Hip to B12

When trying to conceive my first child, I remember my midwife simply suggesting that I take the Pregnacare tablets for preconception. That was fine. They had the necessary folic acid for conception and that stage, at age 34, it ended up being enough.

Fast forward to age 39, after three miscarriages over several years, and the reality for me was that I really needed to up my vitamin game. I’m not very good at remembering to take any sort of tablet so even the idea of one a day always seemed like a lot but when you need to examine your health really up close, you’ve got to do everything you can and make better choices. In this case that meant five tablets a day, gulp!

Here are the vitamins I took (in addition to my usual preconception multivitamin) that I feel helped us eventually get and stay pregnant with our second baby:

B6

B6 helped with my luteal phase defect. My luteal phase (the time between ovulation and your period) was on the short side, around 9 or 10 days. A normal luteal phase is 12 to 14 days long. Having one on the short side can mean that your body may not produce enough progesterone which is the key to a healthy uterine lining. If it’s not thick enough, a fertilised egg may not attach itself. B6 helps to balance your hormones, in particular oestrogen and progesterone.

B12

This is an important vitamin as it helps your body’s cells metabolise and combined with Folic Acid and B6, it is a fertility super vitamin. B12 deficiency can cause many side effects and some researchers believe it can lead to miscarriage.

Coenzyme 10

CoQ10 has antioxidant properties and helps with cell quality. Egg cells (particularly those from what one midwife referred to me as: a geriatric patient!) will benefit from taking it.

Maca

Maca can increase sex drive, help with cervical mucus consistency and supports healthy ovulation by balancing hormones.

Royal Jelly

Royal Jelly is very high in amino acids and like Maca, helps to regulate hormones.

All in all, despite my hating to take so many tablets a day, it was worth it! I really believe each one was an essential part of us finally conceiving. In fact I was (and still am) so convinced by their incredible powers, we almost called my son Maca…but for some reason my husband wasn’t convinced!