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Your Pre-Pregnancy Nutrition Guide: How Prenatal Vitamins Can Support You

Your Pre-Pregnancy Nutrition Guide: How Prenatal Vitamins Can Support You

by Jacinta Horan in Wellness Blog

TL;DR

  • Preparing for pregnancy involves nutrition, lifestyle, and mindset support
  • Start prenatal vitamins around three months before trying to conceive
  • Focus on whole foods, gentle movement and stress balance
  • Prenatal vitamins may help support preconception and early pregnancy health
  • Key nutrients include folate, iron, iodine, vitamin D and choline
  • Continue taking prenatals throughout pregnancy and into the postnatal period if advised

What does “pre-pregnancy health” mean?

Pre-pregnancy health refers to caring for your body before conception - through nutrition, lifestyle and medical check-ins. This stage helps prepare your body for pregnancy and supports your overall wellbeing before, during and after conception.

Health.gov.au notes that preconception care can include:

  • Medical and dental checkups
  • Nutritional review
  • Vaccination updates
  • Lifestyle adjustments like sleep, diet and movement

Learn more about Vitable's Prenatal Vitamins

When should I start preparing for pregnancy?

Many health professionals suggest beginning pre-pregnancy preparation around three to six months before trying to conceive. This allows time to optimise nutrition, adjust lifestyle habits, and begin a prenatal supplement routine.

You may choose to:

  • Schedule a preconception checkup with your GP 
  • Review medications and vaccinations
  • Focus on balanced meals rich in whole foods
  • Reduce alcohol, caffeine and nicotine
  • Begin gentle exercise for energy and stress relief

How to prepare your body for pregnancy

1. Book a pre-conception appointment

Your doctor may review your:

  • Medical and family history
  • Blood tests (iron, thyroid, vitamin D)
  • Cervical screening and dental health

This helps ensure your nutrient and hormone levels are in a healthy range before conception.

2. Focus on nutrition

A whole-food diet helps supply the building blocks for a healthy pregnancy.
Try to include:

  • Antioxidant-rich foods: leafy greens, berries, legumes, nuts and seeds
  • Complex carbohydrates: brown rice, quinoa, oats, wholegrain bread and pasta
  • Healthy fats: olive, avocado, tahini 
  • Plant and animal proteins: eggs, tofu, lentils, beans, lean meats

Prenatal vitamins may help fill nutritional gaps, but they don’t replace a balanced diet.

3. Manage stress gently

Stress can influence hormonal balance and sleep - both important for fertility and wellbeing. Consider:

  • Yoga or walking for calm movement
  • Meditation or breathwork to centre the mind
  • Creative hobbies to switch off and recharge

If you’re finding stress hard to manage, speak with your GP or a mental health professional.

4. Understand your cycle

Knowing when you ovulate helps improve timing for conception. Cycle-tracking apps such as Flo or Clue can estimate your most fertile days - typically the two to three days before ovulation.

What are prenatal vitamins and why are they important?

Prenatal vitamins are supplements formulated to support nutritional needs before and during pregnancy.

They typically include key nutrients that:

  • Support maternal health
  • Help prepare the body for pregnancy
  • Maintain healthy foetal development

They are not a replacement for food, but may complement a balanced diet.

Key nutrients found in prenatal vitamins

Nutrient Role Common Food Sources
Folate (methylated folate) May support healthy neural tube development Leafy greens, lentils, citrus
Iron (gentle chelate) May help maintain energy and healthy blood formation Red meat, beans, tofu
Vitamin B12 May assist red blood cell production Eggs, dairy, fortified foods
Vitamin D3 May support calcium absorption Sunlight, eggs, oily fish
Iodine May support foetal brain and nervous system development Seaweed, iodised salt
Choline May support healthy brain and liver development Eggs, legumes

 

When to start prenatal vitamins

Many women begin taking a prenatal supplement three months before trying to conceive. This allows nutrient levels (especially folate and iron) to build gradually. 
Some also continue after birth to support postnatal recovery or breastfeeding needs.

Managing common supplement discomfort

If you experience nausea or bloating, try:

  • Taking your prenatal with food
  • Switching to a gentle-on-the-stomach formula (such as Vitable’s)
  • Staying hydrated and maintaining fibre intake
  • If discomfort persists, speak with your healthcare provider.

Why choose Vitable’s Prenatal Plus?

Vitable’s Prenatal Plus contains 22 essential nutrients in bioavailable, gentle forms = including methylated folate, chelated iron, vegan vitamin D3, choline and activated B12.

This formula is designed to:

  • Support healthy foetal development
  • Support a healthy pregnancy
  • Support maternal health and wellbeing
  • Help prepare the body for pregnancy
  • Support preconception health
  • Support healthy placental growth and function
  • Support healthy thyroid hormone production during pregnancy
  • Help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida and/or anencephaly

FAQs

How often should I take The Vitable Prenatal?

One tablet daily with water, after food, or as directed by your health professional.

When should I start taking a prenatal supplement?

It’s generally recommended to begin a prenatal supplement around three months before trying to conceive. This allows time for nutrients like folate and iron to build up in your system before pregnancy.

In the first few weeks of pregnancy, important structures like the heart and neural tube (which forms the brain and spinal cord) begin to develop. Because this happens before many people know they’re pregnant, having key nutrients such as folate, iron and iodine in your system early may help support healthy development.

How long should you take prenatal vitamins for?

Many people continue taking prenatal vitamins throughout pregnancy and into the postnatal period, especially while breastfeeding. This helps support nutrient recovery and ongoing maternal wellbeing.

It’s generally recommended to continue taking your prenatal vitamins daily throughout pregnancy, alongside any additional supplements your healthcare professional advises for your individual needs.

Does your Prenatal Plus cause nausea?

Vitable's Prenatal Plus formula uses bioavailable ingredients that are gentle on the stomach, reducing the risk of nausea.

What type of folate does your Prenatal contain and what makes your Prenatal different from others?

Our Prenatal Plus contains methyl-folate, a highly bioavailable form of folate. It’s particularly beneficial for the 1 in 3 women who carry the MTHFR gene mutation and have difficulty metabolising standard folic acid.We also formulated our Prenatal Plus with chelated minerals like iron and zinc to make it easier to digest. Chelated minerals are minerals that have been combined with amino acids to form complexes, enhancing absorption in the body.

Last updated December 2025

The content on this blog is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine or taking new supplements.

Tags: Pregnancy Prenatal
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