What supplements should I take before getting pregnant?

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Pham Thi Yen - Obstetrician - Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

To have a healthy pregnancy, smart baby, comprehensive physical and brain development, women before pregnancy need to take vitamin and mineral supplements. The supplement of necessary substances before pregnancy should follow the doctor's instructions on how to use, dosage, ... to take care of health in the best way.

To have a healthy pregnancy, the baby is best developed right from the womb, women should add supplements at 3 months before pregnancy.
According to biological mechanisms, the time for eggs to mature in a woman's ovaries is 3 months, after which the eggs will ripen and release. At the time of ovulation, if an egg meets a sperm, it will fertilize. And for a healthy embryo, the mother must have good egg quality. Therefore, women need to have a plan to take nutritional supplements before pregnancy for healthy egg development.

The question is, what supplements should be taken before pregnancy? According to doctors, women should supplement with the following substances when planning to become pregnant:
2.1 Folic acid (vitamin B9 or folate) Folic acid works to prevent neural tube defects (cranial malformations), brain and spine) such as spina bifida, anencephaly. Spina bifida causes the fetal spine to not close, the spinal cord is not protected. Meanwhile, women who take folic acid every day can reduce the risk of birth defects in the fetus by up to 70%. In addition, folic acid also prevents other complications and malformations such as miscarriage, placental abruption, congenital heart disease, cleft lip and palate, limb defects, blood clotting disorders,...
Therefore , folic acid supplementation before pregnancy is necessary. Women should take folic acid for at least 3 months before becoming pregnant. The recommended dose is about 400mcg of folic acid per day. Women can get folic acid from foods such as cereal flour, asparagus, black beans, lentils, peanuts, spinach, fresh orange juice, salads, broccoli, pasta, bread, bananas, watermelon, poultry, dairy products, seafood, ... In addition, those planning to become pregnant should also supplement with folic acid products such as Adofex, Obimin, Ferrovit, Tardyferon B9 ,... Taking folic acid supplements on an empty stomach will help to better absorb the drug.

2.2 Calcium A large amount of calcium needs to be mobilized to form and develop the baby's bones and teeth during pregnancy and postpartum (lasting up to 6 months after birth if the baby is exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months). If only depending on the normal diet without adding calcium according to the recommended dose, the mother will have joint pain, cramps, possibly convulsions due to hypocalcemia. At the same time, calcium deficiency in the fetus will take calcium from the mother's body, leading to the risk of osteoporosis later in life. In particular, if calcium is not sufficiently supplemented according to development needs, the fetus may have rickets, underdevelopment and deformed bone structure.
Therefore, before and during pregnancy, women need to have a calcium-rich diet, increase their intake of seafood, butter, milk, eggs, cheese,... At the same time, they need to add calcium from other foods. synthetic pharmaceuticals (drugs containing calcium) as prescribed by your doctor.

2.3 Iron Iron is necessary for the production of red blood cells. During pregnancy, a pregnant woman's blood volume increases. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement iron to create hemoglobin, which helps carry oxygen to nourish the fetus. Iron deficiency will lead to iron deficiency anemia, which greatly affects the health and development of the fetus such as stillbirth, fetal malnutrition, bleeding complications after birth, .. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement iron before and during pregnancy.
Women preparing to become pregnant can supplement iron from foods such as spinach, water spinach, sea fish, lean meat,... In addition, it is necessary to add iron from preparations advised by doctors. Used to prevent anemia during pregnancy.
Note when supplementing with iron:
Common side effects: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation; Calcium and calcium-rich foods can inhibit iron absorption. Women can overcome this point by taking iron and calcium at different times; Antacids or drugs to treat acid reflux also affect the absorption of iron, so it should be used with caution;

2.4 Vitamins Vitamins play an important role in ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Therefore, it is necessary to take adequate vitamin supplements before and during pregnancy.
Vitamin A: Rich in tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, sea fish liver, ... helps strengthen the mother's immune system, protect the fetus, give the baby a bright and healthy eyes; Vitamin C: Rich in green vegetables and fresh fruits, helps strengthen resistance, prevent disease and support the body to better absorb iron; V external vascular system,...

Women before and during pregnancy need to supplement 400mcg folic acid, 27mg iron, 1000mg calcium every day. In case it is necessary to take supplements with higher dosage, it is necessary to consult an obstetrician; It is necessary to consult a doctor before supplementing with any medicine, especially for women with liver and kidney disease; Do not use the drug in excess of the recommended dose, if high doses of vitamin A supplements can cause birth defects in the fetus; Should regularly sunbathe in the early morning to supplement natural sources of vitamin D, helping the body absorb calcium better; The diet needs to be fortified with protein (found in meat, fish, eggs, milk,...) and Omega-3 (found in mackerel, tuna, sardines, vegetable oil,...); Do not smoke and stop using alcohol, exercise regularly, avoid exposure to harmful substances; People with chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, asthma, depression, epilepsy,... need to follow the advice of a doctor, especially when using drugs because of some drugs. may harm the unborn baby. In order for the child to be fully developed, women before pregnancy need to take additional drugs, essential nutrients and vitamins according to the doctor's recommendations on dosage, time of use,...
To help her I understand better the importance of health care before pregnancy, understand what supplements need to be taken before pregnancy, what drugs should be taken before pregnancy?... Vinmec has implemented a counseling program and health care before pregnancy .
Vinmec's pre-pregnancy health care and counseling program is methodically and scientifically built, implemented by a team of leading nutritionists, obstetricians and gynecologists from major hospitals around the world. country, helping you have complete knowledge about nutrition and health during before and after pregnancy to have the healthiest pregnancy.
Doctor Pham Thi Yen has 11 years of experience in examination and treatment in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Doctor with strengths and deep understanding in:
Examination and consultation of normal pregnancies, pathological pregnancies, high-risk pregnancies Examination and treatment of gynecological diseases: cervicitis, cervical ectropion Surgery Laparoscopic surgery for gynecological diseases: ectopic pregnancy, uterine tumor, ovarian tumor Surgery for breast, vulvar, vaginal, cervical tumors Obstetric surgery: cesarean section, examination and treatment of women's endocrine disorders at all ages: puberty, reproductive age; perimenopausal age.