product that suggests otherwise is overpromising. In short: start the two basics, look after your general health, and see your GP if you have questions or if it is taking longer than you expected.
Your pre-conception routine
If you would like the two basics in one place, our prenatal covers folic acid, as an active folate, and vitamin D, alongside the other nutrients that become useful once you are pregnant, so you can carry straight on. You can also take a simple folic acid and vitamin D on their own.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What should I take when trying to conceive?
Folic acid (400 µg) and vitamin D (10 µg) a day, started before you conceive.
When should I start folic acid?
When you start trying, not when you find out, because it matters most in the first few weeks.
Do supplements help you get pregnant?
No supplement improves your chances of conceiving. Folic acid and vitamin D are about a healthy early pregnancy, not conception itself. See your GP if you have been trying a while.
What should my partner take?
A generally healthy diet is the main thing. There is no supplement proven to be a shortcut.
Keep reading
Related guides
Read the guide →Folate and folic acid in pregnancy: how much, and which formHow much folic acid to take in pregnancy, when to start and stop, and the honest evidence on folate, folic acid and methylfolate.
Read the guide →Iron in pregnancy: do you need it, and which formWhen iron is actually needed in pregnancy, the gentler bisglycinate form, and how to take it so it absorbs, without the stomach upset.
Read the guide →
The NATURELO nutrition team
Reviewed by Milan Shah, Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition, T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies (eCornell).
This guide is general information, not a substitute for advice from your GP, midwife or pharmacist.
