What vitamins should I take before I get pregnant and when?

Hello ma'am,

Women planning a pregnancy are advised to start a prenatal multivitamin at least 3 months before conception to prevent deficiencies in the mother, especially in folic acid (also called "folates"). This kind of deficiency can have adverse consequences on the health of the future newborn (e.g., growth retardation, neural tube defects, disabilities, etc.). Furthermore, it can occur even with a rich and varied diet, hence the importance of a prenatal multivitamin before conception, throughout pregnancy and up to 4-6 weeks postpartum (or throughout breastfeeding, if applicable).

Many factors influence the right dose of folic acid needed in a multivitamin (e.g., your current health problems, medications you are taking, personal or family history of birth defects, etc.). To ensure that you have a prenatal multivitamin personalized to your personal characteristics, I invite you to consult your local pharmacist. He or she, following a free and complete evaluation, will prescribe the one that seems most optimal for you. It should contain minimally 0.4 mg of folic acid, iron and vitamin B12 (and be compatible with your other medications, if you are taking them).

If you want to maximize your intake of folic acid (and other essential vitamins/minerals during pregnancy) in addition to the prenatal multivitamin, I invite you to consult this very relevant website: https://naitreetgrandir.com/fr/grossesse/sante-bien-etre/vitamines-mineraux-durant-grossesse/.

I hope this information is helpful! Please feel free to contact us again with any other questions. 😊

Marc-Antoine Dufresne, pharmacy intern (Pharm.D), supervised by Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist.