Some vitamins and minerals are very important when you’re pregnant.
Making sure you get the right nutrients is vital for your baby to grow and develop.
Your baby’s spine starts to grow very early in pregnancy.
Folic acid helps:
You should make sure you’re taking a daily 400 mcg (0.4 mg) folic acid tablet:
If you haven’t been taking a folic acid supplement or vitamin tablets it’s not too late to start.
Your midwife or GP may ask you to take a larger amount of folic acid (5 mg) if:
Folic acid is in some foods too, such as
You and your baby need iron to make the haemoglobin in red blood cells.
While your baby’s developing they get the iron they need from you. This means your iron levels can fall, making you anaemic.
Your body needs time to build up iron throughout pregnancy, so it’s important to make sure you’re regularly getting enough.
You can get iron from:
Eat these with some vitamin C to help your body use the iron. Try:
Tea and coffee can affect how well your body uses iron. Try to limit how much you drink and only have tea and coffee between meals.
Vitamin D is very important throughout pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Your body needs vitamin D to keep your heart, bones and teeth healthy. Your developing baby needs it for the same reasons.
If your baby doesn’t get enough vitamin D, it can also cause seizures (fits) after they’re born.
Your body usually gets most of the vitamin D it needs from sunlight. In Scotland there’s not enough sunlight to get what you need from October to March.
Also, if you have dark skin or your skin’s covered, you’re more likely to have low levels of vitamin D.
To get enough vitamin D you’ll need to take a 10 mcg supplement every day. This usually comes as a tablet and is part of your free vitamins.
Although some foods contain vitamin D, such as oily fish, eggs and breakfast cereals, you can’t get enough from food alone.
Iodine is a mineral needed to make thyroid hormones.
These hormones:
If you eat foods including pasteurised milk, pasteurised dairy products and fish you’ll probably get enough iodine.
If you don’t eat these foods, you’re more likely to be short of iodine so talk to you midwife or GP for advice about supplements.
You only need a small amount of vitamin A and you should be able to get enough from the food you eat.
As vitamin A is stored in your body, this means it’s possible you could store too much. This may be harmful to your baby.
When you’re pregnant:
Ask your midwife for information about what foods are best avoided when pregnant
All pregnant women are entitled to free vitamins containing folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin D.
You don’t have to qualify for these. Just ask your midwife.
Read more about the support available to help with other aspects of the cost of living
If you’re a mum under 18, or you’re over 18 and getting some benefits, you’re likely to be entitled to extra support with nutrition, vitamins and minerals.
Speak to your midwife, health visitor and family nurse for more details.
Translations and alternative formats of this information are available from Public Health Scotland.
If you need a different language or format, please contact phs.otherformats@phs.scot.
Last updated:
14 December 2023