Preparing the body for pregnancy during the prenatal months, whether that be naturally or via assisted fertility, is a critically important time that can benefit from as many proactive steps as possible.
And while lifestyle switch-ups like healthier eating, reducing or cutting out alcohol and keeping stress to a minimum may come to mind first, getting plenty of helpful, pregnancy-friendly nutrients and probiotics are a fantastic way to help support female fertility too.
Why take fertility supplements?
“Preconception is arguably the most important part of the process,” says Ross J. Barr, one of the most renowned fertility specialists in the UK. “It’s the time when mother and father-to-be prepare both their bodies and minds for the forthcoming pregnancy, so that they can be as healthy and ready as possible for new life. It's important to note that people conceive all over the world without any supplementation, but equally, I see it as extra insurance that you’re getting the building blocks and additional resources needed for what is a huge ask for the body.
“Sadly, some nutrients necessary for a healthy immune system for fertility are not in adequate supply in modern foods the way they used to be - neither in the soil nor therefore in plant foods. So, supplementation can help nourish that deficiency. It's also reassuring for a mother-to-be to know she is covering all bases with a good supplement, as during the first trimester there are times that all some can stomach are croissants or anything beige. Supplementation helps with the guilt that mothers can feel.”
Are there different types of fertility supplements?
Discussing any supplement regimen with your healthcare provider to ensure it fits your individual needs and health circumstances is always recommended before you start shopping, while it’s also important to note that not all supplements are created equal. “A lot of 'natural vitamin supplements' are not structures ever found in natural foods,” explains Barr. “A simple reading of the ingredients list on the label will reveal a list of chemicals and not complexes found in foods, so look for 'food state' or 'food grown' supplements. You can be more confident that the body recognises these supplements as a food complex and should therefore provide superior absorption.”
When’s best to start taking fertility supplements?
Timing is key for fertility supplements too, as research has shown they should be taken as you ready the body to support a pregnancy. “It’s a great idea to prepare as far in advance as possible, ideally starting six months but at least three months before the planned conception,” advises Barr. “It’s during this time that both the sperm and ova complete their maturation process. Both are extremely vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies and toxins over this period.
“Therefore, as well as improving nutritional intake, it is also important to reduce any toxic load in the body and this is best done in the first three months of preconception. The second three months [months three to six before conceiving] are a time for maintaining good health and building up the nutritional reserves in the body for the mother-to-be to be able to support new life.”
Read on to see our pick of the best preconception supplements to help support female fertility in the run up to pregnancy…
Ross Barr Women’s Fertility Formula
Embracing his ethos of providing nutrients from a natural, food state, Ross Barr’s unique supplements offer a complete, rounded blend of carefully selected vitamins and minerals for supporting female fertility. Each once-a-day tablet contains naturally-occurring folate (folic acid) to aid healthy tissue growth, as well as vitamin B12, iron, selenium, zinc and magnesium, all of which support normal, healthy cell division.
The formula helps strengthen blood production and regulate hormone function too. It also includes enzymes needed to remove heavy metals such as mercury, lead and aluminium from the body, as these can be toxic and have been linked to infertility problems, miscarriage, premature birth and underweight in newborns. Crucially, nutrients are derived from plant sources and delivered the same way as they would be from food, so the body recognises and digests them best for maximum benefits.
Buy now £33.00, Selfridges
Youth & Earth Women’s Fertility
Drawing not only from a palette of vitamins and minerals that support female fertility including iron, zinc and D3, but from a wider range of scientifically-backed plants and herbs, these capsules help keep both ovulation and periods regular, plus regulate hormones too. Vegan and vegetarian, as well as being free from gluten and GMOs, key ingredients you might not find in other formulas include myo-inositol, a compound known to support ovulatory function and menstrual regularity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common cause of infertility. There is also the antioxidant coenzyme Q10, said to support egg quality and the adaptogenic vegetable extract maca root, believed to keep hormones in check.
Another popular adaptogen, the ayurvedic root extract ashwagandha, helps reduce stress and anxiety levels by reducing cortisol levels to positively impact reproductive health. Take two any time of day, with or without food.
Buy now £34.99, Youth & Earth
Artah Enhanced Fertility
This is a great multi-tasker, formulated to be taken in the months before conception, from the start of pregnancy, post-natal, or as a multivitamin alternative to support hormonal, reproductive and metabolic health. Containing optimum doses of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients and formulated by nutritionists using the latest in fertility research and science, each capsule is packed with 31 ingredients for health and well-being.
Recyclable packaging and sustainable ingredients that bring together founder Rhian Stephenson’s background in functional health and passion for Eastern medicine mean these supplements - three per day with food - offer balanced, holistic support for a healthy reproductive system via good nutrition. You’ll also receive a free e-book, Nutrition for Fertility & Pregnancy Guide, that includes more than 50 nutritionist-designed recipes based on evidence-based guidelines and nutritional requirements for female fertility.
Buy now £36.00, Artah
Wild Nutrition Women’s Fertility Duo
Cleverly packaged together, this pair of supplements works in wonderful synergy with each daily serving containing four Pure Strength Omega 3 capsules and two of the award-winning, prenatal Food-Grown Fertility Support for Women capsules in a single sachet. It also means they’re conveniently handbag-portable and suitcase-packable. Formulated by nutritional practitioner Henrietta Norton after helping many women seeking fertility support at her clinic, these supplements are innovatively created by taking high-quality ingredients and growing them in a paste made of whole foods, before refining them in a way that ensures their integrity so the body recognises and digests them easily.
The Fertility Support capsules contain minerals from calcium to iron, the recommended amount of natural folate, plus antioxidants to protect egg reserves and healthy ovulation and nutrients to help reduce tiredness and boost mental resilience. Omega 3, meanwhile, provides optimal fatty acids needed for healthy foetal eye, brain and cognitive development.
Buy now £74.00, Wild Nutrition
Zita West Vitafem Premium Women’s Fertility Supplement
A renowned fertility specialist spanning everything from prenatal nutrition to IVF as well as having over 40 years’ experience as a midwife, Zita West created her supplements to support a healthy diet and ensure all nutritional needs are met during preconception. This Vitafem supplement for women (there’s a men’s version too) was formulated in conjunction with a leading IVF clinic, using the latest research to deliver a complete, rounded multivitamin and mineral offering in two capsules per day.
The comprehensive blend includes nutrients that support fertility and prepare the body for pregnancy while stabilising any nutritional imbalances. It includes the ideal doses of natural folate as well as vital B vitamins to help regulate hormones and support hormonal health, plus minerals including zinc, which is essential for functions such as healthy cell division and selenium, an antioxidant that protects proteins, lipids and DNA.
Buy now £28.96, Zita West
Novomins Fertility Gummies
Aside from providing women with the recommended nutrients, including folic acid for foetal health, zinc for reproductive health and B12 for mental clarity, during their fertility journey, these doctor-formulated gummies are also focused on probiotics and how they can help support the vaginal microbiome in a similar way to gut health.
A peer-reviewed study from 2023 in the scientific journal Frontiers found that the probiotic lactobacilli are effective in changing the vaginal microbiota and improving health, helping to maintain a sperm-friendly, acidic pH environment and reducing the chances of bacterial and yeast infections, which can negatively impact fertility.
This formula contains three of the most clinically-studied lactobacilli, supporting the vaginal microbiome while other nutrients care for ovarian health, hormonal balance and mental well-being. Ideal if you don’t like swallowing tablets or capsules, the peachy-flavoured gummies are halal and certified vegan too.
Buy now £19.99, Novomins
BetterYou Vitamin D 3000 IU Daily Oral Spray
Another alternative to tablets, this spray delivers a daily dose of vitamin D when pumped onto the inner cheek for direct delivery of this vital nutrient. According to Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart, health expert and nutritionist who works with BetterYou, vitamin D is one of the most crucial supplements to consider when trying to conceive as it plays an essential role in reproductive health, influencing hormone regulation, ovulatory function and overall fertility.
A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found that women with sufficient vitamin D levels were significantly more likely to conceive compared to those with lower levels, while it has been shown to improve the quality of eggs and sperm too. Limited sunlight in the UK, especially during winter, means there’s a chance of vitamin D deficiency, so this fast, easy, portable spritz is a superb option. It’s also a great minty mouth freshener.
Buy now £9.45, BetterYou
Purolabs Pregnancy Complex
Although it’s labelled for pregnancy, this two capsules-a-day (with food) formula is suited for use from preconception through to breastfeeding, taking away any worries about switching supplements to match up with different stages of the fertility journey. A blend of the optimal doses of 28 essential vitamins and minerals as recommended by the UK Department of Health, it boosts hormonal health and fertility, which in turn improves pregnancy outcomes.
The highly bioavailable ingredients (meaning they’re easily absorbed into the bloodstream) include iron to reduce fatigue, vitamin D3 to support the immune system and magnesium for better muscle function and to promote relaxation. The supplement also includes a lactobacillus probiotic to directly benefit hormonal health as oestrogen is metabolised in the gut.
Buy now £31.99, Purolabs
Bio-Kult Pregnéa
Clinically researched, vegetarian and gluten-free, these supplements bring together a fantastic blend of nutrients to take before, during and after pregnancy with six strains of freeze-dried live bacteria to care for the immune and digestive systems, help alleviate tiredness and aid in absorbing nutrients. Not only can these capsules be swallowed whole, but the two daily supplements can be broken open and sprinkled onto cooled food or in a drink if you prefer.
The spectrum of vitamins and minerals included ticks off zinc, which contributes to normal fertility and reproduction, folate to support foetal tissue growth during pregnancy, plus magnesium to further reduce fatigue. Vitamins C and D3, meanwhile, also encourage the immune system to function normally.
Buy now £10.50, Bio-Kult
Vitabiotics Pregnacare Conception Max
Two Pregnacare Conception Max tablets plus one High Purity Omega-3 capsule daily provide a complete offering of advanced nutritional care and fertility support in the run-up to trying for a baby. The Conception Max tablets offer a carefully balanced, optimum dosage blend of L-Methylfolate, a readily bioavailable form of folic acid for healthy foetal development; vitamin D and calcium for bone support; plus iron and B vitamins to help contribute to forming normal red blood cells in the body.
Zinc, scientifically proven to contribute to normal fertility and reproduction, brings its added benefits too. In turn, the omega-3 fish oil capsule supplies the body with essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, known to assist in the growth of healthy foetal brain and eye development.
Buy now £19.99, Holland & Barrett
Verdict
As a leading women’s health expert specialising in fertility, as well as a renowned acupuncturist and herbalist, Ross Barr is ideally positioned to offer a blend of vitamins and minerals that women can feel confident and assured are the best possible combination for the months of preconception. Not only will they be getting a complete spectrum of essential nutrients in a single tablet with his Female Fertility Formula, (particularly helpful for those who have difficulty swallowing multiple supplements at once) but the added enzymes that remove toxic heavy metals are a welcome benefit too.
It’s as much about what you take out as what you’re putting into the body. Being derived from plants and recognised by the digestive system as a natural food so they won’t put any extra pressure on the body, also makes these fertility supplements a fantastic choice for those planning a pregnancy and looking for extra nutritional support.
