3 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Prenatal Supplement
Choosing the right prenatal supplement can feel overwhelming with so many options available. But making the wrong choice could affect not just your fertility but also your baby’s development. As a fertility dietitian, I’ve seen firsthand how women unknowingly make mistakes that could easily be avoided with the right guidance.
In this blog, I’m sharing the three biggest mistakes women make when choosing a prenatal multivitamin and how you can avoid them to support your fertility and future pregnancy.
What Is a Prenatal Supplement?
The prenatal supplement is specially formulated vitamins designed to support women either before conception, throughout the different phases of pregnancy, or even during breastfeeding for some. The exact composition can vary depending on the brand and formulation, but the core purpose remains the same-to provide essential nutrients that support both maternal health and the healthy development of the baby.
Mistake #1: Thinking All Prenatal Vitamins Are Created Equal
Folate is a prime example of a nutrient critical for preventing neural tube defects (NTDs). While many prenatal supplements in recent years have started including methylfolate—an active form that may be a better choice for individuals with certain MTHFR gene variants. Folic acid remains the only form proven to effectively protect against NTDs (CDC, 2024).
Global health guidelines recommend that all women trying to conceive take 400 mcg of folic acid daily to help prevent NTDs, even if they have an MTHFR variant, continuing through the first three months of pregnancy (CDC, 2024). Depending on your health profile—such as having a higher body weight, coeliac disease, or type 2 diabetes, some individuals may require higher folate supplementation.
Are you curious about how MTHFR gene mutations affect fertility? Check out our previous blog here.
Another nutrient often overlooked is choline, which is essential for fetal brain development and further reduces the risk of neural tube defects. Alarmingly, approximately 90–95% of pregnant women consume less choline than the recommended adequate intake (Brunst et al., 2014). Most prenatal supplements contain little, if any, choline.
The risk of inadequate choline status can be even higher in pregnant and lactating women who:
- Do not take folic acid supplements
- Have low vitamin B12 status
- Carry a common variant in MTHFR, an enzyme that affects folate metabolism.
All these factors reduce the body’s pool of methyl groups needed for metabolism, increasing the risk of developmental issues (Obeid et al., 2022).
What to Do Instead:
- When selecting a prenatal vitamin, don’t just rely on the label. Look for one that provides at least 400 mcg of folic acid and contains sufficient choline.
- Some individuals may require a different form of folate, like methylfolate, or a higher dose of folate supplementation based on their unique needs. Consulting a fertility dietitian can help determine the best option for you.
- Additionally, make sure the supplement is third-party tested for purity and potency. You should feel confident about what you’re putting into your body.
Mistake #2: Overloading on the Wrong Nutrients
It’s easy to assume that more is better when it comes to supplements, but that’s not always the case. Taking excessive amounts of certain vitamins—like vitamin A in retinol form, iron, or vitamin B6—can cause nutrient imbalances and even harmful side effects.
For example, vitamin B6 plays a key role in hormone regulation and can help reduce pregnancy-related nausea. However, high doses can lead to nerve damage. The upper limit for B6 is 50 mg/day in Australia (Eat For Health, 2006) and just 12 mg/day in Europe for adults including pregnant and lactating women, yet many supplements exceed these limits. It’s essential to check your dosage to avoid potential risks (EFSA, 2023).
Iodine is another crucial nutrient, supporting thyroid health and fetal brain development. However, excessive iodine intake can disrupt thyroid function, especially in individuals with preexisting thyroid conditions (Farebrother et al., 2019).
While iron is essential to prevent anemia during pregnancy, some women carry a genetic predisposition to iron overload (haemochromatosis). In these cases, supplementing with additional iron may negatively affecting fertility and general health (Ng et al., 2019).
What to Do Instead:
- Before starting any supplement regimen, getting your blood work done is crucial to ensure you’re only supplementing what your body truly needs.
- A personalised supplement plan based on your lab results will support your fertility while minimising risks.
Mistake #3: Ignoring Your Unique Fertility Needs
Every woman’s fertility journey is different, yet many opt for generic prenatal vitamins that may not address their specific challenges. Beyond basic multivitamins, certain conditions benefit from targeted supplements to enhance fertility outcomes.
For example, women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) may benefit from inositol, which helps regulate blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and restore regular cycles and ovulation (Zhang et al., 2021).
For those with endometriosis, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) offers antioxidant support, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, which can improve fertility outcomes (Anastasi et al., 2023).
Women aiming to improve egg health and quality—especially those of advanced maternal age—may require CoQ10. The CoQ10 supplement supports mitochondrial function in eggs, which is crucial for energy production and healthy fertilisation (Lin et al., 2024).
Ignoring these individualised needs could mean missing out on essential support that might significantly boost fertility outcomes.
What to Do Instead:
- A fertility dietitian can help review your entire supplement plan, source the best formulations, and ensure you take the proper doses at the right time based on the latest scientific evidence.
- Most importantly, to help you create a cost-effective, safe, and targeted regimen to increase your chances of getting pregnant and supporting a healthy pregnancy.
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Bottom Line:
- Choosing the right prenatal supplement is about giving your body the best possible support for conception and a healthy pregnancy.
- By avoiding these common mistakes, you can feel confident that you’re making choices that align with your unique fertility needs.
- If you’re unsure whether your current supplements are right for you, it might be time for a personalised review with a fertility dietitian.
