Vitamins are essential nutrients that your body needs in small amounts so that it can work properly.
You get many vitamins from having a healthy balanced diet but while you are pregnant or breastfeeding the NHS recommends that you take healthy start vitamins to support the health of you and your child.
Healthy start women’s vitamin tablets contain:
- Folic acid to reduce the chance of your child having spina bifida, a birth defect where the spine doesn’t form properly
- Vitamin C to help maintain healthy tissue in the body, a strong immune system and absorb iron from food
- Vitamin D to help your body to absorb calcium to keep your bones strong and help your child’s bones to develop properly
- One daily tablet of healthy start vitamins for women gives you all the extra folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin D that you need
Please ask your community midwife how to get your FREE vitamins and when your baby is born please ask your Health visitor about FREE vitamins for them too.