“Do preconception vitamins help you conceive?”
I am a 31 year old female. I am taking preconception vitamins. Do preconception vitamins help you conceive?
5 Answers
The reason prenatal vitamins are recommended before pregnancy is because of the folic acid (must be .8 to 1 mg) which helps prevent neural tube defects to the baby's spine after conception.
I know of no studies that show they improve conception
I know of no studies that show they improve conception
No, they do not help you conceive. However, the folic acid significantly decreases the risk of neural tube defects in the fetus.
Michael Nethers, MD
Michael Nethers, MD
Folic acid in the prenatal vitamins helps prevent spinal cord defects in the baby. Other micronutrients in the prenatal vitamins are vital for the functioning of your body which in turn are needed when you are trying to get pregnant.
Stay Healthy!
Stay Healthy!
This is a complicated question. Prenatal vitamins do decrease the risk of spina bifida and are recommended 6 weeks prior to conception. Also the methylated folate in a prenatal vitamin is very important from a physiologic standpoint and may play a role in conception.
They may prepare your body for gestation but they will not assist you in getting pregnant faster.
