Vitamins in pregnancy

When you’re pregnant, or there’s a chance you might get pregnant, you should take a folic acid supplement. This is to reduce the risk of problems occurring in your baby’s development. You are also advised to consider taking a vitamin D supplement between September and March.

Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in your body, which are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. Our bodies make vitamin D when our skin is exposed to summer sunlight (from late March/early April to the end of September).

You can get these from pharmacies, supermarkets, or your GP may be able to prescribe them for you. If you want to get your folic acid from a multivitamin tablet, you must ensure the tablet does not contain vitamin A.